The Mesmerising Sounds Of The Oiza Twins

Meyi and Oiza are the soothing voices of Instagram and Twitter.

Famous for their bathroom sounds, Meyi and Oiza have opened for a number of Nigerian singers including Wizkid and Asa.

And to make more impact with their organic sounds, they will be dropping a single in a couple of months and subsequently an EP. They speak to Guardian Life about being the daughters of famous NTA newscaster Eugenia Abu, and singing in the bathroom.

Would you say that being the daughters of Eugenia Abu has been pivotal to your success so far?

Meyi: Well, it’s kind of a 50/50 thing because it’s apples and oranges. We are on two different sides of media but I wouldn’t say her being who she is hasn’t helped us in some ways. When our videos started going viral, very few people knew that she was our mom, but it does give us some credibility and help us build trust with clients.

What is the style inspiration behind your eccentric look?

Oiza: Honestly, it’s just what makes us comfortable. We have always been drawn to the Afrocentric vibe cause I feel like that is the best way for us to express ourselves freely without judgment. It also aids us in telling our stories through movement cause most of our clothes are very flowy.

Meyi: I also studied fashion and textile and from a fashion and technical point of view, our style suits our bodies.

As an artist/while performing, what is that moment you look forward to?

Meyi: We have always been art inclined if we weren’t musicians. We probably are entertainment/ music adjacent. Oiza studied theatre and performing arts. She has always wanted to be an actor and I would’ve been a fashion designer or a teacher because that’s what I do currently for my PPA.

Who is the ideal musician, local and international, that you would like to do a collaboration with and why?

Oiza and Meyi: Ed Sheeran, Adele, Asa, Sarz… the list is endless. We are open to all forms of collaboration.

What strengths do you have that you believe makes you both great musicians?

Oiza: Our ability to tell stories, I believe. We’ve mastered the art of “gisting” through songs.

Describe your creative process when you compose.

Oiza and Meyi: It usually starts from a place of angst. That’s why our songs are so quirky and sometimes angry (laughs). We just ask each other what has annoyed us that day, then we start gisting/rapping about it and add a melody.

Have you had a bad performance? Describe your worst performance. What did you learn from this experience?

Oiza: There’s really no such thing as a bad performance. All experiences help us learn and grow. That being said, I once fell off a stage while singing in my 100 level at our first-ever paid gig exposing my undergarments. It wasn’t funny at the time, but I’ve learned from it.

What is your favourite performance and why is it memorable to you perhaps as a singer?

Meyi: It has to be a tie between opening for Asa, The Cavemen and Wizkid. On the “why,” from as early as we remember, “Jailer” was our number one go-to song for every performance we had to do. Hearing “jailer” on television revolutionised the way we saw music in Nigeria cause up until her debut, Meyi and I felt like nobodies. We couldn’t see our sound in any Nigerian artiste so to go from covering her songs at every open mic/karaoke event to not only opening for her but meeting her, having her know who we were and even going a step further to sing with her was a full-circle moment.

Opening for Wizkid speaks for itself. We were opening for Wizkid like, “duh”, that’s a dream come true, and we got to do that on our birthday, which was a wonderful memory.

The Cavemen, on the other hand, are a bit closer to home for us. It was our first time performing at an event in which we felt so understood in the sense that the audience was so receptive to every lyric, even the ones that fly over most people’s heads. Besides, the boys are so attentive to their craft. It was beautiful to see. To watch their work ethic and how much they cared about the music was a great learning experience.

Any plans for An Ep? If so, what should we expect?

Meyi: Yes, we have plans to put out music. In fact, this is the first time we are putting on record that we have our first single coming out in a couple of months and subsequently an Ep.

Oiza: It has been a long time coming and I feel that the people that have followed us on the journey have waited long enough for us to put out a project.