WADO

Valentino Agunu, known as WADO, is a Nigerian-Italian-American Afro-Fusion artist born and raised in Rome and based in New York City. His name “WADO,” meaning “well done” in Urhobo, reflects his identity, discipline, and creative vision. He began writing and recording music in 2009 in Rome’s Monteverde district. After earning a degree in Biosciences and Biotechnology from the University of Camerino in 2017, he moved to New York, where he served in the United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman in emergency medicine before fully committing to music. His work explores identity, migration, and belonging. His track “Sono Nato Qui,” focused on second-generation immigrant life in Italy, gained national attention and led to appearances on Italian television alongside figures such as Roberto Saviano. WADO also worked in film and television, including appearances in Italian productions and a lead role in the Rai series Le Nozze di Laura, directed by Pupi Avati. In 2021, he launched his Afrobeat project with “Yawa Go Dey,” earning airplay across Nigeria. His sound fuses Afrobeats with global influences, moving between English, Italian, Pidgin, and Spanish, bridging Africa, Europe, and America through music.