Nigeria: Mike Frost wins song contest

The Instagram-based competition was organised by lawyer and entrepreneur Akinyemi Ayinoluwa, and powered by his GreySage Consulting company, which also runs the GreySage Songwriting Contest. The contest seeks to provide a platform for emerging artists while promoting the songwriting culture in the country.

Singer-songwriter and producer Menxee came second while Daddii Naija won third place. The winning entries were selected by veteran producer Klem. They will share ₦300 000 ($730) among other prizes.

“I feel appreciated that my talent and all the work I’ve been putting in over the years are being recognised through this avenue,” Mike Frost told Music in Africa. “I love songwriting, it comes easy to me, so winning this competition puts me on the radar of some people I’d love to work with, I hope. So yeah, I hope to do more professional songwriting from here.”

Mike Frost said that that winning the contest will also build up anticipation for his forthcoming new EP. Based in Lagos, Mike Frost's sound is a fusion of elements of R&B, jazz, highlife and soul music. He cites Asa, Fela, Frank Sinatra, Sade Adu and Michael Jackson as some of his musical influences.

“My songwriting style is still evolving, but I think what makes it different from anyone else’s is how I like to paint a picture for the listener with my songwriting,” he said. “I try to hold the listener’s interest from the first word in the song to the very last.”

Speaking on songwriting culture in Nigeria, the musician noted that there’s more room for improvement. “A lot of Nigerians shame artists for collaborating with songwriters because they believe you should be talented enough to do it all by yourself – the performing and the writing. This makes it hard for artists to publicly credit songwriters they work with, or to even work with a songwriter at all.

“The Nigerian music industry grows in recognition every day, and it would grow even more if songwriters were more recognised for their roles in song creation. More capable hands on the job will translate to even better songs than the ones we already love right now.”

King Marky Moore won the last edition of the competition in July and received $150 and a pass to Ayinoluwa’s webinar on copyright for music creators.

“This is one of the many great things we will be doing to help build Nigeria’s songwriting community,” Ayinoluwa has said about the contest. “The ultimate legacy is to help build an environment that allows the next generation of creatives to thrive and have a more prosperous adventure.”