ON THE RISE
Nigerian-American singer and performer, Ase Odin whisks global audiences to an uplifting, relaxing soundscape with his single, “No Wahala No Problem (Hakuna Matata).” Delivering a universal sound that crosses countries and cultures, he reminds us to take a break from our problems and enjoy a moment of relaxation.
Born in Benin City, Nigeria, Ase Odin has been surrounded by music throughout his life. His early influences helped shape his unique sound, a blend of Afrobeat, reggae, soul, and storytelling. After decades of dedication to his profession, Ase Odin is reunited with music and eager to share it with audiences from all over.
It’s no wonder Ase Odin found his way back to music—it’s inescapably in his genes. His father was a local government police officer who played for events and special occasions as part of the band. “My father and I were transferred to the west of Nigeria when I was a child. He was so good at playing saxophone and trombone, so they gave him a promotion. What I loved most is since I was the only one there (my mother stayed in our hometown), he would take me to practice with him. After practice, we had the pleasure of cleaning the instruments with tools; he took pride in that. I became so involved in music,” shares Ase Odin.
Not only was his father a respected musician, his mother also came from a group of family singers. “My uncles and aunts were tribal singers and sang in our tribal language,” he adds. Because instruments were hard to come by, a young Ase Odin created his own out of sticks and spoons and would create his own rhythms and beats out of creativity.
Before he came back to music, Ase Odin followed a path that was expected and hoped of him. “When we come to America from developing countries, our parents at home want us to have an academic career job. You cannot grow up in most of these countries and want to be an actress or videographer or singer. They mold you to need an academic career like a doctor, pharmacist, engineer, or lawyer. When the opportunity came for me to go to school, I had to create something I could fall back on and raise a family while taking care of my extended family back in Nigeria. So, people ended up doing things they didn’t love or weren’t talented in,” explains Ase Odin.
Living in Seattle, he became a pharmacist, providing support to his family and relatives overseas. Now, close to retiring, it’s finally time for Ase Odin to pursue his own passion: his long beloved music.
Thus far, Ase Odin has released two singles, “No Wahala” and “Mama Mama.” His next single, “How Far,” is pending release.
“No Wahala” is a reflection of the everyday struggle we all share. “If you look at people—you and I—everyday people, no matter where you are, we’re running a rat race all over the world. Every day is a struggle. Sometimes we feel like our whole life is a time crunch. We all just need to chill and get away—take a vacation, some time to relax and take it easy and be at peace with ourselves.”
According to Ase Odin, it doesn’t matter where you come from or how much you get paid, we all have challenges within ourselves and our homes, but we can choose to look at it from a different angle and think “Tomorrow is another day, a different day.”
When it came to writing “No Wahala,” Ase Odin first crafted the message, then created the beat that went with it. “I listened to different types of sounds when I was younger. When a situation happens, I find the beat comes and then I match it with the song. I figure out where I can fit the hook or chorus line, then match and melt, making sure the message, beats, and rhythm are aligned.”
The more Ase Odin creates, the more he finds himself experimenting and exploring. “I like getting out of the box,” he adds. “I’m always pushing boundaries with how a song should sound in my head.” To create his music, Ase Odin turns to his home studio, where he’ll put down drums, bass, treble, and any highlights he hears in the process. “I listen to how I want it to sound and play it over in my head,” he shares. “If I think an actual guitar would sound better, I get real musicians to add to the recording.”
Ase Odin’s greatest hope is to inspire others through his music. “We all have different personalities and pathways in life, different destinies. We will all turn out differently. What I consider success is the happiness that comes from lifting people up. When we all have a story to tell together—that’s my happiness.”
“Everyday people can relate to my music and feel good about themselves in that they’re not alone. We’re all going through it.”
Make sure to stay connected to Ase Odin on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
ON THE RISE
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LOS ANGELES — Damion Seraglio Bond and Hannah Leyla are turning up the heat with “Pina in Your Colada,” a playful tropical duet built around flirtation, humor and the kind of chorus that practically demands a room full of people sing along.
Featured as the opening track on Tropical Vacay, “Pina in Your Colada” drops listeners directly into vacation mode. Tiki lights are glowing, steel drums are playing, drinks are flowing and Hannah and Damion are trading lines back and forth like two people who have decided subtlety can wait until after the trip.
That exaggerated approach was intentional.
“I worried that if I hewed too closely to a serious sexual expression, today’s rather Me-Too sensitive folks might misinterpret the point of the song,” songwriter and creator Lloyd Eric Cotsen said. “By keeping it light-hearted and even cheesy over the top, it’s clearly aiming for fun.”
Cotsen envisioned the track as the kind of local favorite heard at a packed tropical bar, where vacationers already know every word and become part of the performance. That idea shaped the song’s crowd vocals and call-and-response structure, including Hannah’s equally confident answers to Damion’s advances.
Creating that chemistry, however, became one of the biggest challenges behind the track.
Cotsen used AI music platform Suno to develop the recording, but directing the male and female vocals proved considerably harder than expected. He ultimately worked through more than 160 versions while trying to get the exchanges right, eventually bringing elements from separate versions to a sound engineer to create the final result.
That persistence helped produce one of the song's defining elements: a performance that feels less like a conventional studio recording and more like stumbling into a beach bar where the entire crowd already knows the chorus.
“Recreating the vibe of a live performance in a bar with a crowd finishing the lines of a song they know and love was something I would have bet Suno couldn’t do,” Cotsen said. “It did it masterfully.”
That atmosphere also made “Pina in Your Colada” a natural opener for Tropical Vacay. Cotsen wanted the album to function almost like a vacation soundtrack, maintaining a tropical atmosphere while moving between comedy, romance and more reflective moments.
“It seemed like the most fun, captured the tropical spirit of the album best,” he said of choosing the song as its first track.
The project continues Cotsen’s genre-hopping approach to songwriting. His work has moved through folk-country, blues, soul, gospel and dance, while Tropical Vacay gives him room to explore Trop Rock and the stories that emerge when people temporarily leave their everyday lives behind.
For Hannah and Damion, that means a relationship that is flirtatious, competitive and occasionally more complicated than the beach-bar antics suggest. Cotsen describes the pair as having a “playfully combative romantic relationship,” with Hannah written as a confident character who can give Damion every bit as much as she gets.
And the fictional duo may eventually move beyond the digital world. Cotsen plans to host a concert with live singers performing selections from his catalog within the next year while continuing work on several additional albums.
For now, “Pina in Your Colada” offers a simpler invitation: turn it up, embrace the ridiculousness and pretend the nearest drink comes with a tiny umbrella.
“Pina in Your Colada” is available now on Spotify as part of Tropical Vacay.
