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Bola Abimbola was born in 1966 and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, the same city of
thirteen million that gave us celebrated African musical pioneers
Fela
Kuti and
King
Sunny Ade. With a childhood full of singing and drumming in the traditions
of Yoruba and West African culture, a career in music came naturally to him. He
debuted professionally as a songwriter and producer for some of Nigeria?s most
successful young artists, including Daddy Showkey, Saheed Osupa and Pasuma.
In 1997, he released his first recording as a solo act, titled, ?Buyanga?,
which earned him the honor of being named ?Artist of the Year? at Nigeria?s Fame
Awards in 1998. His talents then caught the attention of King Sunny Ade, who
invited Bola to tour with him as a guest artist and backing vocalist. Bola
appeared with Sunny on his 1999 world tour and at several WOMAD (World of Music,
Arts, and Dance) festivals. King Sunny Ade?s most recent recording,
Seven Degrees North (2000), also features Bola?s voice.
After leaving Sunny?s band, Bola relocated to the United States to study and
share influence with American musicians. He completed another album, titled, ?Kekerenke?,
which was released in Nigeria in 2000, and reflects his love of American Rhythm
and Blues. With an enthusiasm for worldliness and all things percussion, Bola
has been recording and touring with other like-minded artists, such as
Grammy-winning Nigerian percussionist Sikiru Adepoju (Babatunde
Olatunji, Mickey
Hart) and master conguero Giovanni Hidalgo (Tito Puente, Paul Simon, Eddie
Palmieri).
Stylistically, Bola Abimbola is known for his versatility, equally comfortable
with: traditional Nigerian genres of Juju, Highlife, and Apala; contemporary
African popular music, like Afrobeat and Fuji; plus American Pop and R&B. He has
even made successful forays into Reggae, Soca, Soukous, and Electronica.
Bola currently resides in Denver, Colorado. He performs regularly throughout the
United States, and has most recently finished a full-length album,
Ara Kenge, his first U.S. solo release, draws from the best of
Bola?s traditional music experience, and merges it with contemporary styles and
recording techniques. It features a cast of diverse, talented and noteworthy
musicians, rich vocal harmonies, traditional Yoruba percussion, Afrobeat groove,
and a touch of pop song structure and production. Official Web Site: www.fujupop.com |
