For most DJs, decks remain an end – but not for Olamilekan Emmanuel Adetifa. Even before he got to the recording studio to lay down his own music, Amasha, as he is otherwise known, was attuned to the audience.
Everything he learned from their reaction during his mixes added to his understanding of music. The lessons were invaluable, providing him with a wealth of knowledge about the audience, which has aided his work as a producer. It explains his success as a producer – his works encapsulate everything he knows about music as a DJ.
His compositions, including Laiye, Zion, and Odun, among others, reflect his transition from a DJ to a producer, as he tries to recreate the energy and power of his mixes in the recording studio. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Amasha does not perceive songwriting as a different talent from mixing. Therefore, his compositions are a product of the DJ skills he acquired over the years.
He is better at using the production skills he has developed to accentuate the rhythms that have defined his performance as a DJ. Not surprisingly, his works have motion and energy, with almost no filler. Even though Amasha has nothing against complicated arrangements, his works are devoid of the congestion that has characterized the Afro-fusion genre.
Sensitivity is a hallmark of Amasha’s compositions as he explores motion in his music. His works are a blend of emotion and feeling, devoid of the lack of depth that has characterized many Afro-fusion compositions. It is surprising how Amasha manages to remain consistent despite the evolution of his music. Ever since he started his career as a producer, his works have always had a certain degree of sameness.
It may not be easy to believe, but Amasha’s music has remained relatively consistent throughout his career. Considering the evolution of his works over time, this is perhaps the most surprising observation about the Afro-fusion DJ. Even throughout his meteoric rise to the top of the Nigerian music charts, his music has always had the same flavor.
His works reflect his mastery of rhythm and motion, which he has acquired through his experience as a DJ. His skills as a DJ allow him to create rhythms that are energetic, exciting, and powerful. As a producer, he can leverage his vast experience with rhythm and motion to create exciting songs that are devoid of the dull and predictable verse-chorus arrangements that have become the order of the day in the Afro-fusion genre.
Amasha has been able to invest his works with motion and energy, making them more exciting than many of his contemporaries’ works. His experience as a DJ has enabled him to create songs that are more interesting than those of most Afro-fusion producers.
Based on his current body of work, it is not surprising that Amasha has been able to evolve while maintaining his unique sound. His music reflects his ability to remain progressive while at the same time retaining the fundamental aspects that have defined his music. At this point, it is even easier to assume that his evolution has been organic, which explains why he has managed to maintain his identity despite his long career.
In fact, his body of work has proven that Amasha has always been a consummate professional who understands the music industry. His experience has allowed him to create exciting compositions by employing a blend of traditional rhythm and modern arrangements.
At this point, it is even more surprising that Amasha’s works have changed so little over time, which has enabled his music to stand the test of time. His love for motion and rhythm has allowed him to create a body of work that has endured and evolved with time. Unlike many of his peers who are having a difficult time finding their niche in the upbeat genre, Amasha has been able to develop a unique sound that has endured the test of time. His works reflect a mixture of traditional rhythms and modern arrangements that have enabled him to stand out from his contemporaries while remaining relevant in the Nigerian music industry.
Most young and energetic producers in the Afro-fusion genre have opted to either embrace the eclectic and experimental production styles that have become increasingly common in contemporary Afro-fusion music while shunning the rhythmic production styles that characterized the early years of the genre, or choose the opposite. They have chosen either/or – but not both. However, Amasha has been able to enjoy the best of both worlds, creating a body of work that reflects his ability to merge the two production styles to create exciting music.
His mastery of production techniques has allowed him to create a hybrid of the rhythmic feel that defined Afro-fusion music and the experimental and eclectic production styles that have come to define contemporary Afro-fusion music. Not surprisingly, Amasha’s works are more exciting and engaging than most of his peers’ works, which are either bland or rely on fillers to make them engaging.
Based on his current body of work, it is not surprising that Amasha has raised the bar for Afro-fusion producers in Nigeria and beyond. He has been able to combine his extensive experience and knowledge of the art of music production to create more exciting and engaging compositions than most of his peers. The DJ has used his skills as a DJ to create a body of work that has enthralled his audience, evidenced by the fact that his music continues to dominate the Nigerian music scene years after he started his career.
At this point, it is even easier to argue that Amasha represents the future of Afro-fusion music, having been able to combine his vast production experience with his skills as a DJ to create a body of work that is sure to propel the Afro-fusion genre to greater heights in the years to come.