CEEKAYNAYWAY: BLOSSOMING FROM COVERS TO STARDOM.
For Ceekaynayway music was something she always wanted to do. She is currently signed to Craloboi Empire, a music outfit owned and managed by Liberian superstar Cralorboi CIC.
For Ceekaynayway music was something she always wanted to do. She is currently signed to Craloboi Empire, a music outfit owned and managed by Liberian superstar Cralorboi CIC. When I asked Ceekay how she would describe her music, she said “my music is definitely Afrofusion. I love Afrobeats to the umpteen degree, but my music merges Afrobeats with Soul and other things”.
Ceekay’s music is a fusion of influences that have characterized her journey through life. Born in America to Liberian parents who were on vacation in the US. Ceekay spent her first years in the US because Liberia was going through a civil war when she was born. In 2006 she visited Liberia, and in 2008 she moved to Liberia for high school. In 2012, she moved to Ghana, in 2013 she moved back to the USA to study African studies and biology at Rowan University.
Ceekay came into the limelight by doing covers of different songs. In 2020, after returning from working in Uganda with the Peace Corps, she did a cover to Ladipoe’s hit song “know you”. This cover got a co-sign from Ladipoe himself. Ceekay is also a writer and makes her own records. She is currently pursuing music and a master’s degree in public administration and non-profit management at Liberty University in Virginia.
I sat down with Ceekaynayway to talk about her musical journey. The questions asked are highlighted in bold, and her replies are directly below.
How did the name Ceekaynayway come about?
My name is Colletta Kornu Ledlum, so my initials are CKL. My grandfather had the initials CKL, and my parents wanted me to have his initials too. Most friends called me Ceekay as a short form of my initials. In high school, friends called me Ceekaynayway. I was changing my Instagram handle for my hair business, and I wanted to use an original name, so I put Ceekaynayway. When I decided to go into music, I decided to use the name.
How did you start singing?
I always loved singing. The first album I heard and fell in love with was Alicia keys. I listened to an Alicia keys album and I was obsessed. After the album, I convinced my dad to buy me one of those microphone sets that I could record on, and I would sing and record.
How did the music progress after that?
I struggled with self-confidence when I was younger. At that time I was thinking so much of what people thought of me. But despite struggling with self-confidence, I knew that I always wanted to sing.
I experienced a lot of bullying in school back then. As a result, I didn’t want people to see me, so I went into my shell. But while in my shell, I still sang at school plays as a backup. Then I moved to Liberia for high school.
Did things change then?
I moved to Liberia at 13 in 2008, I wanted to use the move as an opportunity to start over. I wanted to start singing and dancing again. I don’t think I am truly a reserved person, and I tried to be at the forefront. But they were not nice, so I decided to withdraw again.
After high school, I didn’t want to do music professionally. For me, music was something I loved doing, but I didn’t want to go into it professionally.
When did you decide to come to the forefront with your music?
I moved back to the states for school. I moved in with my cousins, their mom is a music teacher, and everyone had to play two instruments and everyone sang. I got more in tune with my music then. I and my cousin did covers and planned to do stuff. We did a fundraiser for Liberia’s Ebola fight, it was called “notes of hope”. That was the first time I fully performed on a stage and that was the beginning of it all. I knew at that point I wanted to do more, I wanted to take my music out there.
Was that the first time you recorded?
The first time I recorded was in 2014. I recorded with Sweetz, we are actually related. I had gone to the studio to visit Sweetz, her boyfriend at the time was a producer. There were a lot of people in the studio, I remember Joel smart was there. They asked me to record. We all chipped in, and I recorded. But we didn’t finish the song, we got a verse, a hook, and a bridge. I didn’t plan to do anything with the song. I think the song is lost somewhere with that producer.
Who are your musical influences?
I love Jill Scott, she is a vocal powerhouse and she is such a strong writer. Tiwa savage is another influence, Tiwa has this youthful vibe with her music. I love Brandy too, she can do anything musically.
How did the cover to Ladipoe come about?
I have a friend called Stacy that works in the Liberian music industry. We were talking about music, and at that time, I had just returned to the US, I was in Uganda with the Peace Corps. The US wasn’t on lockdown when I returned, and I was hoping to go to the studio to create. But two weeks after I returned, we went into lockdown. I was discouraged at the time, I wanted to create. I also didn’t want other people to see me as the girl that only records covers. I am also a good writer of my own songs. My friend told me about the challenge for the cover and encouraged me to do something. I recorded and put out my cover. A day later I got a Dm from Ladipoe about it, he liked it.
What did the popularity of the cover do for you?
I think I got like 1000 additional followers, and it connected me with some people that work behind the scenes in the music industry.
You’re signed to Cralorboi Empire which is owned by CIC, how did that happen?
I and CiC have a mutual friend. When he released his song “hello”, she was obsessed with the song. At the time I hadn’t really put out stuff, and I wanted to do covers to Liberian songs. The producer I worked with wanted me to clear things with him before we recorded the cover. I reached out to our mutual friend because I wanted her to help clear it with him. She gave me his number, I asked him and he said it was cool. I also did a cover to a Kizzy W song called “bad like that”.
The cover to the Kizzy W song was released first, but CIC was so supportive of the cover and he was supportive and interested in my craft. We had a discussion about my craft, and he signed me.
Is it harder for you and your kind of music to cross over to Liberia?
I feel I am not as in tune with the Liberian populace as I would like to. I feel the average Liberian doesn’t have access to me. Many people might ascribe me to circles I am not really part of. But I do hope and plan to be more in tune with my Liberian audience. As regards the music, Liberians listen to Brandy, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey. Liberians listen to my kind of music. They just need to know and listen to Liberian artistes making that kind of music.
NOTE
We would be closing this series of “the ECHO” today. A new series interviewing 8 more actors in the Liberian entertainment scene would resume on November 8th, 2020. Thanks for reading.
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