Meet Braye: An Artist Turning Reflection into Rhythm

“I love stories. I love to tell stories. I love to read stories. I love to make stories.”

This is how Braye describes his artistic mission, and it perfectly captures the essence of who he is both as a person and as a musician.

Meet the multi-dimensional artist who defies every stereotype you might have about musicians. With a degree in instrumentation engineering and a lifelong passion for building circuits and electronics, Braye represents a new generation of creators who refuse to be confined to a single identity.

But perhaps what is most fascinating about Braye’s story is how geography has shaped his artistic evolution. His journey from Port Harcourt to Accra to Lagos reads like a masterclass in how one’s environment influences creativity.

His latest EP, “I Wish I Had More Time,” is a philosophical statement wrapped in melody. This is just the beginning of his story.

Beyond the music, who is Braye?

Well, some of the things you don’t know about me are that I studied instrumentation engineering in school. I was interested in building circuits and electronics, and I still want to do that. I’m also an Arsenal fan. I love Arsenal and I’ve been watching Arsenal since I was five years old.

Growing up in Port Harcourt, moving to Accra, and then Lagos, how have these cities shaped your identity and sound?

I grew up in Port Harcourt with family, people that I knew, and people I was familiar with. When I was home in Port Harcourt, I was influenced by the music that people played. Then I moved to Accra in my late teens, where I had some alone time. When I was there, I was playing music to myself most of the time. I stayed in Abuja for a while before moving to Lagos, where there was some solitude, but I’ve also met some people here who are like friends and family to me.

Let’s talk about your EP ‘I Wish I Had More Time’. What does the title mean to you?

It’s just about the cry of someone who is young and wanting for life, but also feeling the wrath of life. It’s like a lament. In life, we desire beautiful things, and these things can have a deceptiveness that makes us regret or makes us love and be in awe of these things.

Your music seems to draw from reggae, jazz, soul, and Alt-R&B. How would you describe your style of music?

The way we become musicians is by listening to other musicians, other songs, and other people play. For me, it’s a mix of everything. I listen to a lot of reggae, soul, rock, pop, hip hop, jazz, and even Afrobeats. So, it’s a mix of what you listen to and what you love.

You’ve cited influences like Amy Winehouse, Bob Marley, Ray Charles, and Asa. How have these artists impacted your work?

It’s the feeling that their music gives; the feeling of conviction, strength, and the solidity of what they make. Because when you connect to it, it feels more solid to you. So I idolise and praise them for it.

If someone listens to your music for the first time, what’s the one thing you’d want them to feel?

I don’t have any particular thing that I want people to feel when they listen to my music. But I want the music to connect with people in a way that they feel something.