British-Nigerian singer and songwriter, Oluwaseyi Joshua, better known as Seyi Shay, has opened up about how the death of her mentor, the late Olanrewaju Fasasi, popularly called Sound Sultan, deeply affected both her career and personal life.
In an interview on TVC on Friday, the singer described Sound Sultan, who passed away in 2021 after battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, as not just a colleague in the music industry but also her best friend, brother, and mentor. She explained that he played a very important role in helping her settle into the Nigerian music industry when she first moved to the country.
According to her, when she relocated to Nigeria, she had nowhere to stay and very few people to trust. Sound Sultan opened his home to her and allowed her to live with him and his wife in FESTAC for a whole year. During this period, he personally introduced her to the right people in the music industry and made sure she was accepted. She revealed that he practically co-signed her career and ensured that his friends and associates looked out for her.
Seyi Shay recalled that the news of Sound Sultan’s death came while she was serving as a judge on Nigerian Idol. Even though she was heartbroken, she had no choice but to continue filming the show. She admitted that it was one of the hardest times of her life.
“What hurt me the most,” she said, “was that I didn’t get to see him before he died. I had actually planned to travel to New York that very weekend, because he had asked me to bring him a particular gift. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to deliver it or see him alive again.”
The loss left her devastated. She explained that she almost lost the will to continue with her music career because Sound Sultan was not only her mentor but also her source of peace and comfort. To heal and protect her mental health, she decided to step away from the spotlight for a while.
During that break, Seyi Shay became pregnant. She explained that motherhood changed her priorities and made her even more determined to stay away from the pressures and toxic environment of the entertainment industry.
I told myself that there was no way I was going to bring my child into this world and raise her under the constant scrutiny and negativity I was facing in the music industry, she said.That’s why I made the decision to completely step back for a while.
Back in 2021, shortly after Sound Sultan’s passing, Seyi Shay had already spoken about the deep bond they shared. She described him as her defender and her shield whenever she faced controversies or problems in the industry.
“Whenever I was in trouble, he was my bailout. He always stood by me. He was an incredible genius, and even his wife became like a mother to me,”she recalled.
Seyi Shay later welcomed her daughter in April 2022, a new chapter in her life that she described as a blessing born out of a period of grief, healing, and reflection.
