Confidence beams with confidence
The general image of millenials are shallow, carefree clubbers who are obsessed with the latest smartphone or sneakers. Confidence Survival, however, has always been fascinated by black history.
Born in Nigeria but a resident of Ottawa, Canada, she salutes her heroes on Careless, lead single from Confidence is Key, her debut album.
The self-produced set was released in May by Black Star Liner Productions out of Ottawa. A striking video for Careless bears images of civil rights icons like Martin Luther King and Emmet Till, South African anti-apartheid giants Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko and Cuban revolutionary and statesman Fidel Castro.
Twenty-year-old Confidence wants to make a statement with hard-hitting songs.
“We’re all seeing what’s going on, we’re not treated like human beings and that’s terrifying. We have to understand that it’s the administrations that are racist; by not giving justice to the people their forces are going to keep on doing it,” she said.
Administrations mean legislators in countries like the United States where blacks are usually victims of abuse by law enforcement. The controversial death of George Floyd in May in Minneapolis, Confidence noted, “just put things in a global light.”
She does not believe David Chauvin — the white police officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes causing him to suffocate—will get his due punishment.
“I don’t expect a maximum sentence…It’s just a facade because he’s still getting paid,” said Confidence.
Born Confidence Survival Eyong in Cross Rivers State, southern Nigeria, she has lived in Canada for the last five years. Confidence is Key took two years to complete and reflects the sounds of her biggest influences, such as Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Nina Simone and Marcus Garvey.
Most of the footage for Careless’ visual revisits racial flash points in the US such as the 1965 Selma March in Alabama. Though not as pronounced, Confidence said Canada is not exempt from racism.
“It’s very subtle. You still get stopped by the cops for just wearing a hoodie.”
