Houston Afrobeats artist finds her voice in the silence of the pandemic
When the world got quiet, Mary Ellis found her voice. The singer, who goes by the name of Eagle Eyez, said the pandemic allowed her to release a passion she had been holding inside since she was a young girl. The Nigerian mother, who has been in the healthcare industry for the last 12 years, took a leap of faith and is now following her dream.
Being a practical thinker, she did not initially believe music was something she could do because she had no formal training, but the shift COVID-19 brought the world gave her the push she needed to believe in herself and take a chance.
We asked her some more questions about her passion and career.
BBN: How did you get into the music industry?
EE: During COVID, the Earth was silent. I always wanted to do music, but I never thought I could sing. We couldn’t go to the office anymore so I could sing out loud while working alone at home on my computer. And just by doing that, one day, I had a song. I liked it and immediately made an appointment with an engineer and a producer. Listening to the recording afterward, I was so proud. I remember driving back from the studio and was like, “Wow, I am singing.” It was my ‘Green Card’ of motivation to go forward.
BBN: Explain the sound of your music. What style do you resonate the most with?
EE: Hmmm.. that’s somewhat challenging because I am very versatile. I grew up in Belgium before I came to America. Over there, we were into techno, but for my genre today, I am leaning more in Reggaeton and Afro Beats. I love fast-paced music to move your body and stimulate your mind.
BBN: Where do you get your motivation? Who is your support system while you navigate these unfamiliar waters?
EE: My friends are probably the best supporters for me. I know my family, at first, was like “what is she doing?” but I know it’s all catching on. I am just doing me, or rather, the NEW me.
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BBN: Do you fund all of your own projects?
EE: Yes, for now. I am an independent artist. I even shot my own video in Dubai. It is funny, sometimes you may think you have a plan, but God has a different one and you just have to listen. I had planned a trip to Dubai with a friend to get away from America for a break. The friend ended up canceling, so I decided to go alone. It was then that I realized that it was the perfect place to shoot one of my videos. It was an awesome experience, and I am so glad everything worked out the way it did.
BBN: What’s next?
EE: So far, I have released a few singles including “Dopamine,” “Stamina” and “Arab Money,” and am working toward making a full album. I record in Houston, but I have also worked with producers in Germany and Europe.
BBN: What’s the ultimate dream?
EE: I really want to use my music to help people. At one point before COVID, I suffered a depression. Mentally and emotionally, I had a lot of stuff going on with me internally and music has freed me. I want to be able to free others.
BBN: And coming out of that depression, how do you feel now?
EE: I am doing something that makes me feel happy. I am really into the Bible and prayer. I grew up as a church girl, doing things the way society wanted, but I’ve always had a wild girl in me. COVID’s silence allowed me to find my way. I grabbed that little girl in me and let her play and have fun.
BBN: How has singing helped you spiritually?
EE: Our life is so busy. As mothers, we run ‘helter-skelter’ and you are not able to discover other parts of yourself. But when everything comes to a standstill, you have time to reflect and do your cleansing.
If you think about it this way, it’s like cleaning out your closet. You find something that you have been looking for or totally forgot about. And that is what finding music was for me.
BBN: Describe yourself in one word.
EE: BOSS. I am also an eagle. They fly alone, they fly high, they are bold. I have always been like that. I am a very private person, and I don’t want to rush things because I still need to learn how to handle this all. I am taking my time and enjoying life.
Follow Eagles Eyes online and on social media:
Facebook: @Mary Ellis-EAGLEEYEZ
Instagram: @Eagleeyez1boss
Youtube: Mary ELLIS-EAGLEEYEZ
