Among the species of bird, the hawk remains an outstanding and intelligent bird which is known for making alarm calls.
When we speak of the hawk in the music industry, we speak of Asa, we speak of Bukola Elemide.
Bukola Elemide, professionally known as Asa is a Nigerian-French singer, songwriter, and a recording artist who combines elements of soul, pop, folk and reggae in her warm neo-soul songs.
She is well known singing with her guitar.
Asa was born on September 17, 1982 in Sign Virgo, Paris to Nigerian parents. She is the only girl in the family of 6.
At age 2, the family relocated to Lagos, Nigeria where Asa had her elementary education. When she turned 18, she returned to Paris and the journey into her musical career began.
Her music career was steered up by her father’s record collection. Records like: Aretha Fraklin, Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley and Nina Simone etc.
In 2004, after she had been certified by Peter King’s School of Music on the guitar, she met her producer Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo who produced her debut studio album Asa.
At age 20, she went back to France to study at the IMFP School of Jazz music; and in 2007, her first single in Nigeria was released titled “Eye Adaba” translated as “Dove”.
The song is that which is full of hope, prayers and a cry for peace in the country.
In no time, Asa got signed to Naïve records where she worked hand in hand with Cobhams, Christopher Dupuoy and Benjamin Constant.
Asa has remained active in the music industry since inception till date.
10 Great Lessons from Asa About Life & Hustle
These lessons will inspire you to reach your goals and achieve your dreams.
Have a Mentor
A mentor is someone whom you look up to and one who will always have your back.
At every stage in a man’s life, there is that one person whom you want to talk to, whom you believe has the right answers to your puzzle.
For Asa, that one person is Angelique Kidjo – a Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist of Nigerian descent.
She said that in an interview with Funmi Iyanda. Asa herself is one whom upcoming musicians want to look up to in the world of music; that doesn’t make her feel she’s got it all.
She equally has the one person who will always remind her where she’s heading.
Believe In Yourself
The first step to moving out of your comfort zone is believing in yourself.
When you go out there, you have to convince your manager that you’re the best fit for the job, you have the skills, you can do it; how do you convince your manager if you can’t convince yourself?
Asa followed her style of music, she believed she can do it and she achieved it. If you don’t believe in yourself; who will?
Related: 10 great money and investment lessons from Warren Buffett
Stand Out
As you might know, Asa’s style of music is that which is unique in the Nigerian music industry for someone in her prime.
Most young artist like her will do a style of music that they feel is readily acceptable by the audience.
For Asa, she gave her audience a different style of music, carrying both young and old along. Her style of music is non-restricted because of the kind of message it sends.
When she talks about love, both young and old can relate; when she talks about the nation, everyone can see themselves in her music.
That is what I call unique. Irrespective of acceptability, and guess what, she’s universally accepted. “Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it”
Keep Moving Forward
In one of her quotes, “I know I can’t change the past, but as the river keeps flowing, I’ll keep on moving on.”
Everyone above the age of 1 day has a past. That’s the truth, and it will delay or deny success if you keep thinking the impossible – changing the past.
Asa said “…I’ll keep on moving on”. Do not stop for any reason, you can pause but make sure the period of pausing is a period of self-development or self-actualization.
Acquire Knowledge
Asa is a musician who believed so much in western education especially for a female child because of some beliefs of not training a girl child.
Training a girl child is like building a nation. We can see this in the life of Asa.
“We will not put an end to extreme poverty if we do not give priority to education especially, girls education.” – Asa.
Education is remains key, in all your getting, get educated.
Fight for What You Believe
“When you just can’t see the future, when you just can’t see the light, you always got to put on a fight.” – Asa. Fight here means struggling your way out.
Life will not always give you what you demand of it, and when that happens, when everything looks blurry, put on the fight.
The fight to scale through; that’s why you have your God-given talent – fight with it. This goes smoothly with one of Lionel Messi’s quotes when he said; “You have to fight to reach your dreams, you have to sacrifice and work hard for it”
Be Associated With Like-minds
Asa probably discovered her interest in music and her particular style of music with the help of her father.
When she used to work as a cinematographer, she had some amazing collection of music in his archive which builds the interest of her daughter – Asa – the more.
Music written by Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, King Sunny Ade, Miriam Makeba, Diana Ross, and Nina Simone.
Asa on her own has her collection of musicians whose footprints she dreamt of following. They include: Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Lauryn Hill, Femi Kuti and her mentor, Angelique Kidjo.
In one of the inspirational life lessons from Lionel Messi, surrounding yourself with a good set of team goes a long way. Team work builds you and your team.
Having people with whom your goal and interest are aligned will not just FastTrack your journey, it will also widen your horizon.
Find Your Antidote
Asa said, “Universal quality education is one of the best antidotes to poverty”. For Asa, she believes one of the antidote to poverty id quality education, this means there are others.
Asa is well educated, even after she had started her musical career, she went back to France to study at the IMFP school of Jazz music.
She was educated in the music she has chosen as her path. Seek wisdom and you shall find it; seek your antidote, and you shall surely find it.
Let Your Brand Speak
When you have a less packaged brand, you do the talking at all times because you want to sell.
You speak to everyone you meet anywhere about who you are and what you because no one knows you. But when you have a packaged brand, your brand does the talking.
Asa is good when it comes to packaging her brand, right from her stage name, to her mentor, her music; you’ll agree with me that she is well packaged.
You can learn more about having your brand in these 10 success lessons from Don Jazzy.
Today, we can speak of Asa and numerous awards she has been nominated for and won.
Be Innovative
Aside from being an awesome singer, have you seen Asa dance? She is indeed an entertainer in the music industry.
With her guitar singer, she’s amazing and when she’s not doing that, she entertaining her fans on the dancing floor.
Your innovation differentiates you in the crowd. Asa isn’t the only musician in the industry but she is a well-known musician in the industry. Create your innovation and use it.
Asa can be classified as one of the successful female musicians in the industry and she is not stopping, she is on the move, moving on to another level.
Make sure to step up your game and be on top of it.
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