Interview with Ego do Tchan

 

Ego do Tchan, what’s your real name?

My real name is Eurico Gregório Pereira Raimundo, but Ego is also a name given by my parents. I don’t know why they gave me that name, maybe there was something about me that made them proud when I was younger.

And you never felt curious to ask?

Yes, several times, but my mum never gave me a clear answer. She said it came from my uncles, but never went into detail about it.

Ego do Tchan, are you from Benguela? Have you always lived in Benguela?

I am from Benguela, I was born and raised in Benguela, and I have never lived anywhere else.

When did you decide to become a singer?

I started a long time ago, it’s not complicated to explain… I’ve always wanted to be an artist: I started through dance from 1997 to 2002, and decided to start singing in 2001.

Where did the inspiration for the song “Luz Foi” come from?

It all started last year, in the month of June, in the “bairro” (=neighbourhood) of Calombutão, near the Camp. We were thinking about making music, and someone from that neighbourhood told me there was no electricity, so I had the idea to sing something about it… I kept thinking about the choir until I came up with the idea of what the song is like today. At first, the idea was to sing it with a girl, but then Afrobinda (a great producer) appeared. He supported the idea and we recorded the song together.

How do you feel, knowing that your music is being heard by a lot of people?

I feel good and proud. I’ve doing music for a long time now. I want to have a more expanded career. This is my dream: I want to make music my job and for that I need more marketing.

How do you feel when you’re on stage?

I feel very comfortable, I feel very inspired. The stage requires a lot of calm and an energy more or less of 90%, or 100%. It is also complicated, the emotion sometimes makes us fall.

Have you ever felt scared when you went onstage?

Yes. Well… shiver, not fear, but a fear of the kind: will I manage??!! But God is always by our side, so I’m always calm.

What is your main pride in your career?

I need to work more on music. My goal is to be able to produce for other musicians, to have my producer and to become more professional.

Why do you support the work of Vitamina and Edy Mochila?

Because they are always by my side, giving positive energy. Without them I feel empty, there is a pure affinity of friendship. On the other hand, every one of them is good at what he does.

What advice would you give to a young man who wants to be a singer?

Music is something very very serious, because of the fans. Anyone who wants to engage in music needs to be very calm, we can’t change our way of being just because we are artists. We are admired in some way even if we don’t earn money with what we do, and we must stand firm in the work we are doing. You have to be always pure.

Also, we need to keep good relationships with other colleagues to know what it’s like to be a good musician rather than go to music just for fame. Some only meet when they have activities nearby, but it shouldn’t be that way.

Written by: Ana Vieira