Fast rising super star Ikon Albert known by the stage name Ortrees Mbafaga who is currently receiving massive from lovers of his music and dance moves was recently interviewed by Controversial Blogger Samson Terzungwe CEO Benue Voice. Ortrees who recently Released yet another banger “VA” was put on a Hot Seat and had lots of things to say about his many talents. BenueVoice had a one on one Chat with the Singer, Song writer and Dancer who is currently enjoying a promotion deal with MadeInBenue. According to the artist, the journey has not been an easy one but he has recorded great successes amidst the stormy weather and hopes to capture more in the quest to put Benue on the map.
Read details of the Q&A chat session Below:
BenueVoice: Good Evening Ortrees
Ortrees: Evening bro
BenueVoice: Feels Good to have you on this Platform
BenueVoice: How do you feel this evening
Ortrees: Doing all Great, Hope you’re good
BenueVoice: Alright Good to know, I’m good no doubt; Let’s talk about you tonight
Ortrees: Like the sound of that
BenueVoice: Let’s just say Benue Voice has you in a Hot sit
Ortrees: Smiles
BenueVoice: Can you give us a quick background about you?
Ortrees: My name Ikon Albert professionally known as Ortrees; most people call me Mbafaga for my Afrobeat music style, some would refer to me as the king of dance. Born and brought up in Makurdi. And I’m Tiv positive
Ortrees: Am I missing anything?
BenueVoice: Wow, that was quite brief; Phew…..
BenueVoice: Quick one right, you didn’t mention anything about going to school, are you a hoodlum?
Ortrees: Funny, I’m from an elite home, like my parents are both teachers, you must go to school if not you are spoilt. I’m a theater arts graduate student of Benue State University, my secondary education at St Andrews secondary school Adikpo and primary education at Methodist. One quick fact, since secondary I started dancing as a group activity in school and progressed further.
BenueVoice: Pretty much impressive, I must say
BenueVoice: What is your creative process as an Artist?
Ortrees: My immediate environment triggers my creative side. I can hang out with friends and go through my daily routines and once am back home and alone, music comes to me with mind blowing ideas I put in my lyrics and dance. Most times you act crazy when it hits you even on the walk ways, I dance while walking on the streets and those dances those could be the trigger for my Choreography. The process is life itself.
BenueVoice: Wow, This is amazing. I would love to enroll for some dance classes man
Ortrees: You know you always welcome
BenueVoice: Well let’s talk about the Name Ortrees for now, how did you come up with Name ORTREES?
Ortrees: That name is just my originality and the western culture mixed, my surname Ikon means trees or woods, and in the family every male born is called Or Ikon, in Tiv Or means man. So, it was only logical for me to come up with Or trees meaning man of trees. I’m just a blend of Afro and western culture.
BenueVoice: How come I never thought of that 😳😳, Mehn that’s creative man
Ortrees: Yeah
BenueVoice: Impressive 👏👏👏👏👏
Ortrees: Thank you
BenueVoice: Can you talk about challenges you’ve faced as rising star in Benue? I know it’s not an easy road
Ortrees: Well coming from the middle belt everything has to be tight, that tightness will make you toughen up. That’s the advantage but the disadvantage is you are not appreciated, your talent is not paid for or low paid. How to pay bill and push the art becomes slow. And Benue is slow to embrace entertainment, so it’s hard for the outside world to get in touch with your art, zero investment in arts in Benue.
BenueVoice: I think you nailed this man, More like you said a thousand truths in a few words.
Ortrees: I’m a man of few words anyways
BenueVoice: 😁😁✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻
BenueVoice: Can you highlight your successes through this journey so far?
Ortrees: My music is a good highlight, everyone accepts my music, the brand keeps getting bigger and better from Benue to the World. Some success stories I hardly talk about are my dance awards. More awards coming in.
BenueVoice: Once again brief and precise, Cool
Ortrees: And to count promotion deal with MadeinBenue.
BenueVoice: Wow, that’s a big one, I see you rising really fast.
Ortrees: 🙏🏾 You have to go hard or go home
BenueVoice: How exactly do you combine dancing, music and a host of other activities and still keep it 100
Ortrees: It’s just interest. I love what I do so I spend time recreating my art. It’s only my lifestyle to be dancing now and the next am writing songs. I told you the process is life itself; somebody has to document happenings. As an artist that’s your duty, and only if you master lots of this artistry you paint a better picture on your canvas. So how I combine much and keep going is something spiritual.
BenueVoice: Damn !!, This is deep man, so freaking crazy
Ortrees: Yeah fam
BenueVoice: Impressive, how many songs do you have officially?
Ortrees: Last year I released 3 songs ‘Tempted to Touch, Sugar and Bad’, this year we kick off with “Va”. So officially we have four songs out there on the charts, on the streets playing.
BenueVoice: Wow, I wish we could play some right now
Ortrees: Yeah, we can do that. Just turn up the place
BenueVoice: 😁😁😁😁😁🤣🤣🤣🤣
BenueVoice: Which of these songs do you connect with on a personal level?
Ortrees: I connect with all of the vibes but “Va” is a sick vibe. It’s just that the song put me on another level. If you listen closely you could tell the connection even in the lyrics, I stated ‘no be say you no know Ortrees ‘.
BenueVoice: Hmmmmmmm
BenueVoice: If “Va” was human I’m pretty much sure she would blush right now.
Ortrees: Would love to meet “Va” if she was a person
BenueVoice: What’s the inspiration behind Va?
Ortrees: Lots of things inspired that jam. I have a few spectacular people who inspired that music, I called them out on that song, Golozo, Zulezoo, Odwoods, Dj Kelx and Doobaba the list is endless. All of these just came to me, I never had specific intention to make music sound this way. I was just inspired by events.
BenueVoice: So much passion and love for the game; Well that’s nice, Really nice
Ortrees: Thanks Benue Voice
Ortrees: This seat is really hot sadly not hotter than my new song ‘VA’ 😁
BenueVoice: The song definitely needs a dance challenge 😁😁😁
Ortrees: I think I’ll consider having a “Va” challenge after all…we can do lots of giveaways even if we never blow yet.
BenueVoice: Remember me when you blow though 🤣🤣🤣
Ortrees: What wise king will I be if I forget the king makers.
BenueVoice: 😁😁😁😁see whining🤣🤣🤣
Ortrees: Your head spin abi 😁
BenueVoice: Do you write songs or you buy them?
Ortrees: I have a style, haven’t seen any song writer good enough to write songs for the brand I portrait. I am my own originality; I write for myself and other artists trying to promote Tiv Afropop and other Afrobeat sounds.
BenueVoice: Mehn…… that’s excellent {Swears}.
Ortrees: 😄😄😄;Its amazing you having me on your platform.
BenueVoice: Mehn………..it’s good to have this moment with you….
BenueVoice: What message do your songs speak to the world?.
Ortrees: I’m spreading love to the people, those who connect will find hope, happiness and just free your mind and let the vibe take you away. You can hear the messages in different languages as you interpret my music.
BenueVoice: Sounds like words of a playboy
Ortrees: Smiles; I no play pass C Ronaldo
BenueVoice: Okay….I don’t wanna see my girls around u though.
Ortrees: Keep your girls away always or they’ll delete your number after they meet me.
BenueVoice: Mogbe…..kuku leave my hot seat.
Ortrees: 😄😄😄; I never seat do me
BenueVoice: Alright; Next question then
BenueVoice: What’s that factor that differentiates you from other artists?
Ortrees: All my shades of black and white. People hear my music and they be like; “he’s singing in Tiv”, “yo he sounds nice”, well thats what makes me different, I’m different. One of the greatest to ever do it. Am from the streets, make no mistakes. we dance and sing at the same time like we Michael Jackson but Mbafaga is some new hit you’ll get use to soon.
BenueVoice: Wooo; Really wavy…… I’m definitely taking classes when I come around
BenueVoice: Do you see yourself becoming a role model any time soon?
Ortrees: Come through with the whole Benue Voice family
BenueVoice: Ahbbbi; Makurdi streets no fit contains us ooo..
Ortrees: Role model? I do me, anyone could be inspired by that but am not living up to people’s expectations just for the role model stunt. So basically, am a role model to myself already don’t need to wait for soon to become a role model to the people.
BenueVoice: Okay; Well said my brother
BenueVoice: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years.
Ortrees: 5 years is a lot of numbers. And that time who knows students will be studying my music genre in school. My songs will be topping international music charts. I belong to the world; in 5 years the world will be celebrating my soundmanship.
BenueVoice: Wow; Words of a believing hustler
BenueVoice: Nice man
Ortrees: Thanks man
BenueVoice: I love the way you think …… pretty much, confident and ambitious
BenueVoice: It’s really good man
Ortrees: Appreciate big time
BenueVoice: Talking about your music, how do you classify your genre of music?
Ortrees: Am coming with something new, something I’ll classify as Tiv Afropop style. Afrobeat mixed with pop culture. Tiv Afropop have long being associated with lots of Nigerian artists who classify what they do in many words as they grow to become Afropop. Something familiar with artists like 2baba, Zaaki Azzay, Odwoods, Rapizo, Tay Iwar, Atela, Cupa Stones, AJ Natives and others. I just want the world to dance.
BenueVoice: Osheyy; I can relate man
BenueVoice: I must confess, I love the energy
Ortrees: Bless jah, the energy giver
BenueVoice: Surely; It’s been a long night really
Ortrees: Very long almost 25 hours
BenueVoice: Who do you look up to in the industry.
Ortrees: It might surprise people I never think of a role model better than Odwoods not because he is family or my boss. Sometimes I look up to his big moves and shape my baby steps. I look up to other artists as well, the legendary Fela Kuti and Golozo, Chris Brown and Psquare, Tiwa Savage and Rihanna. I mean if you that good, you can inspire me in so many ways.
BenueVoice: I was actually expecting Odwoods on the list, I mean I have seen the moves he makes the passion he has for the game and the sacrifices……mehn you just got to love him….
BenueVoice: And the rest on the list? All legends, more like Hall of famers.
Ortrees: Yeah, he is good influence I could say and a friend; I have to look up to the best to be one
BenueVoice: Yeah, Damn straight
BenueVoice: Alright; Let’s round up
Ortrees: Okay
BenueVoice: What words of advice do you have for other fast rising stars?
Ortrees: The world is coming for you, don’t let the storm take you by surprise. Focus and believe in the hustle, on God we’ll get there.
BenueVoice: Wow….. precise but deep
BenueVoice: We have now come to the end of this session brother man, its been a pleasure having this moment with you
Ortrees: Thank you very much for having me
BenueVoice: I must confess you actually blew my mind
Ortrees: Wow never saw that one coming
BenueVoice: Intelligent responses; I bet you gon take us to the next level
BenueVoice: #Benue to the world
Ortrees: Its Benue to the World. That’s the logo. Next level we move.
BenueVoice: We move bro✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻
BenueVoice: We have come to the end of this Q & A session😁😁
Ortrees: And I like the shirts you crest and fly on Social Media. the message is powerful. We move
Ortrees: Thank you very much
BenueVoice: Soro soke😁😁
BenueVoice: I look forward to having you back on that seat soonest
Ortrees: Anytime I’ll love to be there .an interesting session
BenueVoice: Thanks for your time and do have a nice day
Ortrees: Have a great day sir.
BenueVoice: Peace
“VA” by Ortrees is available on the various blogs below:
Ortrees Va ft Maxi Gaga
OUT NOW
ortreesva 💥 Download Link Below
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Mic9ja
Amazing
Am proud of you ortress