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Spyro: A grass to grace story

Yeshua-Amen Alleluyanatha-Anozia

21 Jan 2024

Most people want to “make it” and be successful, but not everyone has what it takes. It takes dedication to one’s vision, resilience in the face of adversity and determination to never return to where one started from.


Today, we delve into the life of Nigerian singer Oludipe Oluwasanmi David, popularly known as Spyro and how he transformed his life through hard work and commitment to his dreams.

 

Spyro, like some other famous Afro-beat artistes, grew up in the slums of Mushin. People on this side of Lagos are usually looked down on and generally live in poverty. However, Spyro was determined to make it big in life. In a recent podcast episode of TeawithTae, the artiste shared that in the earlier stages of his life, he wanted to be a fine artist but was deterred by his strict father was a pastor.

 

 However, being in the church choir also helped him discover his talent in and passion for music. He said, “All the choir masters back then always commended my talent.” Yet, his father tried again to stop him from chasing his music dreams.

 

Spyro explained that his father’s opposition came from a fear that he would become wayward as he believed it was very easy for pastors' children to miss their way. Nevertheless, the young artist was convinced that “ it was what God has called (him) to do.” So he was seen as a rebellious child.

 

After his secondary school education, he continued his hustle by selling recharge cards to afford studio time. In his words, “I had to make ends meet even though I had parents that were feeding me. But I had to hustle to pay for my lifestyle and book studio time.”

 

After many years of hard work, he rose to stardom with the release of “Billing” in 2022, which placed Top 100 songs on Apple Music. His single, “Who’s Your Guy” was an even greater hit which eventually was featured by Tiwa Savage. In November 2022, the song topped the list of most shazamed songs and Apple's Top 10 music chart in many African countries including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Gambia. The single was nominated for “Afrobeats single of the year” and the remix won the "Best Collaboration" award at the Headies 2023.

 

The boy who was once tagged as rebellious and looked down on is now praised in many countries of the world. That passion that started in recharge card studio time is now bringing joy to the hearts of many and rhythm to their bodies. Spyro’s story is an inspiring one, which teaches us that hard work and dedication to our passion can transform not only our lives but the experiences of others as well.


 

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