Born in Nigeria and raised in Southern California, Mary Akpa brings a blend of grounded freedom to her music—a seamless blend of soul, jazz, electronic, and African influences. She has spent much time touring both domestically and internationally, including performances in Germany, Istanbul, France, and Iraq and has written with and for several artistes, recording 2 jazz albums, and 2 electronic/down tempo albums, as well as released her debut EP, ‘Brave’. In this interview, she talks about her influences drawn from Nigeria’s rich diversity, as […]
Ebisan Damola has enjoyed composing and performing since an early age of 8, drawing influences from the diverse cultures of Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and England. Although she earned a Masters degree in International Business Management along with her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance, Ebisan continued to pursue her life long passion—music. Even without formal training, the artiste is fast-becoming a household name, working with major celebrities, as well as performing for high-end officials. Where were you born and where […]
Versatility best describes this Chicago-born classical singer, Ranti Ihimoyan. Selected as one of the twenty (20) members to sing on ABC Chicago’s Morning TV Show in 2010, she has been greatly influenced by a plethora of genres, from jazz to blues, to soul music. A graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago, where she earned a degree in Chemical Engineering, Ranti Ihimoyan also took music lessons at the Vandercook College of Music. Ranti Ihimoyan’s music explores a fusion […]
Singer/songwriter and composer Temitope Samantha Phil-Ebosie fondly known as Temi Dollface, is one of Nigeria’s emerging young talents making waves today with her quirky sense of style, humour and distinctive sound. Singing at an early age of 7 to signing a record deal with Sony at age 20, Temi Dollface’s music continues to garner significant recognition both in Africa and on the international scene as evidenced from her hit single Pata Pata. The artist also enjoys taking trips around the world for […]
On Friday, January 29, Nigerian-British singer Patti Boulaye received the award of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) as part of Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours List. HRH Prince Charles presented the award at the Buckingham Palace in recognition of her charity work in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. She joins the long list of Africans who have been awarded including Sade Adu (OBE), Ben Okri (OBE), Ben Enwonwu (MBE), Yinka Shonibare (MBE), and […]