Nigerian singer-songwriter Dwin, The Stoic has built a career centred on narrative-driven music, and is now deepening direct connections with listeners through a network of curated digital platforms.
Early writing and a pivot to music
Before adopting the stage name Dwin, The Stoic, Ikenna Edwin Obiora-Madu spent years filling notebooks with observations, poems and stories. “A lot of my early creating was mostly just writing,” he recalls. A formative moment arrived in 2015 when he attended a creative writing workshop led by author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. “It was a nice entry into the art world,” he says.
A Computer Science graduate, he worked across advertising, technology and media, including a stint as Editor-in-Chief of Zikoko, a Nigerian digital publication. Throughout those years, songwriting remained a constant. While moving house recently, he discovered old notebooks dating back to 2007, each containing songs.
The ‘Master of Ballads’ philosophy
Dwin, The Stoic’s catalogue includes tracks such as:
- Streets
- Ifunanya
- I Go Nowhere
- Again
- Mad
He approaches music as a writer first, prioritising storytelling over genre. “I do different genres,” he explains. “Even if it’s a fast song people are dancing to, I’m still telling a story.”
Fans often call him the “King of Ballads”, but he prefers a phrase from a 2019 interview: “the emerging Master of Ballads.” That label later became the title of one of his projects. For him, a ballad is defined not by tempo but by narrative.
Audience connection and vulnerability
Listeners frequently share personal experiences tied to his songs. “What I’ve learned is that my people really like the music I make,” he says. “There’s a strong sense of vulnerability in how they interact with it. People come and tell me how they are feeling, what the songs mean to them, and that has created a very interesting relationship with my audience.”
He adds: “I love that I get to interact with them.”
Curated platforms and personal boundaries
To strengthen those ties, Dwin, The Stoic has built a network beyond standard social media. His newsletter, Letters from Dwin, The Stoic, offers personal reflections and early announcements. The fan community We The Stoics grows across TikTok and Instagram. His label, St. Claire Records, maintains dedicated channels for Dwin, Rhaffy and Celeste Ojatula.
“We’re trying to create different experiences across all these platforms,” he says. “People on YouTube might get exclusive videos, people on the newsletter hear about shows first, and there are different ways for everyone to feel spoken to and taken care of.”
He remains intentional about boundaries. “Content curation is important. Each platform has its own purpose. What I post on LinkedIn is different from what I post on TikTok or Instagram.”
“I always maintain that artists should have some things they keep for themselves. I try to keep a balance and be mindful of how much of myself I share.”
