My name is Nneka, I’m a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress, and Love Supreme is my first album in eight years.
The Album Love Supreme is a gentle reminder to myself and to us to go within. We tend to want to solve issues that we think are of the world outside of us. Most of the time, these situations around us are symbols, signs telling us a deeper message than our mind tells.
I must say it all was not really planned and controlled in order to be put together. A few tracks on the record are recently recorded during the quiet time we all had the last two years.
During this period, I was painting a lot and spent a lot of time being creative asides the music. After and during the process of creating a lot of the new artworks (I mean paintings/drawings), I then got in touch with some new producer/co producers and started loosely working on some music.
I just wanted to vibe. Feel myself without doubt without any defiance towards my work, honestly. I flew to Switzerland to work with an old friend Marc. This was the first taste of doing music freely, just me and someone else who understood me. I would say sense of freedom and solitude led to most of the pieces here. Of cause a lot of emotions came up. In the end silence was the main facilitator.
The single “Love Supreme” was recorded at Klimper Boy’s studio. I met him through an old friend who I had reconnected with in the park one morning whilst doing my exercise. We talked about music, and he introduced us. It was one song we did, and then he packed up his studio to focus more on being a teacher. I finished the production on my own after that and started working also on other songs.
Another co-producer on the record who I met and spent time with is Gunnarsson. His vibe reminded me of one of my favourite pianist/artist Erick Satie. I was willing to explore his mind/sphere too. I also made a lot of new random encounters during this period, women especially, so being open to what felt unknown/partially uncomfortable according to conditioning also is a huge inspiration for this work.
Seeing the world be in a space where I felt I had been so many times, was also very helpful. It put absolutely no pressure on the speed of my growth and also the growth of this project. So, I believe Love Supreme is open to be taken in by the world, to be heard, to be tapped into, as we are all part of that one source.
There are a few tracks on the record that explain well what I have stated in the above.
The song “Yahweh” is a conversation with creator. A questioning almost like I believe a similar situation to Job in the bible. After one feels as if you have finally arrived, you get another lesson that sort of challenges to face might be a similar situation you have had in the past. Question now is, how do you react. It is about learning to react different and see things different.
“Tea” is a song I recorded a little earlier than the rest. Here again we are having a conversation with Self, or it could even be someone else. “Tea” is about growth in and out of relationships of all kinds. Allowing silence to breath space between people and learning to see others as a reflection of yourself.
“Maya” is about surrender to God. The world surrendering to a power that is way bigger than itself. “Maya” means illusion due to our conditioning especially in times as we are in now, we simply forgot who we really are. It is a gentle reminder to surrender the Ego. Surrender what we think is knowledge and wisdom. Go back to a beginner mindset.
All of these pieces encompass the matter of politics, religion, economics etc. We tend to separate spirituality from physicality. All is one and none. Sometimes words mean nothing. So, all of these words here mean something and nothing. What do we really know?
Listen to Love Supreme below and purchase or stream it elsewhere here.
