Taking his talents from Pennsylvania to Oakland, CA, the Ethiopian-American Singer/Songwriter and R&B artist Hugo de la Lune releases nothing but a groove with his latest hit, "Bouda."
Hugo de la Lune (Ephraim Getahun) is known for combining the characters of Afro-Soul and R&B to fuse a sound that's personal and his own. Touching on his lyrical content, Hugo de la Lune pleas to the sacred work of divinity that exists within every one of us. With that being said, we're excited to delve deeper into his music, primarily his recent hit "Bouda" off the EP "Act II."
Within Hugo de la Lune's piece, "Bouda," he brings an incredibly groovy, soulful, and mysteriously-sounding track that submerges us into the darkness of nightfall.
While offering vast rhythmic instrumentals, alongside his sweet and broad vocal range, Hugo de la Lune has our heads turned with each dynamic and spirited element.
Jumping into his single, "Bouda," the track opens with a tremendous sense of rhythm through the haunting piano melodies, soothing drum patterns, and short electric guitar bursts that perfectly set the song's mysterious and alluring vibe. As Hugo de la Lune begins vocalizing in time with the sweet electric guitar, he brings a naturally charismatic performance as he blasts his vocals with the utmost poise and charm.
We can't help but feel the same groovy appeal to that of Billie Eilish's "My Strange Addiction," as Hugo de la Lune wows us with each sensual and chilling melody that brings us into the heat of a jam-packed venue. The various organic instrumentals offer a slice of bliss, especially through their blend of Afro-Soul, R&B, and Jazz.
We're moving our feet with help from Hugo de la Lune and his latest hit, "Bouda," as he sends us into the greatest of grooves with his intriguing vocals and soulful instrumentals.
We're truly getting down with the grooves of your latest hit, "Bouda." What inspired you to create the song?
Simply put, mythology. I've always been fascinated by how origin stories and folklore weave themselves into spirituality and magic. I'm Ethiopian, and the word bouda (or buda) is a term referencing the power of the evil eye. I wanted to use the song "Bouda" to write my own origin story; my own mythology. The song essentially leads the listener from a trickster's narrative as he approaches a God-figure that he must overpower to maintain his autonomy.
Within the lyrical content of your single "Bouda," what themes or concepts did you initially want to tie into the piece?
I suppose heroism. Like I mentioned before, the song is written from the perspective of the trickster in this myth. Once he confronts this god-figure, he bravely asserts his own divinity and refuses to bow or pray to God. I think there's something really powerful in the ownership of yourself. It's also blasphemous, and I guess that's the point for me. It's brave to own yourself and claim domain over your spirit and mind. And I guess this song is an anthem to a way I choose to lead my spiritual walk. The trickster also challenges the listener to return to their selves and identify the very real actualization of creation and life is all around us, and maybe that deserves our devotion.
How did you achieve such broad, potent, and groovy instrumentals for your single "Bouda"? What was the creative and recording process like?
This is a very easy answer. I collaborated with an INCREDIBLE musician named Alex Kulick, based out of Philadelphia, PA. He is a good friend, and since I was recording this album during shelter-in-place I sent him the song and he added so much depth to the music. He played multiple instruments on this track (bass, guitar, percussion). As far as the creative process, I record out of a studio in my home. Often, when I'm writing music, I'll come up with the structure of the song and all the pieces, including my vocals, but noticed with this song, it needed much more to provide the depth I wanted. That's where Alex came in - sending the song back and forth until we were both happy - he's a truly incredible talent. I'd also be remiss to not mention the engineering talent of Simon Martinez who brought the final tracks to life.
Could you tell us more about the EP "Act II," which features the single "Bouda"? How does the single fit into the overall EP?
Act II is my second released project of a trilogy. "Bouda" perfectly ties in with the EP, as all three tracks are rooted in an Afro-soul style of music. Act I & II (Act I released back in April) are essentially projects that are telling the story of the birth of Hugo. Act II really focuses on themes of spirituality and magic and lust.
What can we expect to see next from you?
Act III will be arriving sooner than most can expect. I'm really excited to really tie this project together with this final EP. I'm also going to be working on some visuals for a few of the songs on the Acts, and will also focus on preparing for live shows when they let us back out again. Performing is something I think about nearly every day, and I can't wait to bring these songs to life live. I want my songs, and the experience of hearing them live, to be more than just listening to these songs. These EPs are a call for the listener to return to a self they may have forgotten. I want to build a community out of this music - and it's important to be able to build that community in song AND dance when I'm performing live. Also, I just miss performing so much.