RUNDA - A GOLDMINE WAITING TO BE MINED
What better way to kick-off this music blog than with a dose of solid affirmation— An assurance that we have got the future of this culture on lock with emerging acts who are not only talented, but are capable of championing Afrobeats' further domination of the global music scene.
On today's issue of Concealed Superstars, we will be shining our spotlight on Oluwapelumi Olorunda, popularly known as Runda. A talented Nigerian artist who took on all the toils of the Nigerian music scene without fear at a very young age. Turning 23 this month, with a bachelors degree in Mathematics from the federal university of agriculture Abeokuta, Runda dropped his first record in 2016 at the age of 17, and he hasn't looked back since then.
Personally, I came across Runda when he dropped his soul-moving track —fire can't cool—where he leveraged less on power than deep lyrics and vocal dexterity. A song which was brilliantly delivered over a sonorous slow-tempo piano progression. I needed just a 30 second play time on a friend's Whatsapp status to catch my attention, and I have been a big fan ever since then.
The Mo'fvcking Superstar like he calls himself has gone on to catch the attention of some key players in the industry. He has worked with the likes of DJ Neptune and Empawa on their single ‘Bembe’; and he recently featured on a solo track titled 'wahala' from the Hits only E.P — A project rolled out by the Grammy award winning producer; Rexxie, and Hitxlab NG — Also, worth noting is his cover of Davido's hit single ‘Jowo’ which has amassed over 2 million streams across all platforms. It is regarded as the best cover of the song in question by listeners across all streaming platforms.
Moving on to the business of this sub-section of my blog, which is to not only highlight the achievements and progress of up-and-coming acts. Concealed Superstars like I named it was created to shine the spotlight on talented Artists who are yet to get the audience they deserve; and to highlight why I think they are headed to the top, using specific industry standards and personal preference as criteria for measurement.
In my opinion, Runda is yet to categorically make a sub-genre for himself just yet. However, what he has done for sure is to bring out all his pick axes, and carve out a space for himself on these rocky mountains of Afrobeats. What I mean is, he has ingeniously created a niche for himself with his unique voice and melodies. If I'm certain about anything, it is Runda's ability to churn out unique, sweet melodies without stress, which in turn adds versatility to his craft. This is something we have seen a lot of times on his #QuickieWithRunda series on Instagram. Have a quick look at this session here.
Another edge Runda has to his craft is his lyrical prowess. As we all know, we are moving out of the era of "uncontrolled" use of meaningless word-fillers in Afrobeats. As global appeal has now become a constant thing to consider in the making of modern Afrobeats sounds. Runda has a unique way of approaching the delivery of his message, and he possess great imagination to complement this part of his talent.
At this point of Runda's career, one thing which Is not visible to majority of listeners is his versatility—not only in terms of message, but across style/genres— I like to believe he has the capabilities of doing a lot of wonders, but this part is still hidden because of the need to sell-out and get the word out there. I also strongly believe he will only get better from here on, as he is still in his developmental stage.
Like I always like to say: "it is not only about the music, but your lifestyle". How many people can an artist convert to a fan just from the way they carry themselves and live their life? It is an important ingredient that's needed to get to the top. Fortunately, Runda has all these on lock—Style, positive aura and so on—All of which makes him extremely marketable.
Ultimately, he has shown us time and time again that he isn't just a studio act. He has proved it with his live session at Glitch Africa, and that stripped-down freestyle he made with Akinstringz manning the guitar. You can watch both performances through the links provided below.
Click here to watch Runda at Glitch Africa.
Click here to watch the stripped down freestyle.
Like I have rightly stated in the title of this article, Runda is a Goldmine waiting to be mined. For me, I think he ticks almost all the boxes, and I only say "almost" because I don't believe in absolutes. Surely, there will always be room for improvements, but I think Runda already has most of the things he needs, and he will get even better. With all things being equal, you will find this name on everybody's lips in no time. You heard it here on Concealed Superstars first.
Oh! Lest I forget. Boy has been fire since his early days too. You can take a peek at this old video of Runda here😂😂😂
To sign off, i will make few recommendations for you to jam.
To see more of Runda’s Music, follow his Instagram page through here.
Thank you for reading. Please leave a like, and drop your thoughts, encourage me to bring more concealed talents to your ears.😃
Good job Kola✊🏽