Rising Afro RnB singer, Chinanu Onuoha, better known as Africaine has been spinning across Afrobeats circuits recently with her classic release, “Live Life.” A mix of positive hedonism, soothing saxophones, piano chords and a hypnotic drum kick motif, “Live Life” is among Africaine’s most-recent testament of her sonorous vocals. Other exciting releases include “Mr Lover”, her most captivating indie-pop love tune so far.

Raised across the United States and Nigeria, Africaine’s roots stretch deep within early 2000s Afrobeats, although her Christian background kept Gospel music at the core of her music diet. Learning to play the piano in the church choir, she set her sights on a life surrounded with melodies and microphones. Now, as a solo act, she’s merging her rich musical background with her contemporary and humane ideas into a stellar music discography. She catches up with Guardian Music, the young chanteuse warms up on her recent career exploits, from her optimist-anthem, “Live Life”, to her creative process, and femme-centered movements.

When did you begin your journey in music?
I’ve been doing music for as long as I can remember. I started in church, and when I got into college, people just convinced me to consider going solo, and I met with some producers that helped me kick start my music. So that was in around 2020- that’s when I started taking music as a solo artist seriously, and we’ve been going since then.

What were your first steps in going professional?
I started with RnB. My first song was an RnB song, before I ventured into Afrobeat. So that was how I had gotten into the field. After RnB, I contacted some Nigerian producers and met up with them, and I started transitioning into Afrobeat music.

What were some of your biggest musical influences, especially when you were not professional yet?
I listened to Burna Boy a lot, but I also listened to a lot of RnB and gospel. So, you can hear those influences in my music. I listen to a lot of Alicia Keys. I listen to a lot of familiar artists- you kind of hear a bit of every genre in my music.

So how do you navigate your creative process?
My creative process is a bit different than most people. I like to be alone. I don’t like anybody in the studio with me when I’m creating, so I have my own studio. I usually like to make the beats with the producers. Like we work out the beats together, and then everybody has to leave, and then I record everything by myself.

Your most recent release is “Mr. Lover.” Tell us about the creative process behind that record.
Oh, Omah just sent me a really nice speed; it was actually recorded a couple years ago. I fell in love with the beats. It just felt very fun, and I just recorded it, and it became like the amazing song that it is today.

Your music features a lot of our relationships as a central theme. Tell us about your penchant for these stories.
I like to think of myself as a storyteller. I mean, usually, when I hear music, I just let it tell me what it sounds like—you know, the kind of vibe it gives off. And I just like to tell stories. I’m inspired a lot by love. I’m a lover girl, so I love love. I love singing about it. I love the concept of it. So, it does inspire a lot of my music. But I do have other songs that aren’t centered around love, like the one I’m dropping this week called Live Life. Over time, you’ll see different sides of Africane in the future.

Nice, speaking of Africaine. Tell us the origins of the name itself.
So Africaine is the French word for African woman. I just fell in love with the word. I just feel like it was very majestic, and it described everything that I was so in simple terms. That’s, that’s what Africaine means.

Okay, where do you perform your music- are you performing at home for now?
I perform both in America and in Nigeria, but I am based in America right now.

Okay, have you always grown up there?
I was born here, but then I always vacation in Nigeria. So, there was always a duality to me.

Are there any Nigerian contemporary acts on your radar right now?
Yeah, there’s a couple you guys will see as time goes on. There’s a couple, and we’re in the works now.

What’s your favorite part of your creative artistry?
I love my writing process. I think that’s something about me that stands out. I feel like I really connect with music, especially when it comes to writing. I love that I can do almost everything but myself. Yeah, and I like the approach. I like the church approach that I put into music. I have this soul church approach that I applied to music at Afrobeat, and I think it’s a fresh, new sound.

You mentioned church and gospel music. Were you in the church choir?
Yeah, I was in the choir all my life. That’s how I learned music theory and I played piano for the choir. I led the choir, so that’s all I really know.

That’s cool. Is it a Catholic church or something?
No, it’s a Pentecostal church.

Do you play any instruments at all?
Yeah, I play the keys- the piano.

I mean in your productions now.
As of now, no, sometimes if I have an idea, I’ll track it down. But as of now, I don’t do production by myself- just I want to hear and work on it together.

What’s next, looking at the year in view?
By the grace of God, I have a project coming up, a project coming up in some months, so you guys will hear about all different sides of Africa. It’s going to be very refreshing, different and exciting. So, looking forward to that.

What is your vision as Africaine?
I want to show the world that African women are like, what African women are capable of. I want to showcase my writing. I want to showcase my creativity. I want to stand out honestly, and I want to be a household name, amen.

Lastly, describe yourself using a word or a phrase
Versatile