Beautiful Nubia and the Roots Renaissance Band
Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria | INDIE
Music
Press
A calm and literate presence, spreads a good aura, thoughtful lyrics and a smart band - fRoots UK
His songs and sounds are geared towards wide appeal with catchy melody and inspirational messages to the forefront. - Steve Heilig - The Beat, Vol 26 No. 2 (2007)
Melding traditional Yorubian folk music with the same R&B rhythms and horns that infatuated the early ska and reggae movement, Fere is an album that glides and swirls with sophisticated pop sensibilities.
- Sean Marchetto - FFWD Weekly, Calgary (May 11, 2006)
"One of the best things to have happened to contemporary music in Nigeria...a rare creator of rich sounds and a gifted performer.” - Steve Ayorinde - The Punch, Nigeria (Jan 21, 2005)
From the softly spoken welcoming words of the first track to the gentle sax and lissom guitar of the final “Lamentation Version,” (Fere) is a friendly album, jam-packed with vibrant rhythms and pleasant West African sounds. Beautiful Nubia wants to please. But at the same time he also wants to inform, coax, even agitate.
- Ted Boothroyd for jahworks.org
“Beautiful Nubia is a great new name in the African music scene as we know it. I’ve got no idea if they ever played here, but if they do, don’t let them slip.” - Marc Nolis, Rootstown - Belgium
“It's quite astonishing that Beautiful Nubia comes up easily with a cornucopia of thoughtful lyrics while the music has still a happy and innocent feeling to it…modern African music with a meaning. Beautiful Nubia’s voice needs to be heard not only in his native continent Africa but all over the world."
- Dirk Binsau, jazz-not-jazz.de, Germany
“Call it Afro-Rock or Highlife-Reggae or even R&B-Juju...Beautiful Nubia is one of those who have come to redeem the image of traditional African music.” - The Vanguard, Nigeria
“Engaging blend...A warm and approachable voice...Friendly, tight, with brass...a lighter-hearted relative of Afrobeat”
- fRoots, United Kingdom
“Everywhere you turn, the music of Beautiful Nubia caresses your sensibilities to the beautiful realities of African culture.” - The Nigerian Tribune
Beautiful Nubia and his Roots Renaissance Band have helped to strengthen our belief that there is hope for genuine modern Nigerian and African music. Listening to Kilokilo, one cannot but agree that he has created an original form of music that defies categorisation.
- Benson Idonije, The Guardian, Nigeria
Discography
Sun No Dey Sleep (EniObanke Music, 2011)
Irinajo (EniObanke Music, 2009)
Kilokilo (EniObanke Music, 2007)
Fere (EniObanke Music, 2006)
Awilele (EniObanke Music, 2004)
Jangbalajugbu (EniObanke Music, 2002)
Fire On The Roof [single] (EniObanke Music, 2001)
Voice From Heaven (EniObanke Music, 1999)
Seven Lifes (EniObanke Music, 1997)
Photos
Bio
Beautiful Nubia and the Roots Renaissance Band is Nigeria’s foremost contemporary folk and roots music group. Formed and fronted by songwriter and poet Segun Akinlolu (aka Beautiful Nubia), the group’s songs and albums have achieved cult status among their loyal and growing fans spread across the world.
Beautiful Nubia’s songs are built on rich folkloric traditions and native wisdom but his message is universal in thrust and theme. The music speaks for the voiceless and champions the dream of a balanced society where individuals are truly free and equal. It preaches love and tolerance but also urges people to stand and defend their rights when trampled upon anywhere in the world.
Born in Ibadan in 1968, Segun started writing songs at a very young age. He drew his early influence from the traditional culture which was prevalent in the form of oral poetry, theatre, music and folklore. In 1994, with enough resources to produce a demo, his timing coincided with the departure of major record labels from Nigeria. In response, he established EniObanke, a music production and marketing company under which his first album was released in 1997. In November 2010, the company commenced the first folk and roots music festival in Nigeria, the EniObanke Music Festival (EMUfest).
Reward came for the group in 2002 with the release of the ground-breaking third album Jangbalajugbu. It is estimated that more than 50 million Nigerians wake up each day to “Owuro L’ojo (How D’You Do?)”, one of the hit tracks in the album. To date, Jangbalajugbu has sold in excess of a million copies. Since then, the band has released five other albums which have cemented the artist’s reputation as an advocate for social justice. It is the combination of enjoyable entertainment and provocative thoughtfulness that has come to define BN’s style.
Notable Industry Nods:
Best Artist from West Africa Nominee - Kora All-Africa Music Awards - 2000
Best Group from West Africa Nominee - Kora All-Africa Music Awards - 2001
Best Political Song – Ontario Council of Folk Festivals - 2004
Awilele - Number One on the !Earshot International Charts - 2005
Favourite World Music Artist Nominee – Canadian Independent Music Awards - 2006
Kilokilo - Number One on the !Earshot International Charts - 2008
Favourite World Music Artist Nominee – Canadian Independent Music Awards - 2009
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