Making Art in Saskatchewan: Zweii

Making Art in Saskatchewan: Zweii

by Casey Ling

February 14, 2022 in Artist Profile

Tega Egona, also known as Zweii, has always been present in the music scene here in Regina. His dexterous and prodigious style is known for frequently collaborating with other local artists such as Adeoluwa, TOVA, Oboise, Melodna, and D4wn just to name a few. It was only recently in 2020 that he decided to make his shift from producer to a fully developed artist, and has been honing his craft as an Afro-pop musician ever since.

When asked about his experience making music, Zweii talks about the learning curve he had to endure to solidify his identity as an Afro-pop musician.

"It has been a really intense learning curve. There have been moments in my creative career where I have transitioned so many times between different genres. I started out rapping...and then I slowly transitioned to R&B-like-folk. Eventually I made the cold left turn to Afro-pop, and I don't think I will be changing that anytime soon."

The solidification of Zweii's spot in the Afro-pop genre is largely due to his identity being African. Despite the multiple genres Zweii has worked with in the past, he notes how who he is has been a constant. Afro-pop has been the genre that has truly allowed Zweii to share who he is with his listeners.

"One thing that is paramount to me is to be able to embody my originality, and to embody who I am."

"(If I) don't authentically feel a genre, it's not like I don't appreciate it artistically, it just doesn't represent me. And that's what made me make those various transitions."

Zweii mentions one of the biggest challenges he has faced in Saskatchewan has been its lack of exposure to various genres of music. He hopes to break those barriers and to share his music with a wider audience. "Some people, not all, tend to be rigid and be like 'I just want to hear folk' or 'I just want to hear this or that genre'."

Despite that, Zweii still stands firm in his identity, as that difference is one of the main things he says is great about being in Saskatchewan. Comparing himself to other artists, he admires how much authenticity others bring to the table, and he hopes to complement it with his own.

"I've had the opportunity to meet with different artists in different genres from folk to country... Just seeing them express their authenticity and their genuineness of who they are is very inspiring, so it makes me also want to stay true to myself and to continue to be who I am."

"To complement what they bring to the table, I also bring a different, a unique experience."

Zweii emphasizes the amount of sheer talent that is in Saskatchewan. Already a big collaborator with others in his area, Zweii encourages others to do the same. In doing so, he aims to create a greater presence for all artists in the province.

"There is so much talent here. We have Rookys, we have ADEOLUWAs, we have TOVAs, we have (myself). We have so many people with a high calibre of talent, so we definitely need to support each other and collaborate more, and we'll definitely make waves in the Canadian scene."


Dexterous, electric, prodigious and versatile are a few words one can use to describe the talent and artistry that is Zweii. Born in the bubbling city of Lagos Nigeria, Oghenetega Egona was exposed to a variety of genres and styles of music ranging from classical music, to hip-hop all the way to African folk music and everything in between. Primarily a song writer by craft, the multi-genre experience he had the opportunity to have as a youngster will go along to spark his imagination and writing abilities, giving him a seamless genre bending pen style that is unique and refreshing.

Zweii began composing lyrics and melodies at the age of nine and has been honing his craft for over a decade since then. The name Zweii translated from he German number “two”, was inspired in a time of emotional turbulence in his life and it symbolized a constant duality, hope, transformation and rebirth. Ever since his time of living in Canada Zweii has collaborated and contributed his production and songwriting skills to the actualization of other artists’ projects and visions within the province. His frequent collaborators include Adeoluwa, Tova, Oboise, Melodna, D4wn and many more talented artists within the area.

In the summer of 2020, after gaining all the experience from hands on work, Zweii made the decision to step down from the role of a producer and step into his own as a fully developed artist, thus marking that transition by releasing his first single “Hasanna”, an eclectic reflection on a bygone romance syncopated over rhythmic blur of Afro-pop, RnB, and Reggae. This unique sound was well received by niche audiences across the globe. The positive feedback has fueled his enthusiasm, confidence and commitment to the creative process and he is currently teaming up with budding producer and group mate Emmanuel Ogunsakin also known as Eman to produce his first body of work “Keep It Between Us (KIBU)” which aims not only to validate his skill and artistry but also to establish the foundations for the ever growing Afro-beats and Afro-pop scene in Canada and in Saskatchewan.

His New single Cuffing Season is set for release on the 14th of February 2022. This is one of many songs he has set for this years line up. Zweii has established his brand and artistry as a bull in a minefield waiting for global explosion and expansion he is definitely among the list of the talents to watch out for within the next few years.

For more about Zweii, visit:

Our Making Art in Saskatchewan interview with Zweii

Zweii's new single "Cuffing Season" is out now on all streaming platforms.


Spotify

Back