IN CONVERSATION
WITH DANIEL
Daniyil Otuonye, known by the pseudonym To Eternity, is a 22-year-old Ukrainian musician of Nigerian origin. In the summer of 2023, his album "Teoriya Lyubovi" ("Theory of Love") became available on all streaming platforms. But even before the album release, To Eternity gained a reputation as a TikTok star, and his song "Nesmachnyy med" ("Tasteless honey") became a hit. We talked with Daniel about his creativity, the Ukrainian language, and the search of the community.
9 January, 2025
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Picture by Teo Jajanashvili
Tozhsamist: Let's start with your name. Daniyil is a Slavic name, if I am not mistaken.
Daniel: My parents named me after the Biblical hero Daniel in the Lions' Den (in Ukrainian—Daniyil). However, my mum calls me Déniel with stress on the first syllable. Honestly, most people call me exactly like that, but I am okay with other variations; for example, back in school, classmates called me "Danya." The name is just a tag. It doesn't make me who I am and doesn't change me at all.
I guess my pseudonym (To Eternity) can tell more about me. I chose it with my friend, with whom we started to write music. We always said that "music is eternal." The phrase "To eternity" in the translation from English to Ukrainian means "do vichnosti."
T: What is your origin? Where are your parents from?
Daniel: My passport is Ukrainian, and my blood is African. But my parents don't talk to our relatives from there.
“Ya tebe ne chuyu”
("I can not hear you")
I just want to have one piece
Of all this fame, I can't resist
To get so famous to get cash, no one can blame us
Cuz everyone try this and that
Krashche prosto pochekaty (It’s better just to wait)
Remember Blanche and To Eternity, 2023
Mariam in childhood. Picture from the archive
T: So, does that mean your mother raised you, your brother, and your sisters?
Daniel: Yes, generally speaking, yes.
My family, besides me, consists of my older brother and sister and a younger sister. Currently, everyone except my brother lives in Florida. They moved there when the full-scale invasion began. It was tough and very stressful. I don't remember much from that time except that I was extremely stressed out. They were living in Bucha when the full-scale invasion started. My brother and his fiancé lived under occupation for a particular time. It's still painful to recall all of those events. Now everything is ok, but it was a huge shock and stress.
T: So, you lived where the biggest horror occurred at the beginning of the full-scale invasion?
Daniel: I was born in Kyiv, and from there, we moved to Bucha, then to Irpin, and then to Hostomel. So I'm a bit of a boy from a village, although I often went out for walks in Kyiv.
I graduated from school in Hostomel. This was an exciting period. I realized that you don't have to do what you don't want to do. For example, I didn't want to learn math, so I didn't. It doesn't matter how hard someone forces me—I simply don't do what I don't like. This concerns everything in life.
I was happy in school; I played basketball and was engaged in sports. I remember the school with very warm emotions and appreciate that time. Even now, most of my closest friends are from the school.
T: You moved to Kyiv because you were accepted to the National University of Ukraine for Physical Education and Sport. Please tell me why you made this decision.
Daniel: I entered the university to become a coach. And that happened: I was studying and playing basketball. We played in the major league, but I don't emphasize that I played basketball professionally.
I loved studying, but three years later, I understood that I needed something different. The COVID-19 pandemic started, and the lectures were online. This was definitely not something that I wanted: sitting in Zoom for hours and taking notes. I am a coach! I need practice. So, this format was not interesting. That's why, not even finishing my first year, I dropped out and went abroad. This was a turning point because, basically, by making this decision, I killed my childhood dream to become a coach and went all in: I decided to write music.
T: Does that mean that music was not the history that started in childhood? You know, I have a notion that if you are a musician, it means that from childhood, you went to musical school, played the piano, studied solfeggio, and dreamed of entering the conservatory. But in your case, it's a big jump from sports education to music. How did you start?
Daniel: I started playing music at school thanks to my brother Jeremy. I wanted to do everything that he did. Now I understand that it is a bit funny, but then, for me, it was very important: not just to do what your brother is doing but to exceed him, to prove that I am better. That being said, when my brother started to play the guitar, I was like, "Oh, cool!" And while he was not at home, I took his guitar and played. It was 8th grade, the period when you really want to do something. The electric guitar is my main instrument. I can play keyboard instruments; I have a MIDI keyboard on which I write.
Mariam in childhood. Picture from the archive
T: Do you remember your first song?
Daniel: It was 11th grade. My first love - I wrote her my first songs. I loved it; it was fascinating, but I wanted to do it better. I asked for advice from my acquaintance, and he said, "I have a studio in Kyiv. Come". This started the countdown. After that, I started to dive deeper into the details of writing music.
T: You are writing the lyrics, which are very cool, as is your music. Your album "Theory of Love" - is of very high quality in terms of sound. It should be heard not only in Ukraine but abroad as well. I was listening and thinking, "You can be next to Frank Ocean." On the example of this album, can you tell us how the work is done?
Daniel: Overall, it is a collaboration alum. There are talented people in it, and I know from my experience how much effort I put into it and what sacrifices I made for it to eventually happen.
In Ukraine, I'm sure there is no such album. It is indie and funk, but at the same time, a little bit commercial. I am completely happy about the album, but I see there is always room for improvement
Working in collaboration dictates its own rules. For example, I understand that if I worked alone, it would be so much quicker. But in that case, I would need to make a lot of agreements, make certain corrections, and agree again. But it is definitely a meaningful experience. Working on this album taught me a lot in terms of time management and the whole process.
One of the lessons I learned for myself - is the ability to let something go. At one point, working on the album became a total stress; I was angry and mad that I couldn't finish before the deadline. And then one of my acquaintances who also works on the album asked me, "Did you let go of the album?" And then I understood: that's what I need to do. Even if you haven't released the album yet, it's time to let it go. After that, I exhaled. Again, the joy was brought to the work.
That's why I think it's important. If you feel that the stress is about to prevail, take a step back, take a pause, and return with the new power to the work. It will not be easy, but it is worth working for.
T: Now you're in the US. How do you like it there?
Daniel: It is a hard story for me. Besides the family, nothing holds me here. I have lived here for a year, and it is sad to see Americans' lives. It seems like they live to work and work to pay their debts.
Certainly, there are a lot of white people as well as black people. But everyone needs to work to achieve something. It's the country of opportunities, but you need to work hard. It will not be easy. And I am working to achieve my goals.
“Pitch”
Life is honey with no money
I am rich
Like Buks Bunny kind of Funny
Little pitch
There's not a big sense of this song but still I kinda like it.
(Written by Daniel)
As strange as it may sound, only in the United States I've started to feel that racism truly exists. I've noticed it by observing how some of my black friends treat white people. I have never experienced this feeling. But here, it is noticeable. Recently, someone made a comment to me: "It seems like you have sympathy towards white people." I was confused, like: "What does that even mean?". I grew up around white people, and I don't pay attention to that.
T: How was your identity formed? How do you accept yourself?
Daniel: When someone asks me: "Where are you from?" I say: "From Ukraine".
Usually, people are confused and sometimes don't even believe me. For the majority - I am the first black Ukrainian that they saw in their life.
In the United States, I am Ukrainian. In Europe, I am Ukrainian. But here, I am not seen like that. Even in Ukraine, I am not fully accepted as part of the community.
However, in Nigeria, I will be seen as a member until the exact moment I start to speak.
It feels like I don't have a place in the world. Or that I was not created for a specific place.
T: By the way, about the Ukrainian language. You are writing the lyrics in Ukrainian, and that's very cool. Did you speak Ukrainian before?
Daniel: In my family, I spoke in Russian, but frankly, it was more like a surzhyk (a mix of Ukrainian and Russian). However, I switched to speaking Ukrainian exclusively when the full-scale invasion began.
Regarding the Russian media, I always had an aversion. Particularly to Russian music, which made me cringe. When all of my classmates were singing Russian hits, I used to wonder: "Maybe there is something wrong with me?"
T: What Ukrainian music were you listening to?
Daniel: One that significantly influenced me was the music of the band TVORCHI. Thanks to them, I became interested in Ukrainian artists and saw how great they can be. It was important for me to know that the lead singer is an awesome Black Ukrainian guy.
When I released my first song, I texted Jeffery (Jeffrey Kenny, soloist of the band Tvorchi) and asked him to listen to it. He responded saying that it was cool. I really appreciated it.
T: What about the plans for the future? Do you want to come back to Ukraine?
Daniel: I want to live in Ukraine, grow here, and promote Ukrainian music. I know who I am in Ukraine. I believe that at home, I can make a bigger impact. For me, the most significant thing is to make this world a better place. Or at least not as gloomy as it is now.
I create music not for money or fame. Sometimes, people write to me and say things like, "I had a very bad day, and I turned on your song, and everything became better," which motivates me to keep going.
If I know that my music brings emotions to someone, that's a victory for me.
By Alice Zhuravel, Oksana Grushanska, Andriana Petrykevych