ola onabule :: press coverage

Edition: US
Sign in
Mobile
About us
Subscribe
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here
Your search terms...
Music
Search
News US World Sports Comment Culture Business Environment Science Travel Tech Media Life & style Apps Data
Culture
Music
Pop and rock
Pop
Share 0
Ola Onabule
Tweet
0
0
Ronnie Scott's, London
Email
John L Walters
The Guardian, Tuesday 4 September 2007 05.03 EDT
Article history
To describe Ola Onabule as a sweet-voiced singer-songwriter from
Lagos would be perfectly true, but it doesn't tell the whole story. It's like
calling Ronnie Scott's a jazz club when in fact it is (and always has been)
a Soho supper club, too. On the continuum between pure jazz and jazzy
entertainment, Onabule veers more towards the latter.
His unique selling proposition is a golden voice, with a range and
smoothness that recalls singers such as Luther Vandross and more
recent pretenders to the soul-pop crown, such as Frank McComb and
Van Hunt. Onabule could probably make a good living doing covers, but
instead he has chosen to go his own way, with original material from
albums such as In Emergency Brake Silence and The Devoured Man. He
explains that the bossa-like How is about his "desperate struggle with
existentialism", then deflates the introduction by saying, in his best
crooner manner: "Hey baby, I know a whole lot more words like that!"
Despite the smooth-operator shtick, there is a gaucheness to his
performance that is also quite charming. After reprimanding some diners
for chatting during his soft soul ballad Back Home, there's an
embarrassed pause that he breaks to say: "Sorry."
Onabule's five-piece backing group, though competent and well drilled,
don't quite rise to the leader's ambitions. He has the potential to make
his songs break free of funk, with a voice that is beautifully clear and
appealingly textured, almost classical. There are moments when he lets
fly with a kind of yodelling ululation, like a more radio-friendly Leon
Thomas. Yet the elements - voice, songs, band, style - do not quite add
up yet.
Music
Pop and rock · World
music
Culture
More reviews
More live music reviews
More album reviews
Useful links
Theatre, dance, music
and art venues
Related
5 Feb 2003
Kandia Kouyaté
30 Oct 2003
Manu Dibango
27 Jan 2005
Airto Moreira/Flora Purim
13 Sep 2005
Yat-Kha
On Music
Most viewed
Tweet
Email
Latest
1. David Bowie
among UK stars who
turned down Olympic
closing show
· At Swansea Grand Theatre tomorrow. Box office: 01792 475715. Then
touring.
Share
Zeitgeist
Last 24 hours
2. Blur – Olympic Closing Ceremony Celebration
Concert review
3. Spice Girls at London 2012 Olympics closing
ceremony - in pictures
4. New music: Metronomy – Hypnose
5. Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman resurfaces in
Western Sahara
More most viewed
On the Guardian today
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Ads by Google
Mitt Romney and GST Steel
Trying to save a closing plant Learn the truth about GST Steel
www.MittRomney.com
Media
UnitedHealthcare Ins Co.
AARP® Medicare Supplement Ins Plans Request a Free Guide. Go Long.
www.GoLong.com/UHC
The last word on NBC's Olympics
coverage
Beach Boy Pendleton Shirt
Shirts As Worn By The Beach Boys -Free Shipping
www.HansensClothing.com/Pendleton
Related information
Music
Pop and rock · World
music
Culture
Boy George
17 Jun 2003
Ronnie Scott's, London
18 May 2005
Roddy Frame
23 Apr 2004
Ilya
1 Mar 2004
Steve Winwood
Jeff Beck
29 Nov 2007
Ronnie Scott's, London
World news
Kangaroo escapes with help of fox and
boar
13 Sep 2005
Yat-Kha
Comment is free
Why Mitt Romney ignored his own
pollster to pick Paul Ryan
UK news
Army warns Olympic Games recovery
will take two years
Music
David Bowie among UK stars who
turned down Olympic closing show
World news
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Cookies On The
BBC Website
Sign in
HOME SHOWCASE REVIEWS
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our
website. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that
you are happy to receive all cookies on the BBC website. However, if you
would like to, you can change your cookie settings at any time.
News
Sport
Weather
iPlayer
TV
Radio
Continue
Find out more
More…
London 2012
Search
Search ByArtist...
GENRES
Ola Onabule
Born 1964.
P
S
T
asg
h
eiar
Share
BBC Music Showcase
Played By
Since December 2008
Biography
After Midnight with Linley Hamilton
BBC Radio Ulster
Ola Onabule (born 30 March, Islington, London, England) is a British-Nigerian, soul,
jazz, singer-songwriter, musician and producer.
Read more at Wikipedia...
This entry is from Wikipedia, the user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been
reviewed by professional editors and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. If you find the
biography content factually incorrect, defamatory or highly offensive you can edit this article at Wikipedia.
Find out more about our use of this data.
Links & Information
Paul Jones
BBC Radio 2
Robert Elms
Loose Ends
BBC Radio 4
LINKS
Official homepage at ola-onabule.co.uk and olasmusic.com
Biography at olasmusic.com/Biography.html
Fanpage at facebook.com/oonabule
Youtube at youtube.com/user/OlaOnabule
MySpace at myspace.com/olaonabule
Wikipedia article on Ola Onabule
Last.fm page on Ola Onabule
MusicBrainz entry on Ola Onabule
Links & information come from MusicBrainz. You can add or edit information about Ola Onabule at
musicbrainz.org. Find out more about our use of this data. The BBC is not responsible for the content of
external sites.
Alex Lester
BBC Radio 2
Soul Noel: Gospel and Soul Stars Sing
Christmas
BBC Four
Information displayed about artists played on BBC programmes is
incomplete at present. Find out more about this artist play count
information.
Similar Artists
Angela Bofill
Donny Hathaway
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
You've selected the International Edition. Would you like to make this your default edition?
EDITION: INTERNATIONAL
U.S.
MÉXICO
U.S.
Africa
Yes | No
Close
ARABIC
Sign up
Log in
Set edition preference
Home
Video
World
Asia
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
Business
World Sport
Entertainment
Tech
Travel
iReport
Part of complete coverage on
African Voices
Ola Onabulé: Music's best-kept secret?
From Atika Shubert, CNN
August 9, 2011 -- Updated 1121 GMT (1921 HKT)
Most Popular
Today's five most popular stories
Officials from Islamic nations vote to suspend
Syria from group
Ola Onabule shaping his music
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Ola Onabulé is an acclaimed
Nigerian singer and songwriter
He blends Afro beats with jazz
and soul while his lyrics often
tackle tricky issues
He's blazed his own trail in a
career that has produced seven
albums
Every week CNN International's African Voices highlights Africa's
most engaging personalities, exploring the lives and passions of
people who rarely open themselves up to the camera.
Regional group votes to suspend Syria; rebels
claim downing of jet
Thai politician accidentally kills ex-wife with Uzi
3 killed in shootings near Texas A&M University
London (CNN) -- Armed with a silky-smooth voice and an
uncompromising spirit, Nigerian singer/songwriter Ola Onabulé has
won admirers around the world.
China's 'most wanted' robber shot and killed by
police
With a career spanning nearly two decades, the Nigerian singer has
often been described as one of music's best-kept secrets. Onabulé
says that although he can hear "the hidden compliment" in that
phrase, he works hard to do even better.
"It's not right that I should be a secret, I mean this isn't a profession
in which to be kept a secret," he says. "You stand on a stage and
put it out there because you want as many people as possible to
hear your song or your idea or your message."
His musical style blends his African roots with elements of jazz and
soul, while his passionate singing moves between the heights and
depths of emotion.
In tune with his wide-ranging vocal skills, Onabulé's songs
encompass a wide range of topics, from personal
experiences to social-minded commentary.
"I write songs about why in my dear continent we spend
as much time as we do harking back to the things that
were done to us in the past when, although they are
incredibly valid these sentiments, there is also the
argument for as much time to be put into finding our way out of this
Sponsored links
Siemens Hearing Aids
Quality hearing aids for over 130 years. Find a provider near you!
usa.siemens.com/hearingaids
Go or Don’t Go to the ER
Learn to tell the difference with our interactive video.
ProMedica.org
Prudential Can Help
Together, let's tackle our biggest financial challenges. Learn more.
Prudential.com/bringyourchallenges
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
difficult situation," says Onabulé.
Born in London to Nigerian parents, the velvet-voiced singer moved
to Nigeria at an early age. The vivid memories of pounding African
drums and spicy Nigerian food followed him back to the United
Kingdom where he returned just before he turned 17.
That transition wasn't without its challenges, says Onabulé, as he
spent the first couple of years trying to figure out his place in the
world while bridging his different cultures.
"I spent a very long time working out where I fitted in the whole
scheme of things," he says.
"Subconsciously I think I very much wanted to be a Nigerian, wanted
very much to be an African and I had to work out a way of
negotiating how I could do that whilst knowing that for survival
purposes also I had to assimilate as much as possible into where I
found myself in amongst here."
I'm very keen for
Africa to change
its course, to find
its way.
--Ola Onabule
RELATED TOPICS
Music
Nigeria
Africa
Initially set for a career in law, Onabulé abandoned his
studies to follow his passion for music and pursue a
rather more uncertain career as a singer.
His talents didn't go unnoticed and in the early 1990s he
was signed by record label Elektra. However, his
encounter with the system of big record companies didn't
last long.
"I learned through bitter experience what I definitely, absolutely
wanted and what I didn't," he says. "(There was) a lot of kind predescribed, focus group-type artist development where you'd bring a
song in and people take their metaphorical scalpels out and shave
bits -- 'the kids won't love that, the kids won't love that' -- take bits
off."
When the deal fell apart little more than a year later, Onabulé says
he knew "without a shadow of a doubt that I wanted as much
autonomy as possible and that would mean walking my own path
independently."
Onabulé's perseverance saw him eventually building his own studio
and setting up his own label. He has seven albums under his belt so
far, and his latest offering, "Seven Shades Darker," was released
earlier in 2011.
As in his previous works, Onabulé's African roots are evident in his
latest album and influence the message he is trying to convey.
He says: "I'm very keen for Africa to change its course, to find its
way and really find a way of standing shoulder to shoulder with the
league of nations.
"If I switch on the news and I see another sad story about Africa, I
wonder, I want to write a song that says how come we haven't
managed to get across the fact that repeatedly on the United
Nations' happiest countries lists the top 10 counties are almost
always African? I mean how come we don't get that story across?
How come it's always the representations of poverty and corruption,
brutality?"
FOLLOW THIS TOPIC
We recommend
From around the web
Katie Holmes Does the Unprecedented & Makes
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
HOME
PROPERGANDA MAGAZINE
PROPER MUSIC DISTRIBUTION
LINE UP
Search...
Genres
New Releases
Tour Dates
Artist Blogs
Competitions
In-Depth
Podcast
NEWSLETTER
FOLLOW US
Waking The Muse: Ola Onabulé
BY SOFI – MAY 2, 2012
POSTED IN: JAZZ, SOUL, WAKING THE MUSE
LATEST NEWS
Propermusic.com
Podcast 48 – Karine
Polwart
13 August 2012 11:41 AM |
No Comments
POPULAR
Video: Karine Polwart –
Tinsel Show (Live)
09 August 2012 5:00 PM | No
Comments
Waking The Muse: Luke
Ritchie
08 August 2012 1:00 PM | No
Comments
Red Sky July on Songs
From The Shed
Key moments in a soulful life – Afro, soul, jazz, funk singer and songw riter Ola
Onabulé tells us about his musical inspirations.
08 August 2012 9:36 AM | No
Comments
“I rolled into existence in the seventh decade of the 20th century. A 14-pound
baby, born in a London bedsit to tw o young Nigerian part-time w orker/part-time
students. They w ere fresh from the colonies. Misty-eyed and mystified, focused on
realising the highest achievements from the humblest of social beginnings. Their
aspirations exceeded their ow n lives and w ith nigh torrential intensity, spilled into
lofty hopes for their new -born. The mantle of living up to mythologised generations
past w as placed squarely on miniature but sturdy shoulders. I w as named Olatunji
Olugbenga Adetokunbo Abdul Majeed Omotayo Olanrew aju Onabule to remind me
of the epic legacy of fearless forebears to be emulated and then surpassed in my life.
New releases 6th
August
“Our little home in London’s Islington, shimmered w ith the light of w hite teeth
smiles, it bustled w ith spicy sw eetmeats, black-eyed beans and rice-laden trays at
busy get-togethers, frequently called to w ard off the alien chill and the frequent
reminders of disorientating alien otherness. Perky 60s’ pop tunes stung the fragile air,
clung to the tablecloth-turned-temporary-curtain, and sent tiny vibrations through
the yard-square strip of expensive deep shag off-cut. My Boy Lollipop became my
theme tune, distinct from the other fascinations that formed my mother’s daily
humming routine – The Beatles, Tom Jones, Motow n and Shirley Bassey. My father
w ould defiantly claim his Dansette Bermuda time by first coveting and then playing
his Ray Charles, Oscar Peterson and Paul Robeson 78s until a musical accord w as
struck and a negotiated playlist consisting entirely of ‘Songs From Home’ w ould
commandeer possession of the uneasy impasse.
“I w ould ascend to a new level of
daydreaming as the European-styled formica
and vinyl-clad box emanated rich, sonorous
African tones. Voices that seemed unfeasibly
joyful and impossibly expressive. Choruses
that yielded boundless variety in their
repetitious abandon (Didn’t they know how
cold it w as in Islington?). It is told that I
w ould bop uncontrollably w hen this music
filled the room as though it w ere resonating
w ith some unfinished song in my
precognition.
“W hen my parents w ere done w ith their
07 August 2012 4:57 PM | No
Comments
Propermusic.com
Podcast 47 – The Dirt
Daubers
06 August 2012 1:52 PM | No
Comments
Fairport's Cropredy
Convention 2012 - Line-Up
Announced!
Properganda Magazine
Waking The Muse: Simon
Nicol
Waking The Muse: Dave
Swarbrick
In-Depth: The Cult of Nic
Jones
Propermusic.com Podcast 47
- The Dirt Daubers
Cambridge In Colour
Propermusic.com Podcast 48
- Karine Polwart
Properganda Mag Survey Win CDs!
New Releases - 16th July
2012
ON THIS DAY
On This Day: keep your
backstage passes
14 Aug 2012
On This Day: Log Jammer
13 Aug 2012
PODCAST
On This Day: LA Story
12 Aug 2012
FORTHCOMING RELEASES
Karine Polwart
Traces
13 August 2012
CD £9.98
Ian Hunter & The
Rant Band
W hen I'm President
3 September 2012
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
toiling and had claimed the fruits of 10 years
of stooping and studying, adversity
conquered, they returned to Nigeria to lend
their hearts and hands to nation building.
There w as much to be done in the w ake of
independence from colonial rule and an infamously devastating civil w ar. I remember
that readjustment seemed surprisingly easy. I found cousins, community, language,
rhythms, an ecstatic raucous cacophony called Lagos and ‘the funk’.
3 September 2012
CD £10.49
Lau
Race The Loser
1 October 2012
CD £11.98
“In a nation of almost 100 million black Africans in the early seventies, no statement
could have seemed more appropriate than the proclamation that one w as “…Black
and Proud”. James Brow n and his music claimed me for an apostle, an emissary for
the structure of tight rhythm and disciplined show manship. I had older cousins and
friends w ho, having been smitten by the Godfather’s music long before, w ere now
attending to the w ork of spreading the w ord about ‘the funk’ w ith commensurate
missionary zeal. They w ould play the tracks one groove (pun intended) at a time, lift
the needle from the record and test my understanding of w hat I’d just heard. I w as
a good student!
“Sometimes, if you love something enough the universe conspires to procure it for
you. On the eve of my eighth birthday and the end of my first year as an acolyte of
the funk, my father took me to the main racecourse in Lagos; it often doubled up as
an open-air concert arena. The air w as heavy w ith the sickly sw eet pungency of an
unknow n aroma and the typically open ebullience of the African countenance
seemed to have stepped up a notch to a heightened level of all-inclusive
camaraderie and positive reciprocity. We positioned ourselves betw een tw o
enormous assemblies of loud speakers and in front of a large raised area; I w as
mesmerised by a beautiful array of constantly evolving, pow erful incandescent lights.
I searched my father’s face for a clue as to our purpose in this most irregular place
and punished his inscrutability w ith a hundred ‘but w hys?’.
“The crow d pressed forw ard and I lost my line of sight. My father lifted me onto his
shoulders as the echoes of the announcer’s Tannoy treated us to every w ord in
staggered triplicate. ‘Are you ready for a fantastic night?’ he bellow ed. The throng
roared its approval. I drank in the sight and sound afforded by my elevated vantage
point and felt intoxicated by the moment. W hen the announcer screamed his
question for the second time, I screamed so loud as if believing I could drow n out all
those other thousands of competing voices.
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, make una w elcome to de stage…’ I don’t think I heard
another w ord he said. Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis and a very young
Bootsy Collins w alked out onto the platform, follow ed by all the other JBs. My time
poring over liner notes and album sleeves came in to relief, I rushed a hyper-excited
blow -by-blow commentary of events to my father’s Afro just below . Each man w as
resplendent in platform shoes and tight all-in-one suits. They strutted on to the
stage, beaming self-assured smiles across the expanse in front of them. Once each
man w as settled into the position that seemed most comfortable for the job at
hand, they struck up w hat seemed like the most stupendously funky groove I’d ever
heard in my very young life!
“Every single person w as dancing; rapturous, ecstatic, arms flung about; celebratory
gestures that seemed both intimate and universal. Then James Brow n w alked out
onto the stage, to the most extensive and exciting introduction imaginable. He w as ‘
…the eighth w onder of the universe, the Godfather of Soul, the master of the
groove and the funk’. Soon he w as barking commands at the band, screeching
syncopated calls and responses, w hirling and w heeling around the stage; dropping to
his knees in perfect time w ith the breaks, doubled over on the floor pleading,
‘Please, please’; sw eat-drenched, seemingly exhausted but finding boundless
reservoirs of energy.
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
“Somew here in the middle of the spectacular event
unfolding around me, I found a moment of quiet
genuflection. In the eye of this veritable funk storm,
I came to the realisation, that I had found a most
profound love. I knew that something pow erful and
life-altering had happened to me and I knew that it
w ould never let me go. I took its slow -burning fires
and used them to fuel my relentless journey to the
life I now lead as a professional singer/songw riter and
performer. It saw me through my fleeting but
potentially dangerous dalliances w ith a degree in law and moments of self-doubt and
the chaos that ensues after life’s crises. It has extricated me from potentially stifling
commitments to traditional record company culture and a life of inorganic paint-bynumber-for-profit song design. It’s helped me chart my course through the music biz
jungle w ith nothing other than the faith that if I sing it pure and true they w ill
come. It’s placed me on stages across the w orld spreading the unfettered, unbridled
infectious joy that w as passed to me all those decades ago.”
Thanks to Ola Onabulé for the latest in our series of artist blogs. Ola’s new album
Seven Shades Darker is out now on Rugged Ram. Ola w ill be performing at this
year’s Hay Festival in Hay-on-W ye on 25th June 2012.
Like
Sign Up to see what your friends like.
0
Tweet
0
No Comments
Start the ball rolling by posting a comment on this article!
Leave a Reply
Your email address w ill not be published. Required fields are marked *
Name *
Email *
Website
Comment
You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title="">
<acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime="">
<em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Post Comment
:N
OSUD
NIF
© Propermusic.com 2012
All Rights Reserved.
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Up Close and Digital
with Neumann
Singer, songwriter and
producer Ola Onabulé
is passionate about the
microphones he uses.
He has experienced
new possibilities with
Neumann’s KMS 105 D
digital microphone and
he loves it...
C&&"+(4"2&+*"D'+"-&*3:*70(1"EF&"G"=+(H"
+)")2&"*&%&()"I-"?':,&"+(4"J010)+'"'0K&"
*&%:*40(1",&,,0:(,A"2&'4"+)")2&"'&1&(4+*."
L:(4:("M+NN"K&(8&A"O2&"F8''H,"/&+4P"""
BBBP.:8)85&P%:7
“Like most musicians, engineers
and producers I know, I’m a fan of
the many premium tools Neumann
and Sennheiser put our way. The
KMS 105 D brings a new dimension.
It has infinite ‘virtual’ routing
possibilities within a digital desk,
the exclusion of RF interference, the
virtual elimination of clipping as a
result of an integrated limiter in the
microphone and my favourite, an
unfeasibly low noise floor which,
when combined with my in-ear
monitors, made for a studio type
fidelity on stage... spooky yet nice!
For a touring band such as mine
that turns up at an eclectic mix
of clubs, theatres, concert halls,
festivals and beyond, I’ll be looking
forward to a time when all-digital
systems exist at all such events.“
“Viva la digital revolution!”
Ola Onabulé
The Neumann KMS 105 D
!""#$%&''&()")*+(,-+*&(%.
!""/012"3&&45+%6"0778(0).
!""9:":33;+$0,"%:':*+)0:(
!""<:58,)"2:8,0(1
!""#$)&(4&4"4.(+70%"*+(1&
!""=:*&"*:58,)":-&*+)0:(">#=?",+3&@"
!""9:"%'0--0(1"
Use the digital microphone
0()&*3+%&A"):1&)2&*"B0)2")2&"<&7:)&"
?:()*:'"C:3)B+*&"><?C@A"+(4"-*&;
programmed settings can be stored
in the microphone.
www.neumann.com
9&87+(("0,"40,)*058)&4"0(")2&"IQ"5."C&((2&0,&*"IQ
BBBP,&((2&0,&*P%:P86"
2011
, Maria Avgoulis
canada.com, Newspapers, TV, Radio
local classifieds
jobs
cars
obituaries
celebrating
shopping
homes
dating
See today's Digital Edition
Subscribe to email newsletter
Subscribe to the Journal
18°C
Partly cloudy
Detailed Forecast
Monday, August 13, 2012
Onabule's voice defies boundaries, classification
Web Tools
Home
News
Opinion
Business
Sports
Entertainment
Life
Health
Technology
Travel
Jobs
Cars
Homes
Classifieds
Roger Levesque, Freelance
Published: Saturday, June 26 2010
CONCERT PREVIEW
Top News Stories
OLAONABULE
With: Black Pioneer Heritage Singers
Tories scrap proposal to
end party subsidies
What: Edmonton International Jazz Festival
In a stunning reversal, the
Where: Citadel Rice Theatre
Email to a friend
Harper government
When: Tonight at 7:30
announced Saturday it will
Printer friendly
withdraw...
Tickets: $40 from Citadel box office (780-4251840)
[ more ]
Font:
--Burke takes over as
Singular voices like Ola Onabule's could only
Leafs GM
exist in a world where musical boundaries
Protesters tighten grip
continue to break down.
on Bangkok airports
Iran blames West for
Sometimes referred to as soul-jazz singer, the Nigerian performer from
global crisis
London, England, sports an arresting artistic identity. With a vocal elasticity
that touches on four octaves, an original lyrical depth, and an obvious ear for
More News Stories
both African and American influences, he's got a wide appeal.
Check The Devoured Man, his latest self-produced effort. His love songs are
way beyond the banal feel of so much contemporary pop-soul, and that's only Local Updates
the start. Onabule weaves intelligent social commentary into his tunes with a
Oilers beat Blues
Two dead in crash
personal intimacy you might expect from folk songwriters, except that it
between SUV and semi
comes off with loose, jazzy phrasing and the tasty backing of jazz players.
Update: Inmate who
The song The Devoured Man is a reference to his ancestral home, Nigeria,
killed landlord escapes
and Africa in general. "It's about some things I've experienced and about my
fears for that continent," explains Onabule.
More Local Updates
He's not afraid to be topical, as reflected in a new tune from his next album,
Great Expectations. It deals with the politics of immigration, which became
such a hot topic in the recent British election.
"I try to be a fully rounded person and to present that. Some of the songs are political, romantic, cynical,
envious, and all those strengths and foibles that make us human. I try to write in such a way that someone
who knew me would hear my true voice. It's always from personal experience, even if I have to document
someone else's life, or sing about a concept I've been struggling with."
Onabule's Nigerian parents were college students in London when he was born. By the time they finished
their studies and returned to Nigeria he was seven years old. Then at 16 he went back to London for
higher education and a law degree, but music "got in the way," as he puts it.
He had already been exposed to a mix of traditional West African music and the eclectic sounds London
had to offer. Then, shortly after his return to Nigeria he saw his first live concert: James Brown came
through on the way to play the Rumble in the Jungle match between Mohammed Ali and George Foreman.
After that wore off, he was obsessed with Stevie Wonder and from there got into various shades of funk
and fusion. Apart from those outside influences, he says music was everywhere in Nigeria.
"You didn't need an excuse to hear people break into song. My grandmother would spend three or four
minutes when you met just singing our praise song, essentially an edited version of your family history
chanted in a traditional song. So I absorbed a lot of what Africa had to offer along with funk and soul and
later, jazz."
During his final year of college he connected with a few jazz musicians, key figures in Britain's jazz scene
whom he still knows today. That's when he began doubting whether he was destined to practise law. He
started performing in London's jazz clubs, only to drop out of college soon after.
1 2
Ads by Google
Health Plans - $30 Month
Get Affordable Health Insurance
Online - Plans from $30 / Month!
HealthInsuranceWeb.com
ITT Tech - Official Site
Associate, Bachelor Degree Programs
Browse Programs Now & Learn More.
www.ITT-Tech.edu
Victoria Bc
Find Low Rates on International
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Loading...
Center
Create Profile
Update Profile
Local
Teachers
Dashboard
Ola Onabule
Photos
Tool Kit
Last Updated: November 12, 2011
Contact Ola Onabule
Become a Ola Onabule fan
Change this page
Post Comment
Album
SEVEN SHADES DARKER
Rugged Ram Records (2012)
Pause Slideshow
Biography
Press
Born: March 30
Discography
Similar Artists
Gear
Instrument: Vocal
OLA ONABULE w ill be performing this summer in Canada at EDMONTON, 25th Anniversary of
THE VANCOUVER JAZZ FESTIVAL and VICTORIA JAZZ FESTIVAL. July 2009 saw Ola perform
on the main stage of the Festival de Jazz de Montreal for their 30th anniversary festival and
also Vanouver Jazz Festival last Summer.
Ola possesses a stunning voice of enormous range and emotional clout. His voice is
Showcase Release
beautifully clear and appealingly textured, almost classical. During his show s there are
moments w hen he lets fly w ith a kind of yodelling ululation and a range and elasticity to
Late Autumn
match his rich tonal
Taeko Kunishima
... [ read entire bio ]
Ola Onabule on the w eb:
Buy Now
Belezas
Carol Saboya
Buy Now
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Like
Home
African Countries
Forum
Entertainment
Fashion & Lifestyle
Videos
3k
Opinions
Follow @myweku
Send
Culture
Editor’s Choice
ZeitGeist
9:17:43 AM Tue, August 14th 2012
Search
Posted on February 9, 2010 under Entertainment African Jazz Musician, Nigerian Jazz Musician, Ola
Onabule
If pure charisma, rave reviews and great rhythmic skills are
any indication, then Ola Onabule is one of today’s top Jazz
vocalists. Ola Onabule was born in London and raised in
Nigeria, where he began his music career with his band “the
Diplomat”. He developed his craft on the circuit as a vocal
support for George Michael, KD Laing and some other
notable musicians. Jazz took precedence over a career in
law.
Custom Search
Name
E-mail
Subscribe
I had the pleasure of meeting and seeing Ola perform live in
London a few days ago. He has a strong rapport with band
mates, a quirky sense of humour and a lack of ego that
endears him to the audience.
MyWeku: Your song “Lagos Boy” hints at your background. How important is Nigeria and Africa to you as a
musician?
OO: Nigeria and Africa loom very large indeed.
Like all children of the diaspora I worry about my homeland, I (probably quite unfairly) expect and demand to
hear only good news of Africa and Nigeria. One easily falls into making lazy comparisons between our
countries of origin and the ‘developed’ Western societies we reside in. I realise that Europe and America
have survived the worst of their growing pains and so will we, maybe not in my life time, but we certainly will.
Commented
Recent
Recent Comments
None found
‘Lagos Boy’ deals with the modest role I hope to play in getting us closer to that goal, to be an agitator of
sorts through song and maybe make my small contribution to that relentless and growing drive to do better
with the blessing that is Africa than we are currently doing.
MyWeku: ManyAmerican inspired musical genres have enormous cultural clout in Africa. Will you say Jazz
has become a cultural phenomenon on the continent?
OO: Absolutely! However I guess it’s not really a new phenomenon, So it’s influence doesn’t feel as
sensationally explosive as some of the more recent exports such as RnB and HipHop. That said, It seems to
me that every modern African genre since Hi-life through to Afrobeat has referenced Jazz and since the spirit
of Jazz is partlyAfrican anyway, the beautiful thing is that so many of these formats have in turn impacted
quite powerfully (yet organically) on the American psyche …so you have (for example) great American Jazz
icons such as Dee Dee Bridgewater tracing her roots back to Mali in West Africa and consequently creating a
Grammy nominated album born of the experience.
MyWeku: Given the choice of your music being acclaimed as a “Jazz Standard” but with limited global reach
or being able to take your music to all four corners of the earth, which will you prefer?
OO: I have no real preference in that regard. I nearly almost didn’t become a musician, so very I’m thankful
that I’m lucky enough to make my living as I do, and let the winds of providence blow me where they will.
MyWeku: At your concert a few days ago, you made references to a couple of “old” Jazz Musicians. Do you
think it’s important to reference and to pay homage to those who blazed the trail in this music genre and
should Jazz be more experimental and move forward to bring in more youthful fans?
OO: Jazz is by it’s improvisational nature a progressive art form. However Jazz is also quite a broad term and
encompasses so many styles and sub-genres within which there are heroes who are admired for being
unparalleled interpreters of a traditional ethos …And then there are heroes whose reputations were forged in
the spirit of pushing barriers to the outer limits of our performance (and some would say listening) abilities.
The most encouraging thing for me is that in my travels around the world I’ve come across outrageously
talented young people who wear their influences proudly but have carried the baton of inventiveness and
excellence in Jazz beyond the bounds their heroes could have imagined.
MyWeku: Jazz musicians tend to have interesting stories about performances that didn’t quite go according
to plan, falling out with other musicians, or performing with some of the greats. Do you have an on the road
story you could share with us?
OO: I Remember one torturous journey in the early days to Hollyhead to catch the ferry to Northern Ireland.
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Myself and band ended up stranded on the side of the Motorway because our van had died from a lack of
diesel, which I had omitted to feed it, on account of the fact I’d totally forgotten to fuel up for the journey. To
cope with the cold and rainy misery of it all, we ate our chicken and pasta supplies on the hard shoulder till
the rescue service came and re-commissioned the fuel system of our desolate van. We made it to Ireland 18
hours late having missed our scheduled ferry, and with less than an hour of sleep between us all, we went
on stage to perform in a 200 seater venue to the 10 or so people who’d turned up. As we got into our stride in
the first song, a beautifully delicate jazzy blues about overcoming suffering and pain, someone of our
desperately underpopulated audience yelled out with impassioned exasperation: “for ‘bleeps’ sake, Just
play something by the ‘bleeping’ Spice Girls”, That’s the stuff that keeps you grounded.
MyWeku: You have performed at many of the world’s renowned Jazz venues – Ronnie Scott’s (London), Blue
Note (New York) and Quasimodo’s (Berlin). Are any of these you favourite venue?
OO: Ronnie Scott’s is a favourite, because it’s a venue of historical significance in my hometown, added to
that it’s always got a great vibe, the music sounds right and the audiences are always with us from the get
go. However all the venue’s above and many many others have been the scene of some very memorable
nights that I’ll smile secretively to myself about in my old age.
MyWeku: What do you do with your spare time when you are not touring and what advice will you give to
aspiring Jazz musicians?
OO: I immerse myself totally in family life when I’m not touring.
Advice is a difficult thing to give in a pursuit as nebulous as music. I guess the clichés still ring true: Follow
your heart, because when the tough times come along (and they will) only a nigh obsessive passion will
sustain you. Fame and money wont.
Upcoming Events: http: See here
Ola Onabule – Heart of Lead (7 MB)
Ola Onabule – Precious Libations (3 MB)
You might like:
Photo of the Week:
Are these pastors
taking healing too
far?
Photo of the Week:
Pastor bathing
another man’s wife
to annoint her.
babs5
zim
[?]
0
0
New
Like
5
0
Like
Add New Comment
Login
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Home
About us
Terms of use
Home
Top Stories
Politics
Business
Privacy Policy
Entertainment
Submit Story
Health
Sports
enter search terms
Press Release
search
Viewpoint
Window blinds and shades Save By Ordering Blinds & Shades Today Save 90 % off & Free shipping windowblindsselect.com
Glastonbury Ct Wood Blinds Blind Installations for 60+ Years. Call Our Exp Team in Wethersfield! www.ArrowWindowShade.com
Blinds And Shades Find Blinds And Shades. Get Quotes From Local Contractors.
OO
alnabSueE:lVENSHADES
DARKER
RenovationContemplation.com
Find us on Facebook
Walden
University
Online
Nigeria Newsline
Like
Doctoral,
Master's and
Bachelor's. An
Accredited Online
University.
2,358 people like Nigeria Newsline.
Waldenu.edu
A dedara
Yahay a
F acebook social plugin
Distribute
Press Releases
Send Direct to
Over 1.4 Million
Journalists,
New srooms &
Prospects!
Law al
A hmed
Monnel
Wislah
Related Results
1. Blinds To Go™
Up to 50% Off Select Styles. Hurry and Call 1800-BLINDS7 Today!
www.vocus.com
blindstogo.com
Like
Send
2. Hunter Douglas Shades
Shutters on
Sale Today
admin | August 10, 2011
0
0
Custom Window Solutions For Each Room.
Locate a Dealer Today!
Louver, Panel,
Board n' Batten
Functional or
Decorative. Buy
Now .
hunterdouglas.com
3. Modern Window Shades
www.ExteriorSolutions.com
…
/
Press Release – OLA ONABULE :2011 w ill
see the release of British Nigerian singer and
songw riter, Ola Onabule’s 7th studio album
entitled ‘SEVEN SHADES DARKER’.
The album features 14 tracks that w ill only
solidify Ola’s grow ing reputation as one of the
finest singer songw riters w riting today.
Unmatched Quality + Selection. Shop: Online,
Catalog, or In-Store
theshadestore.com
Eyeshadow
Shades
Discover
Lancôme Color
Design Eye
Shadow for
Sensational
Effects!
ob
JsaigerNitesLat
Over 100 Vacancies in HOCAL Hotels &
Resorts Management (5-Star Hotel)
www.Lancom e-USA.com
…
/Color-Design
Grooves undoubtedly rooted in the Soul and
Blues of the late sixties and early Seventies
make an unlikely but easy peace w ith
mournful, complex African melodic lines. On
other tracks, w ailing distorted guitars cling to
the helter-skelter ride of poly-rhythmic time signatures that seem to
unsettle and soothe the ear in equal measures. Seemingly conventional 4/4
grooves beguile w ith inviting familiarity w hilst slipping potent lyrical nuggets
under the radar of our assumptions. Ballads are new requiems, odes to the
passing of loved ones, Funky jaunts document the ebbing aw ay of precious
time, and deal w ith jealousy, cow ardice, loss of identity and the w orld
through the eyes of an unw anted visitor is set to the galloping gait of an
african church hymn. Ola, in very fine voice, tw ists and turns at every step,
eluding definition and revelling in all his gifts like a child, celebrating this
rare feat in the modern recording era of a seventh album!
OLA ONABULE Babelsberg Film
Orchestra - Potsdam 2011
W hat sets “Seven Shades Darker” apart is Ola’s lyrical sensibility, poetic in
tone and attuned to the issues of the day; as Ola puts it himself, “Though
my music is of a different idiom, I w rite w ith the heart of a folk songw riter
and the desire for my lyrics to be heard and read.” W hile he deals astutely
and compassionately w ith such personal topics as the loss of a loved one
(“Gone”), it is on Ola’s more socially- and globally- minded tracks that his
w ords shine brightest. “Fast” gives voice to frustration w ith our leaders’
inaction and empty w ords, w hile “A Name” casts a light on the labels and
allegiances that keep people apart. Ola’s African roots underlie much of the
Related Results
1.
Shades
Up To 50% Off
Select Styles.
Hurry and Call 1800-BLINDS7
blindstogo.com
Today!
2. Modern Window
Shades
Unmatched
Quality +
Selection. Shop:
Online, Catalog,
theshadestore.com
or In-Store
3.
Window
Shades 87% Off
Featured on ABC's
Extreme Makeover
Free Shipping and
Free Samples.
selectblinds.com
HOCAL Hotels & Resorts Management invites
applications from suitable qualified candidates
for the follow ing vacant positions in a new
admin
AugustInternational
12, 2012 | 0 Cclass
omments
hotel, |5-Star
outfit, in
south-West, Nigeria. 1. Executive Assistant
Maersk
Liner(Expatriate)
Graduate Programme
(MLGP)
Mgr/Biz Devt
-Â GM01 Room
2012
â 2.
Maersk
Nigeria
Division
Front Shipping
office Manager
-RD01 3. Front
Maersk
Nigeria Ltd.is
an agent
for Service
Maersk Line
office Supervisors
-RD02
4. Guest
w
hich is–aRD03
part of
A.P.
Moller-Maersk
Agents
5. the
Head
Doorman
[...] Group.
W ith a market share of approx 30%, Maersk
admin
August
12, 2012 in
| 0Lagos,
C omments
Nigeria| is
represented
Port Harcourt,
and Kano w ith over 150 employees and
SAVE
THEthe
CHILDREN
UKofLATEST
oversees
operations
Togo, Benin
VACANCIES,
AUGUST
Republic and Ghana
as 2012
the mother country for
Director
our four Of
[...]Programme (Development &
Quality) Save The Children – Specific Duties &
Responsibilities (Director of Programme
admin
| August 12,
2012 | 0As
C omments
(Development
& Quality)
a member of the
Senior Management Team, the job holder w ill
VACANCIES
at
SOFT
SOLUTIONS
LIMITED
share the responsibility for the direction
and
(SSL),
AUGUST
2012
coordination
of the
Country Office and be fully
Soft
Solutions
(SSL)the
w asdevelopment
founded in of
responsible
forLimited
overseeing
1994quality
and has
emerged
as one
high
and
innovative
[...] of the leading
IT solutions and consulting companies in
admin
| August
12, customers
2012 | 0 C omments
Nigeria.
SSL help
address enterprise
challenges by providing comprehensive
Senior
Delphi
Programmer
solutions
that combines
innovative models and
Procura
– Kano,
Stateto–solve
Are you
brimming
technologies
w ithKano
passion
business
w
ith innovation
and
are a for
team
player? Do you
problems.
We are
looking
a suitably
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
allegiances that keep people apart. Ola’s African roots underlie much of the
album, taking centre stage in “Great Expectations”, a soulful rumination on
the hope that lead us from home, and the reality that w e’re met w ith.
Custom Window
Solutions For Each
Room. Visit
Official Site!
love the thrill of a challenge? Do you thrive in a
fast paced environment and are looking to take
admin
| August
your career
to 11,
the2012
next level? Procura
hunterdouglas.com
Ola’s career has been a testament to his passion and perseverance. Ola
has blazed his ow n trail at every step: first turning aw ay from expectations
and leaving behind an education in law , then choosing to w ork outside the
system of big record labels, he has gone on to build his ow n studios, set up
his ow n label, and tour tirelessly w ith his band. Now a regular presence at
some of the w orld’s premier festivals and concert halls, Ola looks forw ard to
building greater inroads into the Americas and Asia w hile hoping to play a
modest role in raising aw areness of the issues afoot in our globalizing
w orld!
January 2011 saw Ola perform w ith the Deutsche Film Orchestra at the
NIKOLAISAAL in Potsdam to include special arrangements from the new
album SEVEN SHADES DARKER. The concert w as filmed for a documentary
being made by a British documentary maker that is already in production.
5.
All Shades 25% to
85% Off
ew
ntVipoi
Plus Extra 65% Off
Shades Fast Free
Sudanese Refugee Turned
Shipping & No Sales Tax
International Supermodel, Alek
stevesblindsandwallpaper.comWek Inspires Y outh On Mtv Base
esieg
C
orat
Africa New s
Business
OLA is a frequent traveller to international Jazz Festivals w hich have
included the main stage of The Montreal Jazz Festival, Vancouver Coastal
Jazz Festival, Victoria Jazz Festival, Edmonton Jazz Festival in Canada,
Umea Jazz Festival Sw eden, Blueballs Music Festival Sw itzerland, Edinburgh
Fringe Festival, Leverkusen Jazz Festival, Silda Jazz Festival of Norw ay, The
Duke Ellington Jazz Festival at The Kennedy Center in Washington,
Ingolstadt Jazz Festival and Aalener Jazz Festival, as w ell as many of the
w orld’s most famous jazz venues including Ronnie Scott’s, Blue Note, New
York, Joe’s Public Theater and Quasimodo’s in Berlin. Ola also appears at
concert halls including venues such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the UK,
and special appearances w ith Big Bands and Orchestras.
Entertainment
Ola has opened for artists such as Gladys Knight, Roberta Flack, Seal, Al
Jarreau, Diane Reeves, Patti Labelle and many others. He has a US
manager w ho is w orking tow ards a release for the album in the States and
Canada but I w ould like the album to be w ith the right label in Europe.
World
Health
Jobs
Politics
Press Release
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
View point
Pages
Ola Onabule has been interview ed for the Monterey Digital Music Education
programme w hich looks at special artists to find out their influences. Please
see this link below .
About us
Privacy Policy
Submit Story
http://dmep.montereyjazzfestival.org/dmep/spotlights/ola-onabule
Terms of use
Meets with Mtn
Lagos| Nigeria, 13 August,
admin
August 13, supermodel
2012 | 0 C omments
2012: | Sudanese
and former
refugee Alek Wek is to share her view s
Rivers
2015
Election:
Is
It
really
the Moment
on fashion, entrepreneurism, education,
AIDS
for
Princewill
humanitarianism,
role models, brain drain and
Though
2015 gubernatorial
election
in
her love the
of Nigerian
culture in the
third episode
Rivers
Stateseason
is a fewofyears
ahead,
there has
of the new
MTV Base
Meets…w
ith
been
discourse
in the
MTN. palpable
MTV Basequestions,
Meets Alek
Wek w ith
Nwaorgu
Faustinus
|
August
13,
2012
|
0
C
omments
media,
political on
andMTV
eliteBase
circles
as to
w hether
MTN premieres
(DStv
Channel
the
former
Action Congress
Governorship
322)
on
Wednesday
15
August
2012
Is President
Goodluck
A [...]
aspirant
in 2007,
Prince Jonathan
Tonye Princew
ill, w ill
Weak
President?
contest for the governorship position now that
Since
theactive
former
chief security
he is an
member
of the [...]
adviser General Ow oye Azazi told
Nigerians that President Goodluck
admin
| August
12, 2012 |him
0 Cfrom
omments
Jonathan
had stopped
inviting General Muhammadu Buhari for
Making
waves:
revivesissues
debate
on gay
interrogation
on Malawi
some security
in an
rights
apparent move to show that he did not fail
By Jocelyne
Sambira Bybecause
selling the
from
his responsibilities
of Boko
presidential
jet and getting
Haram, the question
on the rid
lipsofof60
solimousines
many
driven by high-ranking
officials, Joyce
Banda,
Nigerians
has been; is President
Goodluck
[...]
admin
8, 2012 | 0 is
C omments
Malaw |i’sAugust
new president,
making w aves. But
even before trimming the fat from the state
Green
Pathway
budget,Economy’:
Ms. BandaEmpty
made Rhetoric
headlinesor
w hen
she
to
Future her intention to repeal the
announced
By
Stephen
Leahy
World
leaders
and
some
country’s anti-gay law shortly after her [...]
40,000 people converged on Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, in June in the hope of charting a path
admin
| August
7, 2012
C omments future for
tow ards
a better,
more| 0sustainable
everyone that many are calling the “green
economy.” Underlining the urgency, Sha
Zukang, secretary-general of the UN
Conference on Sustainable Development, said
more than [...]
easRelsePr
Telkom SA joins IT Leaders East Africa
Summit in September as platinum solution
provider
Blinds To Go™
The anticipated 2nd annual IT Leaders East
Up to 50% Off
Africa Summit w ill take place from 5 to 6
Select Styles.
admin
| August
13,in2012
| 0 C omments
September
2012
Nairobi;
in the heart of
Hurry and Call 1Kenya’s
esteemed
capital
city. The summit is
800-BLINDS7
Hennessy
Artistry
To by
Release
blindstogo.com
Today!
produced and
hosted
international
Music
Video For Bartender
On
business-to-business
conferencing
company,
August
17th
Kinetic Events in proud association w ith the
Hunter Douglas
The
video
the year
is about
to
Kenya
ICT of
Board
(KICTB)
and Kenya
Shades
drop!
Hennessy
Cognacand
announced
Custom Window
Information
Technology
[...]
admin
August
13, 2012Film
| 0 CMaker,
omments
Solutions For Each
today,|that
acclaimed
Clarence
Room. Locate a
Peters has delivered the music video for
Dealer Today!
CHIBUIKE
AMAECHI
ANDArtistry
THE
‘Bartender’,ROTIMI
the historic
Hennessy
hunterdouglas.com
RESOURCES
OF RIVERS
STATE
– AM.I
SCORE
collaboration betw
een Naeto
C and
– tw o
CARD!
of Africa’s best Hip hop artistes. The video
Modern Window
treatise and
of this
attemptsets
for
promises toThe
be main
very exciting
arguably
Shades
avoidance
of doubt is to examine and x-ray
a [...]
Unmatched
admin
| August
9, 2012
| 0 CAmaechi
ommentsof Rivers
how Gov
Chibuike
Rotimi
Quality +
Selection. Shop:
State has diligently and prudently managed
Online, Catalog,
Davido,
JimmyofJATT,
Solek,
Kayswitch
for
the resources
RiversMr
State
or otherw
ise. This
theshadestore.com
or In-Store
Naija
Corner
at Nottinghill
Carnival
becomes
imperative
considering
the Punch
Lagos|Nigeria
Sodium in
Brand
Solutions
and
New
spaper publication
its edition
of [...]
Reve Entertainment have announced the line
Window
Shades 87% Off
up for this year’s edition of “Naija Corner” at
Featured on ABC's
admin
| August 7,
2012 | in
0 CLondon.
ommentsExecutive
the Nottinghill
Carnival
Extreme Makeover
producer Abisoye Fagade says some of the
Buy Now. No
M.I
ANDnames
NAETOin CNigerian
WOW FANS
Payments for 90
biggest
music ON
w ill EPIC
come
selectblinds.com
days
COLLABORATION
together on MondayTRACK
AugustFROM
27, toHENNESSY
deliver 100
ARTISTRY
percent entertainment to fans at the authentic
PRESSRELEASE
August 7, 2012 ! Lagos|
[...]
All Shades 25% to Nigeria The long-aw aited Hennessy Artistry
admin
| August 7, 2012
| 0 from
C omments
2012 collaboration
track
Nigeria’s
85% Off
Plus Extra 65% Off
favourite rappers, M.I and Naeto C w hich got
Shades Fast Free
Shipping & No Sales Tax massive speculation and buzz online and on
the radio w as released on Friday, August 3,
stevesblindsandwallpaper.com2012. Follow ing the announcement of M.I and
Naeto C as this year’s Hennessy Artistry
headliners,
Hennessy
revealed
[...]
England v South
Africa:
Gary Kirsten
Related Results
1.
Related Results
1. Blinds To Go™
Up to 50% Off Select Styles. Hurry and Call 1800-BLINDS7 Today!
blindstogo.com
2.
2. Hunter Douglas Shades
Custom Window Solutions For Each Room. Visit
Official Site!
hunterdouglas.com
3. Modern Window Shades
3.
Unmatched Quality + Selection. Shop: Online,
Catalog, or In-Store
theshadestore.com
Tags: church hymn, seven shades, singer songw riters, time signatures
Category: Entertainment
beiSrucbs
If you enjoyed this article,
subscribe to receive more just like
it.
subscribe via email
submit
Privacy guaranteed. We never share
your info.
Related posts:
1. Ola Onabulé: Music’s bestkept secret?
2. Hillary Clinton’s speech:
Shades of hypocrisy on
internet freedom
3. BEYONCE GOES DARKER ON
LOFFICIEL MAGAZINE COVER
IN HONOUR OF AFROBEAT
LEGEND FELA ANIKULAPO
KUTI0
4. M.I. Release Video for
Undisputed Delivers on MI2
4.
5.
New
acsirAf
sidesteps Kevin Pietersen furore as …
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Mobile Edition
Jobs
Travel
C lassifieds
Weather
Tuesday, 8/14/2012 12:42 pm
Search
HOME NEWS SPORTS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY LIFESTY LES OPINION BC GAMES
SEARC H
CONTESTS OBITS E-EDITION
OUR TEAM CONTACT US ADVERTISING INFO
part of bclocalnews.com
Get an Ultimate Beauty Package for $80 ($160
value)
Peace Arch News - BC Arts
0 COMMENTS
TEXT
EMA IL
LETTER
PRINT
FOLLOW
SHA RE
‘Magnetic’ stage presence returns to Surrey
By Alex Browne - Peace Arch News
Published: November 23, 2011 10:00 AM
Updated: November 23, 2011 10:55 AM
price:
$80
value:
discount:
save:
$160
50%
$80
Seeing – and hearing – is believing with soul and jazz
artist Ola Onabule.
A White Rock audience that had only local sound
tech/musician/impresario Phil Davey’s word for
Onabule’s talent came away from his show last year at
Coast Capital Playhouse with a smile on its collective
face.
The British-born singer and songwriter had the crowd –
young and old – laughing, clapping and singing along to
tunes they’d scarcely heard and dancing in the aisles.
It wasn’t just his smooth-as-silk delivery and wide vocal
range – or even his artistic projection of his own poetic
lyrics – as impressive as these were.
The magnetism of his stage presence and his dry
humour sealed the deal, marking the difference
between a promising performer and one who has well
and truly arrived.
Onabule is back in B.C. until Wednesday for a series of
concerts presented by Davey, including a Nov. 25, 8
p.m. date at the Bell Centre for Performing Arts (6250
144 St.).
Raised in Britain by Nigerian parents, he’s paid plenty
of dues; performing for years as a back-up artist with
such greats as Gladys Knight, Diane Reeves, Patti
LaBelle, Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole and Roy
Hargrove, while marketing his own self-produced
albums.
Singer/songwriter O la O nabule perform s in Surrey Nov. 25.
Contributed photo
SHA RE THIS STORY
Recommend
Tweet
Send
0
Recommend this on Google
That experience is paying dividends at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals and concert halls, while his debut
at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2009 has opened the door for more North American touring.
He has a relaxed attitude to the business, preferring to have his manager handle most of the strategy of cracking the
North American market.
“That’s a difficult one,” he admitted in a phone interview from London. “I just kind of turn up and do the date. I’m
very ill-equipped to set goals and meet targets.”
That doesn’t mean there isn’t a serious side to his music, or an awareness in his songs, however upbeat, about clear
and obvious injustices in the world – such as racism, sexism and the gulf in living conditions between industrialized
and Third World nations.
That side of Onabule was brought into focus in a recent documentary about his career, aired on CNN’s African
Voices, which has inspired a new project, a PBS special to be filmed in the U.S. next spring.
“When the songs are being written, I try to plumb the depths to find the truth within,” he said.
“It’s a view of the world through my eyes. I try to present myself honestly, my flaws and faults and misconceptions,
so that people are seeing something of themselves. I like to discover something people can identify with – a fullyrounded sort of song.
“The things that concern me are the same things that concern all of us. I have a voice and a platform.
CALENDAR
AUGUST 2012
S
29
5
12
Find out what's happening
in your community and
submit your own local
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Home
Artist Pages
Top 10 Albums
Sign up for our FREE
Soul Tracks Newsletter
Video
Soul Links
CD / DVD Store
Upcoming CDs
GO
Search
Ola Onabule - Seven Shades Darker (2012)
Like
48
Email:
Go
> View our privacy policy
SoulTracks.com on Facebook
Like
8,639
Click on CD cover
to listen or purchase
What's New
August 13, 2012
Music Reviews
Gabriele Poso - Roots of
Soul
Teri Tobin - So Good to Me
Sid Sriram - A C onscious
Mind: Live Sessions
Various Artists - Indie Soul
United: I Remember When
Marcus Miller - Renaissance
Karyn White - C arpe Diem
> MORE
News & Opinions
C oncert Review: David
Sanborn and Brian
C ulbertson
Happy Birthday to James
Morrison!
First Listen: Melanie Fiona
feels "Ironic"
SoulTracks Lost Gem: Lalah
Hathaway sings "I'm
C oming Back"
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times: Those
British singers are the only ones making decent soul music
these days. I can refute that statement by identifying the
deep bench of indie soul singers from the states. I’ll just
say that Gregory Porter, Sy Smith, et. al., beg to differ and
leave it at that. However, it’s clear that something is
brewing across the pond, and that something explains why
a lot of American singers have to venture across the pond
to get any love.
It’s also true that the output from European soul singers – and especially those
with connections to the United Kingdom – is quite impressive. Adele immediately
comes to mind, but there’s C orinne Bailey Rae, James Hunter, Incognito, Mama’s
Gun, Julie Dexter and veterans such as Sade. There’s clearly a British formula
for making soul music and Ola Onabule – the velvety voiced Brit of Nigerian
descent - perfects it on Seven Shades Darker, his follow-up to 2007’s
excellent The Devoured Man.
How good is this record? If you can make it past “Every Prey,” the album’s
opening track without putting the stereo, computer or MP.3 player on repeat
you’re better than I, and I’m guaranteeing that you won’t make it past “Let Love
Alone,” which is track three. Both possess a unique set of virtues: “Every Prey”
is an up-tempo funk/pop hybrid that is distinguished by Onabule’s razor sharp
lyricism and some horn play that might remind listeners of C hicago. “Let Love
Alone,” is a classic R&B ballad that finds Onabule encouraging his woman not to
be consumed by insecurity. “She may turn phrases I’ve heard you say/And yet
not make me feel what they mean,” Onabule sings. “Let Love Alone” features an
instrumental arrangement that fuses jazz ad R&B and serves as the perfect
platform for Onabule’s vocal dexterity.
Free Download!
Leela James
Loving You More:
In the Spirit of Etta
James
"Faith"
Nayanna Holley
Onabule’s willingness to explore social themes also elevates Seven Shades
Darker. The percussive “Great Expectations” tells the story of a young man who
summons the courage to flee his war-torn village in hopes of finding something
better, while the pensive “A Name” describes how something as simple as a
name can provide enough evidence to lead to a man being persecuted. “So
what’s in a name/that begs you heed its call/and binds you in its thrall/Tells of
where you hail/What flag of faith you sail.” The funky “The Desperate One”
addresses the hopelessness that drives many economically disadvantaged youth
to make bad decisions.
Watch Unsung episode:
Arrested Development
It’s a tribute to the beauty of Onabule’s vocal instrument, his skill as a
songwriter and his talented musicians that none of these songs comes off as
preachy or overbearing. Onabule ranges from affairs of the heart to affairs of
state, but each song is connected by their quality proving that the time that
elapsed between The Devoured Man and Seven Shades Darker was time
well spent. Highly Recommended.
Happy Birthday to Philly
soul legend Kenny Gamble
By Howard Dukes
Happy Birthday Sir Mix-ALot!
Choice Track
CD of the Month
C hicago musical legend
C arl Davis dies
First Listen: Vivian Green
asks if there is "Anything
Out There"
> MORE
Unsigned Artists radio
SoulTracks Guides
whotune radio is looking for new
Independent artists to promote Now
August Soul Music Birthdays
WhoTune.com
Watch Full Episodes of
"Unsung"
Download Google Chrome
SoulTracks Radio Guide
Searching is fast and easy with Google's
web browser.
The Great List of Soul Music
Birthdays
www.google.com/chrome
Independent C D and
Record Store Directory
Become a Music Producer
The Greatest Soul Albums
and Songs of All Time!
Train to Become a Music Producer.
Request Free Program Brochure Now!
Soul Music Artist Interviews
us.sae.edu
8 comments
Wayne Boucaud · Thames Valley University
- News & Reviews Feed
This album and artist is amazing, check my show with the man himself is my special guest on the link below. Enjoy. Wayne. Playvybz.com
http://wayneboucaud.podomatic.com/entry/2012-06-06T13_34_49-07_00
2 · Like · June 16 at 9:37am
Reply ·
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Language:
ITA
ENG
Theme:
Follow/share:
Newsletter: Sign up today!
Subscribe to Vogue Italia
Search
Sear ch
Follow @francasozzani
#EditorsBlog. 25 more short stories
about fashion: Double-breasted.
@Armani @DolceGabbana #LapoElkan
#MarleneDietrich http://t.co/uy5NvynP
Ola Onabule
The sharp-looking, soulful singer returns with "Seven shades darker"
Cover story
People
Stars
Shows
Look of the day
How L'Uomo Vogue likes
them
Beauty
News
Fashion guide
Latest on fashion
Horoscope
I Vogue It (2)
Share
Like
33
In other words, of a physique du rôle:
because the British singer/songwriter (with
Nigerian roots) Ola Onabule seems to be made
to dominate an audience from the height of a
stage. Impressive physical presence, tangible
charisma, typically British elegance (Tony
Q’Aja makes his clothes, the same designer
who supplies other celebrities, Samuel L.
Jackson and Morgan Freeman, as well as the
British Olympic Team and the England rugby
squad). More importantly, all this is
dominated by a commanding, sensational voice
of pure, concentrated African vocalism: from
an intimate whisper to an earth-shaking
explosion, ivory timbre, a vocal extension
that easily reaches the most emotional
extremes of both high and low notes.
His technique allows him to produce subtle
intonation and rhythmic phrasing, not
forgetting his emotional engagement in
interpreting the lyrics: a veritable vocal
theater. Despite an international career
spanning twenty years during which he has sung with Diane Reeves, Al
Jarreau, Roberta Flack, Joe Zawinul, Natalie Cole and Roy Hargrove,
amongst others, he has rarely been heard in Italy until now. His
first live performance was only in March of this year but we hope
(both for him and ourselves) to have many more opportunities to
listen to him in the future. Meanwhile, we await his seventh album,
which he has already finished recording and is due to be released in
the nest few months: Seven Shades Darker (Rugged Ram Records). Ola’s
miraculous voice gets to grips with the expressive power of blues and
soul, ultra-rhythmic funky and captivating ballads.
Related content
Stars
Aloe Blacc in
concert
On April, 8th in Milan with his "I need a
dollar tour"
Stars
Idris Elba is
Luther
Season two already confirmed for the
new Bbc crime drama
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com