Make all of una recognize o! Femi Kuti dey yankee o!

Femi Kuti and the Positive force band are in North America for a 5 week tour to promote the new album, Femi Kuti - The Definitive Collection. This double cd release, draws the best of his self-titled debut album, Shoki Shoki and Fight to Win. It also includes Water No Get Enemy from the Red Hot + Riot album as well as a slew of the best remixes of his work. If you want to get up to speed quickly on Femi’s music, this is the best way to do it. While you’re at it, be sure to pick up the new(ish) cd + dvd, Live at the Shrine.

Enough about that, check out the stops below to see when he’ll be in your area, and hurry to buy tickets as these shows will definitely sell out.

Get the latest from Femi Kuti on myspace

Femi Kuti - Beng Beng Beng (Ashley Beedle’s Afrikans on Merz) 7MB

(right click, save target as)

Here’s a quick update to let you know work is actively being done behind the scenes to return to regular postings… stay turned for a new design and greater variety in content and topics. We also have quite a bit of email to go through as you can see in the photo - as usual, we read everything you send and respond as time permits.

If you’re thirsting for fresh material right now, check out the excellent “with comb & razor” blog for heavy doses of Fela and other heavy sounds.

See you in two weeks.

Any regular site visitors know that things have been quiet around here for quite some time. Behind the scenes we’ve been working quietly on a ways to enhance the experience for our visitors while making it easy to manage.

Since our inception we’ve had over 140K visitors from every corner of the globe, but with the recent inactivity, many of you have asked about the site status. We’d like you to know that we are still around and working actively to bring you the best in Nigerian / Naija music!

Please let us know if you have ideas, suggestions, comments or contributions for the site. You can email us: naijajams at gmail.com, or leave your comments below.

More to come soon.

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, “Ife”, 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.

KUKU - Ife  (5 MB)

(right click, save target as…)

http://www.kukulive.com

(official KUKU website)

Ka-Chi

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.

Ka-Chi - Give my Soul Liberty  (7.5 MB)

(right click, save target as…)

http://www.kachilive.com

(official Ka-chi website)

http://www.myspace.com/kachman

(Ka-chi on MySpace)

Nell

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.

Nell_-_Just_a_dream.mp3  (4.8 MB)

(right click, save target as…)

http://www.myspace.com/nellysecho

(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!

Tickets for many venues are currently on sale, so buy your tickets now as these concerts will sell out!

If you missed the last few updates, check out some of the latest from Lagbaja VCD - Africano Videos, Series 1.

note: We’d love to share any photos you have of these concerts, so any attendees that take pictures, please send them via email - thanks!

http://www.lagbaja.com

(official Lagbaja website)

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.

Dj Henry, (also known as Dj Dynamite) brings the accumulated experience of over 12 years behind the decks and an international repertoire to match. Originally based in Warri, Delta State, Henry moved to Johannesburg South Africa for work where he held nightclub residencies at the popular Piccadilly Café and Rockafellaz. For the past six years, Henry’s been based in Holland and is still a regular at clubs and private parties.

So, if you’re in Holland, and need a correct Naija Dj for your event, Dj Henry is your man.

Stay tuned for more from Dj Henry, and in his words, “Keep Naija music alive!”

(continue reading for the download link & tracklisting)