Inside the Mind of Strei: The Artist Turning Emotion Into Afromood

For Strei, born Howard Efemena Dominic, music was never just sound; it was a doorway into emotion, honesty, and the unique world he now calls Afromood.When he created I.T.A.M., his debut EP, he was opening the door to his world.

“My goal was simply to introduce people to my sound, something raw, real, and authentic,” he explains. The project moves between groove, sadness, light, and darkness, because that is who he is. “It was the first real introduction to Strei and what Afromood represents.”Just a few months later, he returned with Imagine and Blessing, a two-track project born from a completely different emotional space.

“‘Blessing’ came from a place of gratitude,” he says. It was his thank-you to God for giving him the chance to chase his dreams. “Imagine,” on the other hand, emerged from the excitement and uncertainty of a talking stage. Yet what makes both songs truly special is deeper than emotion. “They were the first professional studio records I made when I got to Lagos and joined KTIZO WRLD,” he reflects.

Those two tracks marked his entry into a new chapter, the refined version of Afromood.At a time where Afrobeats thrives on energy, drums, and dance, Strei stands out by slowing things down and making people feel. But for him, it’s not about sadness, it’s about honesty. “Afromood isn’t limited to sad emotions,” he says.

“It’s based on authenticity. Whatever I’m feeling… sad, happy, in love, angry, or confused, I express it honestly.” From the guitars to the drums to his trembling vocals, he lets emotion guide the sound without forcing anything. Feelings are fluid, so the music follows that flow.Finding the right balance between groove and emotion might sound complicated, but Strei doesn’t approach music like a puzzle. “I don’t follow templates,” he says. “I practice artistic freedom… I step into the studio and just let it flow.” 

He doesn’t box himself into one style or formula; instead, he trusts that whatever he is feeling at that moment will lead him to the right place. His January mood won’t be his March mood, and his music reflects those changes.Behind the softness of his voice is a bold kind of honesty that not many artists are brave enough to share. One of the hardest truths he has ever said in a song appears in “I de go.” He remembers writing the line; “Nobody send, even my mummy.” He pauses when he talks about it, because it wasn’t easy to admit. “Not everyone will understand it,” he says quietly, “but the few who do will feel it deeply.”Collaboration also pushes him in new directions, especially his work with Babyboy AV on their song “Crazily.” 

Creating with AV forced him out of his comfort zone. “The way I make music is very different from the way AV does,” he says. Strei writes carefully, intentionally shaping every line, while AV jumps on the mic and vibes freely. “He really brought me into his world and I had to learn how to do that with him.” The result was a record that feels loose but deeply emotional, a perfect blend of both their strengths.As Strei prepares to perform at ENCORE this December with Tay Iwar, another artist who leads with emotion, he wants the audience to witness something more than a singer on stage. “I want people to see that I’m not just a recording artist, I’m a full artist,” he says. For him, performing is not about repeating the song, it’s about creating an experience. “I want the audience to feel the music, not just hear it.

”Looking forward, Strei already sees the future of Afromood stretching beyond his own journey. When the movement becomes bigger than him, when it becomes a name people recognize around the world, he knows exactly what he wants them to say. “I want people to say Strei inspired the next wave of artists to be more artistically driven,” he says with quiet confidence.

“Not just musicians, but true artists.”He wants to inspire artists to experiment, express freely, and treat music as pure art. And if Afromood becomes a home for honesty, emotion, and freedom, then Strei’s mission is already coming true.Because at the heart of everything he creates is a simple intention, and that is to feel, to express, and to connect. And that is how one young boy from Delta State is slowly turning his honest emotions into a movement.