Kevwe and DJ Camron have been shaking up and shaping the emerging music scene in Nigeria for a while now through their monthly signature Kevwe and Cam live performance event.
For this month, lovers have their own share of excitement as Kevwe and Cam curate a live event that ignites the flames of love in the hearts of attendees. While every month’s edition of the event leaves a taste in the mouth of its participants, Kevwe and DJ Camron remain true to the collective spirit of love that began the inception of their partnership, and consequently, their joint signature event.
How did you two meet?
CAMRON: In 2019, I attended one of the open mic nights at African Alliance Francais, and Kevwe was on stage rapping to an excited audience. The way she carried the crowd was amazing, and from across the room, I felt goosebumps. I eventually got to speak to her at the end of that night, and we have been friends ever since.
KEVWE: Well, I have the exact date – I met Cam on the 20th of September, 2019, and I remember it as a beautiful night. We instantly clicked.
I had just had a performance that night, and I remember trying to steal his heart at first. But that was an important start to an amazing journey. He had heard me rap, and when we spoke afterwards, we realised that we had more things in common artistically and that was the first time we discussed doing music together.
At what point along the line did you both decide that you were going to come together to build the Kevwe and Cam platform?
KEVWE: While we built our friendship on common interests, Kevwe and Cam never happened until 2022. On my part, this was mostly because it took me some time to discover and decide on my music path. But as soon as I figured it out, Camron was there for me.
We had already had conversations about music and collaborations since the first day we met, but as soon as I was ready to commit to it, he was already there with me, and that’s how Kevwe and Cam started.
CAMRON: I have worked with emerging acts since the start of my career back in Canada, while trying to find my footing, I was always collaborating, on the road, going on tours to universities in different cities and countries.
When I returned to Nigeria, I had hoped to achieve the same thing here, albeit more on my terms. And it was so perfect when Kevwe and I met. We eventually got to start something with Kevwe and Cam, and the rest they say is history.
Can you take us through your process of curating the event?
CAMRON: We try to make our events nicely themed, so we usually start by deciding on one. Our themes are the drivers for the experience that we present, and everything else follows from there. For instance, Lovers Rock, the February event has a Valentine’s theme. From that theme, we have lined up a setlist to fit the soulful, mushy vibe that defines a celebration of love. We’ve also explored other themes in the past like Hip-Hop, when we had a setlist of rappers, and on women’s day when we had all-women performances.
We prioritise giving a platform to emerging acts, but we don’t just bring them from nowhere. We are always scouting, and looking for new voices that present potential and possess charisma. When we find them, we reach out and offer to put them on. From this process, we have discovered a good majority of the artists who go on to be on our lineup, with most of them having their first-ever on-stage performance at Kevwe and Cam.
Kevwe, as an emerging act, how would you describe your intentions behind the event in its initial stages?
KEVWE: Well, being an artiste in Nigeria requires going through an entire process of recording your music, promoting it, connecting with your audience and engaging new ones with music performances. These are all vital skills that are important for an artist’s development, and it takes practice to build every one of these skills to perfection. However, one thing I have always found as a major struggle is that there are not enough platforms for upcoming artists.
So, in creating Kevwe and Cam, we’re trying to bridge the gap. We are trying to get new artists out there to be discovered by their audience on stage, and our efforts are often rewarded. Through performing on stage at Kevwe and Cam, artists can find their purpose and discover how to connect with their audience in front of everybody.
Aside from that, being spotlit could also help them find opportunities that could spread their wings even further than they expect, and we’ve had a few stories like that.
Asides developing artists, how has this movement helped your own development as an artist?
KEVWE: One thing I am personally grateful to Kevwe and Cam for is that I have been able to connect with new acts who make music I like, and that has served to influence my music – in a good way. I listen to these guys (the new acts) and I get very inspired. They sound so amazing, and I immediately want to get on something to match that vibe and energy.
Also, aside from giving artists a platform, Kevwe and Cam is a destination for music industry stakeholders and other artists who come to discover new acts. From running the event, I have had the opportunity to network and meet people with whom I could potentially work in the future. And I am so thankful for that.
What benefits, in the long run, do you think that Kevwe and Cam would have for the culture?
KEVWE: In the long run, we are not just trying to bridge the gap, we’re trying to do more for the community. There are a lot of new acts in Nigeria that are very focused on their craft, and creating the music, with little to no experience in performing it.
Musical on-stage performances are important because that is where the audience connects with you. One beauty of a stage performance is that when the audience is impressed with your performance they usually put their friends on, as those friends would their other friends, creating an endless ripple effect that populates your fanbase. That is a huge win for any emerging act.
It’s great to create a beautiful song but even greater when you can perform it, connect with and convert a lot of new fans that you would have missed if you had not gone on stage.
We are also looking forward to training people on stage performances. We are trying to help more acts come out of their shell, and perform their music in the most naturally expressive way.
They are allowed to perform it just the way they have imagined in their living room. It is a judgment-free space. Do you want to perform on a table? Go ahead and climb. We’ve had people do that before. If you want to climb and raise your hands in the rain, do it. We’ve had people do it before.
Whatever you want to do, we’re open to accepting it, as long as you are having the best time. That is the most important thing to us.
Particularly, right now, as we are counting down to your first event of the year, Lovers Rock coming up soon (on the 13th of February), Cam mentioned earlier that it is a Valentines-themed event. On a broader scale, can you tell us what people attending should expect?
CAMRON: You can come to Lovers Rock expecting a beautiful soulful event. and for everyone who will be in attendance, you must know that we are trying to hook you guys up. So if you’re single, please come by. We are trying to help you find love.
We have also collaborated with Severe Nature, so rest assured that it is going to be dope. This is just one of several collaborations we have aimed at this year. We need these collaborations because Kevwe and Cam is a free event and we do not charge a gate fee. Most times, we spend out of our pockets to ensure that everything runs smoothly, and we believe that we will be able to do more soon with sponsors and collaborations.
At the last edition of Lovers Rock last year, we had people coming with flowers, and other people meeting the love of their lives, you know. We always try to keep it cute, so expect a cute night.
Individually and collectively: What matters the most to you right now, and why?
KEVWE: Cam, do you want to go first?
CAM: Yes, sure, I’ll go. I think both our individual and collective goals are similar. We are just trying to make it and make it big, you know. However, collectively, with our platform, we’re trying to help all these emerging artists break out. We want people to come from all around the world to Nigeria to attend Kevwe and Cam to see these artists perform – that’s the vision.
We are also trying to get on the road and take Kevwe and Cam to different cities. Kevwe grew up in Ibadan, while I grew up in Port Harcourt, and Abuja is home to me as well. We want to take the show to all these different cities across Nigeria. We are also trying to have one in Ghana and Kenya. It is a collective vision that we share but it is also one that we nurse individually. Right?
KEVWE: Yes, absolutely. Just so you know, our theme for the year is “Shaping the future of music at home and abroad.” When we say abroad, we mean across Africa for now, but we certainly aim to go beyond these shores. We want people to discover new exciting artists through Kevwe and Cam.
We’re trying to break boundaries and also help other people break boundaries. That’s what we plan to do this year. Individually, like Cam was saying, we’re just trying to make it. I’m trying to be heard. I’m trying to get my music on the road too, you know. As much as I’m helping other artists, I’m helping me too, you understand?
Yes, you’re understood. Thank you very much for this interview.
KEVWE: Thank you too, and see you at Lovers Rock!
