Ey Brizzy: The sound beyond sight
Source : Kutlwano
Author : Tankiso Mogapi
Location : Gaborone
Event : Interview
Despite living with visual impairment, Elizabeth and Sebatana hit maker, Ey Brizzy has slowly but surely established himself as a versatile performer in the local music scene over the past 10 years.
The Werda born musician, whose real name is Brigton Eslly Eyman, has developed his love for music into a growing career that continues to challenge perceptions about blindness and what people living with visual impairment can achieve.
For Ey Brizzy, music is not something he simply discovered later in life; it is something he was born with.
“I was born with music. It came with me growing up,” says the 27-year-old, emphasizing that music has been part of his life for as long as he can remember.
With almost a decade in the music industry, Ey Brizzy describes himself as a rare breed, shaped by a life experience different from that of many. Growing up in a family of five, he was the only visually impaired child in the family. But instead of allowing his condition to dictate what he can or cannot do, Ey Brizzy has chosen to pursue his ambitions with determination. His stage name carries a personal meaning.
He took “Ey” from two letters of his surname, while “Brizzy” comes from Brigton, creating a name that has become his identity in music.
The young man’s musical journey became more serious in 2015 and over the years, that name has increasingly become associated with an artist who refuses to be restricted to one sound.
“I am the music myself, I sing everything,” Ey Brizzy, who considers himself a versatile musician who can move across different genres depending on the music he wants to create, says confidently. He believes his ability to embrace different sounds allows him to remain relevant as the industry changes.
“Versatility is important because music is constantly evolving,” he adds. New sounds emerge, artists experiment and audiences develop new tastes, therefore Ey Brizzy wants to be able to move with those changes without losing his identity.
His journey has seen him collaborate with other artists such as Chokoma and Han-C, which has helped him to expand his music network and reach different audiences.
Among his songs, Ey Brizzy believes that Elizabeth is the one that truly made his name known.
The song represents an important turning point in his career as it made many people recognise his sound and identify with the artist behind the music. It remains one of the works he associates most strongly with his rise in the industry. Ey Brizzy, who considers himself as his biggest inspiration, says he does not write his songs in the conventional sense.
Instead, he memorizes them, relying on his musical ability and connection with the music.
His creative process is based heavily on memory, instinct and his understanding of sound.
“I inspire myself because the life I am living, I believe is not the same as others. I consider myself as a rare breed,” he says.
He believes his life has given him a perspective that is different from that of other people, and he uses that perspective as motivation to continue pursuing his goals.
However, his journey has not been without difficult experiences. One of the biggest lessons came from working with people he trusted, only to find out that some people took advantage of his openness to advance themselves.
“I don’t take it as a challenge. I take it as a lesson. I have learnt from it,” he says, pointing out that every difficult experience provides an opportunity to learn and grow. Despite his visual impairment, Ey Brizzy says he has never allowed himself to feel underestimated in the music industry and attributes his confidence partly to the way he was raised.
While growing up in Werda, he learned to believe in himself and to pursue the things he wanted rather than allowing other people’s perceptions to determine his capabilities.
“I have never felt underestimated. I grew up with confidence to do everything I want despite the disability issue,” he says.
Ey Brizzy does not identify himself as disabled, preferring the term visually impaired.
“I am not disabled. I consider myself as somebody with visual impairment because disability is different. I normally tell people that it is not a situation, it is a condition,” he says. Rather than allowing blindness to become the defining feature of his identity, Ey Brizzy wants to be recognized as a musician.
Having performed in front of large audiences, his career clearly demonstrates that visual impairment cannot prevent one from recording music, performing on stage and developing ambitions for the future.
“All I can tell people living with blindness is that do not give up on life. Being blind does not mean it is the end of your life. Try all means to get confidence to do what you want,” he says.
He advises other people living with blindness to develop the confidence to pursue their own dreams, whether in music or other fields. Beyond music, Ey Brizzy wants greater financial support for people living with blindness so they can pursue their ambitions.
He believes government assistance and the inclusion of music organizations within disability programmes could help create opportunities for blind musicians and other creatives. Also, he believes there are talented people within the visually impaired community who simply need opportunities and support to realize their potential.
“I want to leave my legacy even when I am gone,” he says pointing out that his greatest pride is knowing that his music has reached people’s hearts.
He is particularly proud of being loved by children, which he sees as a sign that his name and music can live on into the next generation.
For him, that connection with children represents more than popularity.
It gives him confidence that the music he is creating today could continue to introduce his name to new generations in the future. That connection with people fuels his ambition to keep evolving.
“I am loved by kids, which tells me that in the next coming generation I will still exist as Ey Brizzy,” he says.
Ey Brizzy now has his sights on another major milestone, releasing an album, either this year or next year.
An album would represent another si nificant step in a career that began with a natural love for music and has grown into a professional pursuit spanning almost a decade.
His music, he says, is ultimately about life, stories and messages that people can relate to.
While he may never experience the world through sight, Ey Brizzy’s journey from Werda to the national music scene has shown him that the absence of sight does not have to limit ambition. ENDS
