“Seven Shades, Lighter” from Nigerian singer and songwriter, Ola Onabule is a special preview of Ola’s seventh studio album, Seven Shades Darker, coming later in 2011.Grooves undoubtedly rooted in the Soul and Blues of the late sixties and early Seventies make an unlikely but easy peace with mournful, complex African melodic lines. On other tracks, wailing distorted guitars cling to the helter-skelter ride of poly-rhythmic time signatures that seem to unsettle and soothe the ear in equal measures. Seemingly conventional 4/4 grooves beguile with inviting familiarity whilst slipping potent lyrical nuggets under the radar of our assumptions.

Ballads are new requiems, odes to the passing of loved ones, funky jaunts document the ebbing away of precious time, and deal with jealousy, cowardice, loss of identity and the world through the eyes of an unwanted visitor is set to the galloping gait of an African church hymn. Ola, in very fine voice, twists and turns at every step, eluding definition.

Ola is a frequent performer at international jazz festivals, including The Montreal Jazz Festival, Vancouver Coastal Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Silda Jazz Festival in Norway, Blueballs Music Festival Switzerland, as well as many international jazz venues and concert halls.