eelive.ng sat down with fledgling Nigerian recording artiste, Bara Yekorogha, who is better known as Baratone. He disclosed his passion, interest, and what the future has to offer in this in-depth interview session.
Background Story
Talk about the background story of the first piece of art you remember making, and what inspired it.
I’d say the first song I ever wrote was back when I was in JSS 1. I made a song with the rhythm of the popular “premier gaou” song by Magic System. It was a song aimed at teasing some students who were very good at dodging seniors and avoiding being sent on errands by them. It became quite popular among students then as they all learnt the song word for word.
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When did you first realise you wanted to pursue a music career?
By JSS 3, I already knew I had a flair for writing and singing. I had a song book where I wrote down lyrics of my original songs and hoped to get a chance to record professionally.
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Major Musical influences?
Nate Dogg was a major influence. I love how melodic he is, even while singing gangster music. Very recently, it would be Burna Boy. He has been my most listened to on Spotify for 3 years running.
Walk me through your creative process from concept to completion?
It starts with just the rhythm in my head, I start humming it, and then I come up with the storyline for the song. I place the wording, and voila.
What is your favorite musical medium to work with, and why?
Spotify, lol, because the interface has a calming effect on me.
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What are the challenges you face in the course of your work, and how do you manage to overcome them?
One major challenge is not being able to put out the idea for the instrumental as it sounds in my head because I’m not a producer. I think artistes who double as producers are so lucky.
What I do is sit with the producers for hours while they work on the instrumental and try to bring the idea to life as best as we can.
What role does collaboration play in your artistic practice?
Collaboration adds spice. There are certain things I can’t make my voice do, no matter how hard I try. And that’s where collaboration comes in handy.
How do you approach the business side of your music, such as marketing or social media?
I’m an independent artiste so most of that is handled personally. I make snippets of different songs and post them across social media while waiting for a viral moment.
What is your favorite, or most memorable, piece of work you have created?
“Wishing on a star”….lol, it is a classic among my group of friends and old schoolmates. I know it would have been a major hit if the world had gotten to listen to it.
Are you working on any new projects? If yes, do you mind sharing with us?
I have a new single called “Sauce,” which drops on all platforms on the 12th of February, 2026.
Talk about the creative process of making the music?
I had a close friend who is also into music, one evening, and he was freestyling over a beat. I really liked what I heard so I asked that he write it out into a full song for me. We got in the studio together, and that was that.
What big music industry name do you wish to work with and why?
I’d love to work with Burna Boy because his sound would go perfectly with my kind of music.
What does success mean to you as a fast-rising musician?
Simply put? More exposure, more streams, and more passive income.
Social Media Pages:
Instagram: (@ayiba.bara) : https://www.instagram.com/
