Afrobeat singer-songwriter Olivier Cheuwa, known for his dynamic blend of Afrobeat, gospel, and soul, is back with his newest single, ‘All the Glory’. With his signature fusion of vibrant rhythms and reflective lyrics, Cheuwa takes listeners on a journey of gratitude and self-discovery, giving thanks for the moments that have shaped his life, both the good and the bad.
We sat down with this talented musician to learn more about what makes him tick, his approaches to the creative process and much more in this exclusive interview with TAGG!
What inspired you to write “All the Glory”? Can you share the story behind the song?
Turning 50 years old this year made me reflect on my life and journey. I thought about writing a thankful song, realizing how lucky I was to have lived this beautiful life, having a great family, friends and a beautiful music career.
Your music blends Afrobeat, gospel, and soul. How do these genres influence your songwriting and overall sound?
Thank you for noticing that, it’s true, I have been influenced by those genres throughout my music career. I find in the afrobeat the rhythm, the groove that makes you want to celebrate, in the gospel the positive message, soul for vocal harmonies and colors, I love that.
In “All the Glory,” you reflect on your personal and spiritual journey. How do your life experiences shape your music?
My life experience really shaped the person that I became and helped me to write songs easily because it’s sincere. In this particular song, I’m talking about my journey.
How do you approach writing lyrics that balance gratitude and reflection, especially in a celebratory context like this song?
When I write songs, I often think about the different emotions that I want to express. On this one, I wanted to reflect on gratitude, reflection and celebration of life.
With your background in choir and gospel music, how has your early musical training influenced your current style?
My background in a choir helped me to connect with my emotions, singing gospel songs on stage more than just performance helped me to sing with all my heart because I used to be so shy, choir helped me gain self-confidence, and I’m forever grateful for that.
You have achieved significant streaming success with over 2.8 million streams on Spotify. How does that recognition impact your approach to music-making?
I’m really thankful, to be honest, if it was just one person I would also be glad, I don’t really focus on numbers, 2.8 million streams shows me that people took the time to listen to my music, I’m really honoured by each and everyone, and I’m saying thank you, that means my music has an impact on people, it really encourages me to continue on that path.
Can you tell us about your experience collaborating with Maggie Blanchard? How did that partnership influence your music and career?
Maggie Blanchard when she was younger used to share the same stage with Celine Dion in Quebec, before becoming the greatest gospel artist in Francophone countries today, opening for her gave me exposure at the beginning of my career in different French countries, which really exposed me to the francophone gospel scene.
You’ve performed on stages across France, Belgium, and Switzerland. How do these diverse cultural influences shape your music?
Yes, I Learned to deal with different cultures and understand how they react in public. For example, in Switzerland, people are less expressive than in Belgium or France. I didn’t know that, but in the end, they are much as lovely as anyone else .
“All the Glory” is described as both reflective and uplifting. How do you strike that balance in your music?
Writing is like cooking, I need different ingredients for it to be tasty. For me, a song has to be introspective, with meaning and a dose of emotion.
What message do you hope to convey to your listeners through “All the Glory”? What do you want them to take away from the song?
I want people to be uplifted, and be thankful for everything they have. We are so cut up in our daily projects, and we forget to take the time to realize how lucky we are.
As a multilingual artist, how does switching between languages affect your songwriting process and the way your music is received?
I’m laughing, Oh my my, it’s not easy I will be honest, sometimes I have the best words in French, sometimes the idea comes in English, but the right word in French doesn’t express well what I want to express in English. So I bought a dictionary of synonyms to go through this gymnasium.
Can you share any memorable moments from your performances, especially during your time on The Voice of Switzerland?
When I did my blind audition of the voice of Switzerland, I was hoping to just have One judge turning his chair and picking me, at the end of my performance, I was lucky to have all the chairs turning, but the problem was that I didn’t have a strategy to pick the coaches, all I did was picking the judge that was smiling a lot that day, what a criteria.
How do you envision the future of your music? Are there any new genres or themes you’d like to explore in your upcoming projects?
I want to keep writing songs that will uplift people while dancing, coming from Africa, the things that I want to sing about coming together, maybe some collaboration with other artists that share the same vision and value as me. Longing to do some Concerts in the future.
What role does community play in your music? How do you engage with your fans and the cultures you draw inspiration from?
Community or fans are important for an artist but I don’t like it when community and fans take over and control how the artist should be creating and expressing his talent. That’s a turn-off and damaging for inspiration and creativity.
Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring artists looking to create a unique sound and share their stories through music?
An artist has to define his vision and stay true to himself. Lots of artists like to play a role, that’s where you lose authenticity.
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