overloading on Nneka
May 12, 2009 2 Comments
Is it something in the water? I am trying to figure out why Nigeria has lately produced a slew of quality neo-soul type singers. (Incidentally, most of them are in the Nigerian diaspora).
I’ve posted a few on this blog before: Bantu, Asha, Siji and Ayo, among others.
Recently I also discovered the music of Nneka. Go sample her music at her MySpace page.
A few things stand out about the new generation of Nigerian Afrobeat singers: they all acknowledge the impact of Fela Kuti’s music and they’re comfortable with mixing genres. Although I am classing them neo-soul, that term does not capture their individual styles which incorporates Afrobeat, of course, reggae, folk, rock, as well as a range of genres.
Here, here and here are also some links to interviews with Nneka on her influences and her music.
More than the water, i think Keziah Jones is responsible for this generation of Euro-based world travelled soulsters. Or more precisely his “Black Orpheus” project (2003, I think) which spoke the naija diaspora as beautiful and smart and reconnected the continents more powerfully than any sound since Fela’s. Check it.
I forgot about Keziah. Have a few songs of his on my iPod.