The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. My name is Fox from naijaYouth.com and life is my lazy dog. I pretend to be a Computer Systems Engineer on a daily basis in Maryland, USA by way of Lagos, Nigeria. As a born, bred and buttered Naija boy I celebrate our wonderful heritage in every way that I can. Nigerian music has grown in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years; our ability to diversify and still retain our unique sound is ingenious. For this reason I implored Bobo to allow me use naijajams.com as a Bata drum to spread the good word about these Nigerian guitarists, singers and songwriters.
KUKU
KUKU grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to the United States in 1993. A resident of Alexandria, VA he fell in love with acoustic music and began playing the guitar in 2002. Since then he has perfected his art which is displayed in his new album Unexpected Pleasures. A truly soul stirring work, KUKU was able to draw from various musical backgrounds including folk, soul and jazz. He fused them into a unique type of music that he calls Afro Soul - a medley of delicious melodies delivered in a minimalist style and greatly influenced by his mastery of the acoustic guitar.
One of the songs in the album, “Ifeâ€, speaks about love in KUKU’s native tongue, Yoruba. The song begins with a soft intro on the acoustic guitar that gets richer with time and gently evolves into a robust rhythm that makes you want to bob your head and rock ever so slightly to the beat. In this song KUKU exhibits his extensive vocal range. In the background you can hear a beautiful high pitched voice repeating the title of the song and accompanying is deeper tone. Both voices belong to none other than KUKU who has a 5 octave vocal range that is a beauty to listen to. The lyrics tell us that there is nothing in the world more than love. The love that a mother has for her child, the love that a wife has for her husband, the love that God has for the world cannot be compared to anything else. KUKU is right about that and one more thing we love his unique sound. You can find out more about KUKU on his website and come see him at NaijaFest 2006 on August 12th.
Music does different things for different people. Some listen to it for entertainment, some for consolation and others for inspiration. Ka-Chi’s song “Give my Soul Liberty†entertains, soothes and inspires. He implores you to take control of your future and steer your destiny to the direction you want. This has been a rallying cry for this singer, song writer and guitarist who comes from humble beginnings in Lagos, Nigeria.
An Electrical Engineer by day Ka-Chi fell in love with music at a very early age. His first instrument was the keyboard which he taught himself to play and on which he composed his first song at age eight. The song “Don’t be rude” as Ka-Chi fondly remembers featured back up vocals from his sisters. He describes the song writing process as an extension of his introspective personality. As a youngster he frequently committed his thoughts to paper and won a handful of literary awards. After moving to Maryland, USA in the late 90’s Ka-Chi was drawn to music once again and considered going back to the keyboard but was inexplicably drawn to the guitar. “When I pictured myself making music I always saw myself with a guitar” he says. He began learning to play the instrument and drew from his analytical engineering background to see patterns on the fret board which he used to form chords and produce beautiful music. He is now working on his first album and is featured regularly in events in the Baltimore MD area. Visit his website and MySpace page for more information.
Bringing up the rear but by no means the least in terms of talent is Nell. A resident of Baltimore, MD since he moved out of Nigeria in the mid 90’s Nell chose the guitar as an avenue for his musical expression as it complements his style of music and is portable.
While listening to his song “Just a Dream†the first thing that stands out is Nell’s sonorous voice that sounds like early Paul Simon. “Just a Dream†is a beautifully written song that is performed in a style that reminds one of easy Sunday mornings when you wake up late with no plans made and not a worry in the world. The sweet vocal work is accompanied by Nell on the acoustic guitar using his impressive skills to make you snap your fingers to the beat as you wonder if you really are listening to a Nigerian artist who sounds this good or is it just a dream. Be sure to check out Nell on MySpace.
Like many of you out there, Lagbaja is one of my favorite Nigerian artists, and has been since I heard his material almost 10 years ago. Since then, his popularity has grown with each release and he’s now at the forefront of Nigerian music, with ever increasing popularity internationally.
He’s leading the way, not only musically, but in his social awareness, use of technology and even from an aesthetics standpoint (for example, his music vidoes.) You’d also be hard pressed to find another artist whose appeal so broadly transcends age, language and culture. In short - Lágbájá is doing it right!
Locally-based Nigerians get regular doses of Lágbájá, wether playing at his club or at one of many concerts. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for those that live abroad. Performances are far & few between, and CDs almost always have to be personally purchased back home. Last week when I got news of the upcoming North American tour, I was absolutely overjoyed! I’ve compiled the dates & provided links to the affiliated organizations and/or venues below. The tour kicks off next week on August 4th in Washington DC! These concerts are not to be missed! Spread the word!
Inspired by the other mixtapes on the site, Dj Henry put together a special naijajams mixtape - all the way from the Netherlands! Super Gbedu Jams is a solid set of popular tunes for the Naija hip-hop, pop and r&b set. The mix is topped off with a little “Yellow Fever†from Fela for good measure, and strangely enough, it works brilliantly.
Okay, for one moment, let’s ignore the fact that Ola Onabule has been involved in performance and entertainment for over 2 decades, let’s pretend we did not know that he has five albums under his belt, (each one a testament to just how much funk lives in the man) and is set to unleash the sixth and most anticipated yet, let’s even fail to acknowledge the numerous awards, and acolades of recognition the chap has accumulated over the years…let’s just listen to what he can do….
hmmm…yes, Ola’s music can only be described as imaginatively divine and wild with achingly soulful vibes! Whether it’s his Four-octave range voice belting out the ballads, or it’s his insidiously delicious charisma taking over the room, Ola’s live performances are second to none. I would know, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him live a number of times, and each time is twice as nice as the time before. You see, that’s why I’m excited the man is leaving the shores of the UK, for the great big red white and blue, and the New Yorkers get the first taste of his particular brand of magic. His show dates as of yet are few, but expected to multiply in the coming days, so stay informed by visiting his website, and hey! drop by the forum and give a shout out to the man while you’re in his yard!
And before I forget, be sure to check out these two great soul tracks:
Lately, the amount of press Nigeria has been getting, ht looming 2007 Presidential elections in Nigeria have been on my mind. It seems many of the “leaders” are concerned more with platforms that fall along tribal and religious lines than with what the country needs - 1) food, water, education & jobs for the people and 2) providing a solid plan to get Nigeria headed down the right path.
When these thoughts lay heavy on my mind, I always think back to eLDee’s “Me I Go Yarn” (in english: I will or I’m going to talk/say/discuss), where he discusses some of these same issues.
Be sure to check out eLDee’s new website where he keeps us up to date on his latest happenings and provides some exclusive tracks as well.
Never Far Away is a love song from Lágbájá’s latest album, Africano… the mother of groove - featuring fellow singer and co-writer ‘Bisade Ologunde, as they recall love that went awry.
Interestingly the song incorporates orchestral strings and western instrumentation backed up by the wonderful bata, dundun and ogido drums. It’s as though the Whitney Houston of old got together with Lagbaja’s rhythm section for a jam session, because Never Far Away is close to the sound they’d produce… and I don’t mean that in a bad way either.
The video isn’t quite on the Skentele Stontolo level, but it’s a nice song and video nonetheless. I can’t wait to get my hands on this VCD.
KUKU grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to the United States in 1993. A resident of Alexandria, VA he fell in love with acoustic music and began playing the guitar in 2002. Since then he has perfected his art which is displayed in his new album Unexpected Pleasures. A truly soul stirring work, KUKU was able to draw from various musical backgrounds including folk, soul and jazz. He fused them into a unique type of music that he calls Afro Soul - a medley of delicious melodies delivered in a minimalist style and greatly influenced by his mastery of the acoustic guitar. 
Music does different things for different people. Some listen to it for entertainment, some for consolation and others for inspiration. Ka-Chi’s song “Give my Soul Liberty†entertains, soothes and inspires. He implores you to take control of your future and steer your destiny to the direction you want. This has been a rallying cry for this singer, song writer and guitarist who comes from humble beginnings in Lagos, Nigeria. 
Bringing up the rear but by no means the least in terms of talent is Nell. A resident of Baltimore, MD since he moved out of Nigeria in the mid 90’s Nell chose the guitar as an avenue for his musical expression as it complements his style of music and is portable. 
Like many of you out there, Lagbaja is one of my favorite Nigerian artists, and has been since I heard his material almost 10 years ago. Since then, his popularity has grown with each release and he’s now at the forefront of Nigerian music, with ever increasing popularity internationally.
Inspired by the other mixtapes on the site, Dj Henry put together a special naijajams mixtape - all the way from the Netherlands! Super Gbedu Jams is a solid set of popular tunes for the Naija hip-hop, pop and r&b set. The mix is topped off with a little “Yellow Fever†from Fela for good measure, and strangely enough, it works brilliantly.
Okay, for one moment, let’s ignore the fact that 
Eugene
