▁j oka ik inen ▁y ö " ▁which ▁became ▁a ▁hit ▁on ▁Facebook ▁and ▁was ▁featured ▁on ▁Sound i . fi , ▁the ▁website ▁for ▁Finland ' s ▁largest ▁music ▁magazine . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁contest ant ▁on ▁season ▁ 6 ▁of ▁The ▁Vo ice ▁of ▁Finland ▁( 2 0 1 7 ) ▁where ▁he ▁reached ▁the ▁knock out ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁competition . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁the ▁rural ▁area ▁of ▁Lag os ▁( N iger ia ), ▁Ek eg has i ▁is ▁the ▁fourth ▁child ▁of ▁his ▁parents ▁and ▁has ▁six ▁brothers . ▁He ▁developed ▁interest ▁in ▁music ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 0 . ▁learning ▁to ▁play ▁instrument ▁like ▁fl ute , ▁harm onica ▁and ▁per cussion ▁all ▁by ▁himself ▁without ▁any ▁formal ▁training . ▁He ▁also ▁sang ▁in ▁the ▁cho ir ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁church ▁in ▁his ▁city . ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 6 , ▁he ▁had ▁his ▁first ▁studio ▁recording ▁experience ▁as ▁a ▁back - up ▁vocal ist . ▁G row ing ▁up ▁in ▁a ▁society ▁where ▁there ▁is ▁not ▁much ▁regards ▁for ▁music ▁as ▁a ▁career , ▁he ▁was ▁disc ou rag ed ▁by ▁family ▁members ▁and ▁friends ▁from ▁following ▁his ▁passion . ▁ ▁Education ▁ ▁He ▁later ▁studied ▁Elect rome chan ics ▁at ▁the ▁Institute ▁for ▁Indust rial ▁Technology , ▁Lag os , ▁and ▁worked ▁for ▁a ▁while ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁Finland ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁to ▁further ▁his ▁studies . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁he