Erupting onto the scene in 2021 with his exquisitely addictive single ‘Sober’, singer-songwriter CYFAR expertly combines his bold lyricism stunning vocals with an immaculately bright and colourful sound to create his own unique blend of Afro-Pop. Purple Melon sit down with for a chat with the Nigerian-born, London-based Cyfar following the recent release of his debut single.

For our readers who may not have heard of Cyfar before, could you tell us a little bit about your sound and style?

Firstly thank you for having me, it’s a pleasure to be featured on a platform such as yours. If I were to describe my sound and style I would say it’s simply put ‘the best of both worlds’. I am originally from the city of Ibadan in Nigeria where I was born and then I moved to London at the age of 12 where I was raised. Both countries and cultures have played pivotal roles in the making of the man and artist you see today, and so I try to convey the best of both world through my versatile sound, which is strongly influenced by the music I grew up listening to from Afro-pop to R&B to Pop and Hip-Hop even all the way to Reggae and Dancehall. I am a product of my environment and my music and sound  embodies that to the fullest.  

How are you feeling now that your debut single, ‘Sober’ is out in the world? Is the initial reaction everything you hoped it’d be? 

It’s all I could have wished for and more really. I am beyond grateful for all the love ‘Sober’ has been receiving so far and just want to thank everyone who has streamed, saved, shared my song. Most importantly I am nothing without the team behind me and so I would like to take this moment to show my appreciation to my Burstimo team for doing everything to get my name out there in the right way. Also thank you to Purple Melon and all the other publications, blogs and playlists who have been supporting my debut single.

We love to know the origin and history behind artists and band names, what inspired Cyfar?

A lot of people have always wondered why I was always so confident I would achieve success in my craft, even when the going was tough for myself and all the people around me (financially and geographically). Well here is the story behind the name. As artist we have to be able to see the unseen and believe in what has yet to come to fruition, in short we are visionaries, dreamers who rely on foresight to achieve things that others might not have believed to be possible. So ‘Cyfar’ stands for ‘My sight is far reaching than the average eye can see’.

‘Sober’ is largely about staying clean and resisting negative temptations, inspired largely by where you live & the things you’ve witnessed in life, where else do you find inspiration for your music?

Everywhere, anything and anyone I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. I am very perceptive and equally as receptive, so I am able to soak it all in as I go and when studio time comes around I create worlds and movie scenes in my mind drawing inspiration from all those things, people and places I have encountered. Art is an imitation of life and that rings true when it comes to every song I create.

Could you describe what this single means to you in your own words?

It means freedom from fears and becoming unburdened by doubts. My music is totally ‘home grown’ and I am so happy that the first song speaks about the need to be true to oneself, and to realise that one’s value will never be higher elsewhere than it is at home with those who love you the most. Family is happiness for me and so when I see my wife, mother and son happy, I am at my happiest.  

What’s something you’d like to achieve within your music career?

Satisfaction. I have so many dreams and goals I want to achieve in my career and regardless of all the money and fame I could get, the worst thing for me will be to be unsatisfied come the end of my career or life. So I would like to be satisfied with my accomplishments in my career knowing I achieved all I could and should have done, doing it my way.

Lastly, what’s next for Cyfar, what can fans expect over the coming year?

Plenty more music, showing how versatile I truly am, connecting with a wider range of audiences with each song that I release. Most importantly they can expect more of me to come, and I promise to never disappoint them.

Listen to Cyfar – Sober

 

Follow Cyfar on: Instagram