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Sound Sultan’s death made me lose interest in music – Seyi Shay
Nigerian singer and songwriter Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua, widely known as Seyi Shay, has spoken candidly about how the passing of legendary Afrobeats star Sound Sultan influenced her decision to step back from music.
In a recent interview on TVC, the 39-year-old singer described the late Sound Sultan as her “mentor, best friend, and father figure”, admitting that his death left her questioning whether she wanted to continue her music career at all.
According to Seyi Shay, the grief coincided with her pregnancy, which ultimately reinforced her decision to take a hiatus from what she called the “toxic environment” of the Nigerian music industry.
“During the filming of Nigerian Idol, my mentor, also my best friend, who is like a father figure to me, and also the person who brought me to the Nigerian music industry, died. He passed away, Sound Sultan,” she recalled.
The singer went on to explain that when she first moved to Nigeria, Sound Sultan and his wife hosted her at their FESTAC home for a year, playing a crucial role in helping her settle into the industry.
“He was the one who co-signed me and introduced me to everybody in the industry to make sure that those who were his people looked out for me. So, when he passed away, it was really hard for me to complete the filming, but I made it to the end,” she said.
Seyi Shay revealed that she was supposed to travel to New York to visit him shortly before his death, but never got the chance.
“What hurt the most was that I didn’t get to see him before he passed away. He asked me to bring him something specifically. It just tore me apart. I felt like I didn’t have the will to continue to do music without Sound Sultan, my peace of mind, and my mental health. So, I decided to go on a little break.”
She added that her pregnancy during that period further strengthened her resolve to step away.
“I told myself there’s no way I’m going to have my child in the toxic music industry that I’m in and under the scrutiny that I was constantly under. So, I just thought I should take a break.”
Seyi Shay, who rose to fame in 2011 with her debut hit “Irawo”, has since become one of Nigeria’s most recognisable female voices, fusing Afropop, R&B, and soul.