INTERVIEW: I don’t think my music genre is for Gen Z, says Goya Menor

Goya Menor is an award-winning singer. The Edo-born musician rose to global prominence in 2022 following the release of his hit song ‘Ameno Amapiano’. In this interview with TheCable Lifestyle’s DEBORAH BODUNDE, Menor speaks on his journey in the music industry, his debut EP, winning awards, and his major challenge as a Nigerian artiste. He also emphasizes the importance of passing meaningful messages through music and handling criticism while sharing his perspective on collaborations and relationships. The singer also states that he plans to develop a name for “my kind of music because I don’t think I belong to this new Gen Z kind of music.”

TheCable Lifestyle: Who was Goya Menor before the fame?

Goya Menor: My name is Goya Bright, I’m from Edo state. Goya Menor is a graduate of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. After school, things were tough for him and although he was the best-graduating student, there was still no job. Goya Menor ended up as a cab driver and while he was doing that, he was also recording music. When the mega-hit came on, the whole story changed. 

TheCable Lifestyle: Did you make any music before Ameno Amapiano?

Goya Menor: Yes I have been making music long before then. I did a collaboration with Erigga and I made a couple of other songs before Ameno Amapiano. It was when Ameno Amapiano blew up that I really started as if it was the first one.

TheCable Lifestyle: What was the inspiration behind Ameno Amapiano?

Goya Menor: I think it was God-driven because I didn’t sit down to think of that song. The beat was just playing and as I was vibing the hook just came into my head. I started singing it repeatedly and I decided to fine-tune it. So I sat down to restructure the lyrics so that they can make more sense. I think it was God-driven and God-given because if you had asked me to write a song, I don’t think I would have gone to that topic. So I think God just wanted me to talk about that. 

TheCable Lifestyle: How would you say that has impacted your career?

Goya Menor: It has impacted me a lot. The blind can see now. It has given me celebrity status; given me all the resources I have always wanted. I know I am not there yet, I just started the journey and musically I still have a very long way to go. But I’m grateful for what I have now because everyone’s shine can’t be the same. So where you are, appreciate what you have and God will give you more. There is no need to envy anybody that you think is up there because you are also up there and you have people looking up to you. So I am very grateful for what I have and I am working very hard to make sure I get more. 

TheCable Lifestyle: Let’s talk about ‘Bomboy’, your debut EP

Goya Menor: The EP is a combination of different vibes of music. In the EP you will hear Goya Menor rapping, and you will hear Goya Menor singing high life. The EP Bomboy, I would say is a different shade of Goya Menor. 

TheCable Lifestyle: You were recently conferred with a Proclamatory honour by the US, what was that like for you?

Goya Menor: It is a big achievement. When you do good, expect good things to follow you and when you do evil, evil follows you. I have been helping people right from when I was in university. I spent a lot of my time helping people because I know that there is no way I will fail. I was more worried about people I know who needed assistance. I was organising tutorials for people and didn’t make any profit from it. Now when these good things happen to me, I thank God and see it as a reward for all the good I have done and I am still doing for people. People who have worked really hard and are still working have not gotten half of what I have but within a short period of time, God blessed me. 

TheCable Lifestyle: How have you been able to take advantage of the commercialisation of Afrobeats globally?

Goya Menor: Yeah I am still just doing my thing on a lowkey. There are people that are reaching out to me saying they need me on their jam, and that I should lend my voice while others are like my voice is too thick. My voice is different from the regular Afrobeats voice, the universal sound. I’m Goya Menor and I am in my own lane – in between rapping and singing. This is why I am so happy that I am independent and I have nobody to tell me what to sing or what not to sing. 

I think music should be an expression of oneself. Music should be about the message you are trying to pass across to people and I try to pass a message to people every time I sing. In my recent track ‘Brotherman’ I told people to not hate on their brotherman, to not hate on anybody. Passing meaningful messages across to people should be what music is all about but these days Afrobeats or should I say music, in general, is more about making hits but every song must not be a hit. Make your music and pass your message to others. Ameno is a song that has a message that is going to be here from now till kingdom come. 

TheCable Lifestyle: How would you describe your style of music?

Goya Menor: I think as time goes on I will develop a name for my kind of music because I don’t think I belong to this new Gen Z kind of music. I think my music is quite different. It is Afrobeats because we are all from Nigeria. Nigeria music is Afrobeats but I think my own kind is different from every other. I should get a name for it soon.

TheCable Lifestyle: You won the ‘Best Street-Hop’ at the Headies, how did that make you feel?

Goya Menor: It meant a lot to me because everyone nominated in that category had an equal chance of winning. I prayed to God to get it but everyone else probably prayed the same prayer. So when I won, it was a big moment for me. Until I get something bigger, that is one of my biggest awards and I so much appreciate it. I love it and I cherish it. 

TheCable Lifestyle: Can you talk about your clash with Portable?

Goya Menor: I didn’t have a clash with him, I think he had a clash with himself. He was disqualified long before the award, was he expecting to now win after being disqualified? He was disqualified based on bad conduct and bad behavior and the award show went on and he was shouting and crying. I think it was just noise-making. We didn’t sit down to resolve it because the situation was like an elephant moving and a dog barking. The elephant would see the dog as a noisemaker because it knows that with a single kick, the dog is gone. I felt it wasn’t part of my problem or worries at the moment, so I ignored it and I moved on. 

TheCable Lifestyle: What would you say is your competitive edge in the industry?

Goya Menor: I am in no competition with anybody, I’m just doing my music. I have people who believe in me and look up to me and because of them, I go to the studio every day to make sure I come up with something they would love. 

TheCable Lifestyle: What are the challenges you’ve experienced as a Nigerian artiste?

Goya Menor: One of my biggest challenges still remains the challenge of promoting. Music promotion right now is very expensive. Music is so expensive. The promotional channels that you need to activate for your music to go around are a lot. If you place your song on a streaming platform, it will just be there. You have to promote the song to take people there to listen. Music is like a commodity, musicians are traders. You have to advertise to people to check out what you are selling, if people like it they put it on their playlists. So you need money to push the information to the people so that they know that you have actually dropped a song. That is where radio, TV, online, DJs promotions come in. The list is endless.

TheCable Lifestyle: How do you handle criticism?

Goya Menor: In the beginning, I wondered why some people were hating but when I met with some of my senior colleagues in the industry, they welcomed me and told me that is how it is. Your music can’t be good to everybody and so my philosophy now is if Jesus the son of God can be criticised by man, beaten, and stoned to death, who am I? Am I the best? It is natural for man to hate and some people can’t even give any reason for why they hate. Anyway, if you don’t like me, I also don’t like you. Simple as that. Now my attention and energy are focused on those that love me and my music. 

TheCable Lifestyle: Who are the people that inspire you in the industry?

Goya Menor: Everybody inspires everybody. Even people I think I’m looking up to when they meet me, they say I’m doing great. They ask how I’m doing it, they want to learn from me and I also want to learn from them. The industry is so tough that everyone wants to learn from everyone. The field is also wide enough for everybody to cultivate.

TheCable Lifestyle: Who would you like to collaborate with?

Goya Menor: These days, record labels make collaborations not as easy as they used to be. You can be friends with an artiste but you can’t make music with them because of signed documents and contracts. So many songs have been made but they have not been released because of one or two pieces of paperwork. I am personally not really interested in whether an artiste is big or upcoming. If I like their vibe and their voice and I know what I want from them, I will tell them to let’s go to the studio. In music, you are either pulling someone or someone is pulling you.

TheCable Lifestyle: Are you in a relationship?

Goya Menor: I am in a relationship with Jesus. We rub minds when I pray and I think that is romantic.

TheCable Lifestyle: How do you manage the attention of female fans?

Goya Menor: When I see my female fans I appreciate them a lot and I respect them. Most times I take photos, same with the male fans. I treat everyone equally.