JZyNO on taking Liberia’s sound global
Focus on Africa

JZyNO on taking Liberia’s sound global

B1IntermediateSeptember 4, 202622 min
  • Interview
  • Music

From selling charcoal, firewood and a popular West Africa staple food locally known as garri, to making waves on the global music scene. Liberian superstar JZyNO has come a long way. He started making music in Liberia before moving to Ghana to pursue his dreams, where he found a more developed music industry. In 2023, he broke onto the international scene with his hit single, Butta My Bread, which has amassed over 300 million views. He sat down with Focus on Africa to reflect on life since his breakout hit, his humble beginnings in Liberia, and what the country needs to...

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known as Jay Zena. From selling charcoal, firewood and items like gary, a West African

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This 2023 breakout single, Bottom Eye Bread amassed over 218 million streams and chartered

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0:00

Hello and welcome to Focus on Africa, The Conversation. I'm Keiichi Obunna. Today we are in conversation with Liberian Afrobeat singer Jonathan Lee Pratt, professionally known as Jay Zena. From selling charcoal, firewood and items like gary, a West African staple made from cassava flakes to making waves on the global music scene.

0:29

This 2023 breakout single, Bottom Eye Bread amassed over 218 million streams and chartered across the US, UK and global platforms. So it's God and there was love in the project. For me, to the artists, a feature last made, to the producer, B Vampire, to the dance

0:48

choreographer, dance God. And I mean the entire media team, my team, my country, like everybody put him beyond the project to make the project to blow. So I think it was just a time for Liberia to have her own blubber his song.

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