Therapy healed Camidoh from heartbreak, now he’s making music out of the experience.
The world woke up to Camidoh’s genius in 2022 when the remix to his local hit ‘Sugarcane’ swept over the social media timelines of many. It seemed as though his big break was serendipity, but the artist had been working, very strategically too, in the background since 2008.
Sugarcane seemed to be the universe giving him a back-tap for all the hard work, as he got features from Darkoo, King Promise and Mayorkun on the record’s remix, which skyrocketed it to global dominance.
“I started in 2008,” the Ghanaian singer reflects as he shares the journey so far with DigiMillennials while on a visit to Lagos.
“I was in a group in high school, where we discovered each other and got signed to a small record label in Volta Region, Ghana. That’s when we started making music professionally. In December 2017, I broke away from the group to go solo. In 2018, I met up with a group of old friends, and we decided to start our own record label and released my first single.”
Camidoh is very familiar with the dynamics and economics of Lagos city. Following the success of Sugarcane, he has made Lagos trips a couple of times, and now, he is here to finalize creative and business preparations to usher him into a new era and album roll out.
“I love driving around at night, too. Because I know what Lagos traffic is like, so I avoid all that stress and tension by simply driving at night.”
The conversation progresses into his new single, ‘Nothing Lasts Forever (NLF)’, how a sour relationship inspired it, and other stories you would find intriguing.
This piece has been edited for length and clarity.
Since you went solo, how would you describe your musical journey thus far?
Well, I think it’s been a journey of discovery because, as a solo artist, I have discovered my passion for production and engineering. I became a studio rat, or rather, an assistant for a few engineers in Accra. There, I learned how to engineer and found my way around producing. I went on to produce my first official single as a mainstream artist, ‘For My Lover’ featuring DarkooVibes in 2018. And many things have been unfolding. I have realized that I have the capacity to be a creative director, a producer, and a lot more.
When the remix of “Sugarcane” blew up and put you in the spotlight, what did that mean for you?
Around 2020, I began to dream big and wanted to become a global artist. I didn’t just want to end it at the local scene and be “localized.” So, I started making efforts to be international. I went to the UK for the first time, started having media tours against all odds. Right after the media tours, the lockdown came, and I had to go back to Ghana and was quarantined for about two weeks. ‘Sugarcane’ blowing up the way it did manifested my thoughts and ambitions.
How did you meet Mayorkun?
When the song started gaining waves in Ghana and came to Nigeria, I said I wanted to do a remix. I had a team, and they mentioned a few artists we could feature: Omah Lay, Mayourkun, Buju, etc. One thing about me is that I love my connections to be very organic. I wanted it to be someone who was truly feeling the record and wanted to do it, not someone we were begging to jump on it.
Mayourkun and King Promise were the first to really feel it. I picked Mayourkun. King Promise told us how much he loves the record, and that if we didn’t mind, he’d like to be on the remix, and I was down. Darkoo messaged our mutual friend and told him she’d want to jump on the remix with us. She sent two verses, and I had to pick the better one.
Let’s talk about ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’.
To be very honest, I’m a very creative and fast person when it comes to making music, so I didn’t plan to make it. A producer friend of mine who sends me beats, sent a beat at midnight, and I drove straight from my friend’s house to mine to quickly put down the idea, which was also towards what I wanted to put out.
I had a fallout with my partner, and it really took a toll on me. So, I decided to just get into the studio and channel the energy into making something. I played one of the beats my producer friend sent to me. I recorded it and played it for everyone in the house, and they were like, ‘this is awesome!’.
Early this year, I had a camp where I called in producers, songwriters, and creatives, played the record, and everyone enjoyed it. It made the list of the songs that should make my next album. My partners, R54, came back to us to say they think ‘NLF’ should be the first record. This song has been a point of healing for me because even talking about it and doing interviews has helped me heal from the heartbreak.
Afrobeats or Amapiano?
Afrobeats. It embodies every genre of music. It’s how you like to speak your language, what food you eat, what dress you wear, how you like to walk… so even if you’re making Amapiano, so long as you embody your cultural self, you’re making Afrobeats. You can’t compare Afrobeats to Amapiano. Afrobeats is a culture on its own, and it covers everyone.
Ghanaian Jollof or Nigerian Jollof?
I’m not a Jollof boy o, I’m a Banku boy. If Nigerians can make Banku, then they can come to the table. You can make Jollof rice anyhow you want to make it, but if you can make Banku, no problem. Instead, say Amala or Banku. Let’s stop debating over foreign dishes; use our local dishes.
“I love to see people together, happy, inspired, and able to smile despite challenges and problems.
Do you ever feel pressured to release another Sugarcane?
I used to feel like that, but after everything I’ve been through with therapy has helped me to ease down the anxiety and trust God to do His thing. I don’t gamble with putting in the work. I always ensure I put in the work and optimize as much as I can. The rest is in God’s hands.
What should your fans expect from you before the year ends?
I’m hoping to release three to four singles and unlock greater milestones.
Do you have any plans for a North American tour?
I’ll hit the road before the album drops. By the grace of God, when the first two singles drop, we will be hitting the road. So yeah, we are coming.
At the end of the day, what will be the benchmark of fulfillment?
I love to see people together, happy, inspired, and able to smile despite challenges and problems. So, whenever my music is playing, I want to know it gives them joy and that they actually enjoy it and are inspired by it. It makes my day. It’s no longer about how many streams I make but the impact I make.
If "Hermother's Daughter" isn't talking about something she is passionate about, then she's writing it. She is always in her head space, majorly thinking about what to cook or bake (to be frank, eat).
Itty can be caught studying African pop culture, writing about it or hosting a relationship podcast. When he's not doing any of these, then he's definitely at a bar, getting mocktail.
