Singer is ready to take his place in the music scene

Emerging artist Paul Rayven shares with Pulse his musical journey, inspiration, what he hopes to  and his plans going forward.

How did you get started with the music and how long has it been?

Well I've always been a huge fan of great sound and good music all my life, right from when I was little. I was always selective about the kind of sound I love and music I listen to, then at age fifteen it became a little serious as I found myself writing and singing my favourite songs, the passion grew and when I was 18, I recorded my first song in the studio.

I learnt how to play the guitar a year after I got admitted into the University of Benin and since then I have developed myself and my sound to a professional and unique level and improve greatly in songwriting. So it’s really unclear how long but I’ll say I've been doing professional music for about seven years now.

Is there an early memory you’d like to share about getting on with your craft?

Ok right from childhood I would find myself writing short songs with my elder brother and I would get really good reviews from people who would listen to them, I grew into writing hooks for rappers and voicing some of them in the studio and they sounded great and professional like someone who had been doing it for a while according to people who listened and others who were into music at the time,      so that was like a pointer to the fact that I could actually do well in music.

So when I started doing music on a professional level I tried out Project Fame West Africa. The same year I learnt how to play the guitar and I was surprisingly the first person to get all three nods from all three judges and was selected in Benin city among the eleven people from the multitude of people who came to audition. My guitar playing improved and anywhere I took my acoustic guitar and sang, people would gather to listen and sing along,

 How do you describe your sound/type of music?

I have exposed my mind to listening to a wide range of music and sound and getting to appreciate different genre of music, but the real idea is choosing to make my music change lives, make the world a better place,

Who are your influences? What is some advice that has stuck with you?

I have been greatly influenced by a wide range of musicians over the years ranging from Micheal Jackson to Sam cook, to Marvin Gay, Lauryn hills and more. I feel blessed and lucky to listen to their music and learn a lot from them.

On advice that has stuck with me, I would say "This gift you have is greater than you and it would be a great loss if you don't touch lives with it before you go," it wasn't given to me by any one close but I read it in a book and I have been constantly motivated by it.

What do you hope people take away from listening to your music?

I hope my sound carries with it so much soul and stands the test of time like other great songs have. My music would entertain as well as inspire, would set the mood as well as educate, and these words I sing (my lyrics) be that voice constantly playing in their heads, influencing them to love, to care, to dream, to live and to be a blessing rather that a curse.

I believe my music would make the world a better place and though achieving these goals may not come easy I am ready to face the tides ahead with a prayer to make it come through in my lifetime.

Tell us a little bit about new project(s) you have coming up

I have a couple of new works I've invested a lot of time and effort on. My two new projects are works with great upbeat, and highly rhythmic melodies, the first one ‘Falling in love’ is a sweet melody danceable song about  just expressing the readiness to walk that special one to the altar and making a happy promise to stay by their side.