The ladies can’t get enough of it and neither can the DJs too.
‘Ameno’ Amapiano remix was no doubt, the tune of the season and the official ‘Detty December’ anthem in Nigeria, with little or no attention being paid to the artiste behind the song.
Fast-rising Nigerian singer, Bright Goya, whose stage name is Goya Menor, is the star of the moment & man behind the track.
Not many are aware that the 26-year-old singer, an alumnus of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State Nigeria, originally released the track on June 16.
In the last six months, his management has spent a lot of funds on promotions to no avail.
It was not until December 2021, did the track begin to gather momentum, even beyond the shores of Nigeria, especially on social media.
It became so huge that the UEFA Champions league used the track on its official Tik Tok account.
The track was number one in Jamaica, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Thailand, Nigeria, Sweden, and many more countries around the globe.
The use of the song in YouTube, Tik Tok and Instagram videos led to its polarisation.
Who is Goya Menor?
Goya Menor’s last single was released in 2020 and it was a huge flop. The singer said he almost gave up just decided to give it another try by releasing ‘Ameno’ remix. It picked up slowly and just when he was about to throw in the towel, something spectacular happened.
He said, ‘‘I didn’t produce it as a major project. I produced it as a joke. It was just God because the song picked up in the first week of December after it went viral in Uganda. If I were to promote this song with my own resources this song wouldn’t be a hit. It is a supernatural hit”.
But underneath the viral tune is a strong message.
Goya Menor, who is a sociology graduate, told PREMIUM TIMES that the song was recorded to educate the youth about the dangers of social vices like cultism and prostitution.
He described the track as an anti-cultism track.
‘Ameno’ amapiano remix
It topped the Apple music charts and Shazam playlist.
However, the Amapiano remix of ‘Ameno’ is a collaboration between Goya and Nektunez.
While Goya wrote the lyrics, sang, and rapped on the track, the US-based Ghanian-born Nektunez produced the Amapiano version of the song.
Amapiano, which has its origin from the streets of South Africa is gradually becoming the biggest sound in the world.
Original version
It was released in June 1996 as a single from their self-titled debut album Era and it became a chart success in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland and Latin America.
The song has been interpreted many times and is very popular in covers and parodies.
The famous versions include DJ Quicksilver (2000), Roberto Molinaro techno mix version in Italy (2005), French tenor Vincent Niclo interpretation with the Red Army Choir (2012) and most recently, Goya Menor’s 2021 remix.
The hit song has given the young music star a really busy December. He performed the ‘Ameno’ amapiano remix at the popular Livesport music festival and alongside Tiwa Savage the previous week.
The artiste said was inspired to record the song after he had listened to the original version being played in clubs.
Luckily for him, while searching for the original version of the song, he stumbled upon Neptunez’ Amapiano version of the song.
That singular discovery birthed the collaboration that produced the ‘Ameno’ amapiano remix.
Since its release, the song has been enjoyed and appreciated by not just Africans alone, but Europeans and Americans alike.
This feat has greatly influenced the growth of the singer’s fan base
Goya Menor, who said he refuses to be a one-hit wonder, is set to thrill his fans with even more amazing hits, as he welcomes collaboration deals with big names in the music industry, like Zoro.
