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Nigerian-born US-based music artiste, Larry Azukaego popular as Larry Zuka is in the news again.
This time it is with his latest hit single, ‘Straight From The Jungle’, currently streaming across music-sharing platforms like Spotify and Boomplay.
The single, inspired by the continent of Africa also hails the different countries in Africa, alongside successful African acts like Naira Marley, and Angelique Kidjo.
Larry Zuka, who describes his kind of music as African Folk revealed that music is an opportunity for him to tell stories. He said, “I tell stories with my songs. I try to reflect on what happens around me. I also try to tell stories many people can relate to. Some people may classify it as Afrobeat, but that is fine by me.
An international artiste with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Arts from the prestigious University of Lagos, Larry Zuka also studied filmmaking at National Film Institute, Jos, Plateau State, where he also obtained a bachelor’s degree in industrial arts, majoring in script writing, movie production and directing.
As a film industry player, he has to his credit a number of awards, including the Best Film Director and Overall Best Film for the movie, ‘Vengeance of Bullet’; an award he bagged at the Leap International Film Festival in 2011.
He had once revealed in an interview that playing music in the United States is fun to him because he doesn’t have to do it to earn a living. “I am doing it because it gives me joy. I play music anywhere I find myself, whether I am invited to or not. I play, and I love it.”
While weighing in on the profitability of making music, especially with the release of ‘Straight From The Jungle’, Zuka said, “I am not one of those that believe that the music industry is not profitable. As a matter of fact, this is the best the Nigerian music industry has ever had. It has never been this good. If you are a good musician and you know your onions, and you know what you are doing, all you need to do is to practice and rehearse regularly, then go out there. There are lots of clubs and occasions where one can fix himself. You get to have a good manager and you make a living from it.”
On the central theme in his songs, he stated that “My type of Afro is for all ages. It is beautiful music that transcends all demographics. Good music is good music. It is just like wine. As it gets older, my music gets better.”
