It’s not everyday one meets a talented 18-year-old with a unique singing voice and superstar aura like Chimamanda Chukwuma, Afrobeats’ RnB songbird otherwise known as Qing Madi.
Born and raised in Nigeria’s bustling Benin City, the singer started her musical odyssey at age 7, singing in her childhood church choir. By the time she’d turned 16, she had moved to Lagos to start the next phase of her life after high school.
She continued her dream-chasing, networking with and writing songs for other musicians, as well as singing backing vocals on their songs. And on one of such sessions with Blaqbonez and Ramoni, she made a freestyle that would later become her opus debut, See Finish.
The song, released in 2022, put Qing Madi in the spotlight for her lithe but sonorous vocals and flowery songwriting. Her music connects as a bridge between Afro-pop, RnB and Soul, with very catchy lyricism and cursory choruses.
Bright-eyed and dedicated, Qing Madi kickstarted an ascent that now put her on a global spotlight, with her eponymous romantic debut extended play which housed hits like “Ole” featuring BNXN, “Vision”, and “American Love”.
Her Tiktok fame, which came from her goofy videos and song covers, helped to create even more global visibility for her music. Several weeks ago, she followed it up with a deluxe version that had guest features from Kizz Daniel and US pop star Chloe Bailey.
Now, two years after her debut, at just 18, she’s already on the cusp of her breakout, with recognitions like Billboard’s 21 Under 21 Most Innovative and Influential Young Artists, as well as a Future Awards Africa nod for her teenage tenacity.
Signed to Jton Music and Columbia Records, the young singer’s been on a consistent drift towards the spotlight, going from writing songs for Skales, Iyanya and Larry Gaga, among others, to making her own music that’s big enough to tour abroad.
For a teenage star, she’s presently at a transitory phase, resistant to naysaying and earning the respect of older stars she’s always looked up to.
“So, it’s like they have this prototype idea of what an 18-year-old is like. There is a lot of energy change when I walk into a room. People sometimes feel obligated to protect me. And this is even from the professionals, not even about the reception from the crowd.
Also, people tend to not give me my respect, because of my age and that’s even inside the industry as well. But that was at the start of my career. I felt like my situation has changed right now because of the multiple songs that I’ve had that have gone on the chart. So it’s a lot of work for me to be myself,” she tells NetNG.
Honing her musical influences from American rapper Kendrick Lamar, as well as Nigerian music queens Tiwa Savage, and Yemi Alade, respectively, Qing Madi has now gone on to transplant that zest into Nigeria’s euphoric pop scene, making songs that consistently sound like a mix of her life.
“My music is alternative RnB. It is a mix of my life, you know, the 90s and 80s music that I grew up listening to and the poetry that I love which is laden with wise and subliminal lyrics.
On my EP, I wanted to make the music feel like a diary for me. I wanted it to be all about my heart and my truth and me. For example, there’s a song called ‘vision’ on the project that I wrote and recorded when I was 14. And the fact that I get to hear my younger self singing right back to me, every time I play the song has its own essence,” she said.
Right now, she’s ready for the limelight of her music career but is considering completing a university degree programme in the coming years, mostly to placate her mother who’s also supporting her dreams.
“For now, I’m just focusing on my music. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but if it were in my hands I would try to fit into the educational system in a couple of years from now; because my mom really wants me to finish my graduate studies.”
This week, she’ll be performing for the first time in Algiers, capital city of Algeria, alongside Ayra Starr and other continental stars for the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) festival.
From Benin City to North African cities like Algiers and major American cities where her romantic pop tunes are widely embraced, Qing Madi believes her music should feel like warm hugs on a rainy Monday.
“I feel like everyone has a purpose for doing music, whether they know it or not. I would love to be a relatable person to people. I want them to see me and remember I was raised in Benin City.
And if you’re from Benin City, you know how much of a big deal it is; I want people that are from where I’m from, and people that are not even from where I’m from, to be able to see possibilities and not to just see the end of the road,” she said.
