Naija Soul Sistahs (part 3)

ASA

Aṣa (pronounced "Asha") (born in 1982) is an Afro- French singer- songwriter and recording artist. Her stage name "Aṣa" means "Hawk" in Yoruba.


Born Bukola Elemide, Aṣa was born in Paris, France, to Nigerian parents. She was two years old when her family returned to live in Nigeria. Aṣa grew up in Lagos in the south-western part of Nigeria. However twenty years later Aṣa returned to Paris, which is where her life as an artist took wing. 


She draws inspiration from Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin and Nigerian musicians such as Fela Kuti, Sunny Ade and Lagbaja.


In 2004 Aṣa was introduced to Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo, who became her musical partner and producer. He enabled Aṣa, the free spirit, to find her bearings and sing songs in English and Yoruba. 
Her songs talk about Nigeria, things in life and the things in her life.


To know more about Asa, visit her website @ http://www.asa-official.com/?lang=en/
Listen to Asa's music below: 
'Jailer' and 'Fire on the Mountain'

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Naija Soul Sistahs (part 2)

SADE

Helen Folasade Adu, (born 16 January 1959), better known as Sade, is a Nigerian-British singer songwriter, composer, and record producer. She first achieved success in the 1980s as the frontwoman and lead vocalist of the popular Brit and Grammy award winning English group, Sade.


Sade was born in Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria. Her middle name, Folasade, means 'honour confers your crown.' Her parents, Bisi Adu, a Nigerian lecturer in economics, and Anne Hayes, an English district nurse, met in London, married in 1955 and moved to Nigeria. Later, when the marriage ran into difficulties, Anne Hayes returned to England with four-year-old Sade and her older brother Banji to live with her parents. 


She was influenced by American soul music, particularly 70's artists such as Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway, and Bill Withers.


She studied fashion at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. While at college, she joined a soul band, Pride, in which she sang backing vocals. Her solo performances of the song Smooth operator attracted the attention of record companies and in 1983, she signed a solo deal with Epic Records taking three members of the band, with her. Sade and her band produced the first of a string of hit albums, the debut album Diamond Life in 1984, and have subsequently sold over 50 million albums. 


The unstressed, understated elegance of her music in conjunction with her look- exotic and effortlessly sophisticated, launched her as the  female face of the style decade of the 80's. She is the most successful solo female artist in British history.


Her newest album Soldier of Love was released 2010. To know more about Sade and her music visit her website @ http://www.sade.com/gb/home/

Listen to 'Soldier of Love' below:

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A dedication: To our Naija Soul Sistahs...(part 1)

Nneka

Nneka: is the daughter of an Igbo Nigerian father and a German mother. Nneka is an Igbo name from the Eastern part of Nigeria and means “Mother is supreme, mother is the best”. Nneka was born and grew up in Warri, in the Delta region of Nigeria.

Nneka names hip hop as her primary musical root and most important source of inspiration, while citing artists such as Fela Kuti and Bob Marley as well as contemporary rappers Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Lauren Hill as key influences in her own pursuit of musical recognition.

  

In addition to music, Nneka has also modeled a bit. She has graced the cover of Nigeria’s Dressence and Hint magazines. In 1997 Nneka was nominated Nigeria’s most promising female vocalist. Other nominations include, one for the Channel O awards and two for the MOBO awards.

Her lyrics reflect much of her history and life in Nigeria as well as her time spent in Western Europe. Her songs stress the issues of Capitalism, poverty and war and are often loaded with moral and biblical messages and references.
Nneka is an international musician whose music is not restricted to Nigeria and Germany alone. Her album Victim of Truth was released in England, France, Netherlands and Japan.

Her newest album Concrete Jungle was released in the U.S February 2, 2010

To listen to her music and know more about Nneka-, view her Website @

http://www.nnekaworld.com/us/home


Listen to Nneka's  'Uncomfortable Truth' below:

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The Neo Soul Movement.... Maali Summer T-shirt Collection coming to u beginning April 1st!

Maali T-shirts coming soon... to those who love soul music, all things african and life in general.We now have a collection of Maali Kids T's and Maali Men T's for those who have been asking. Stay Maali (Blessed).We love u all.

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The Neo-Soul Movement....One of our many Inspirations.

Soul Colony

Sade: sultry soulful voice

D'Angelo: hmm... hmm... good

Asa: pronounced Asha queen of Naija soul

Eric oh so cool Benet

Prince! love his voice

The Whole Crew

Music. formerly known as musiq soul child

'I try to say goodbye and i choke...'

The miseducation of Lauren Hill

The legendary John

Joss Stone n Rapheal Sadique: weird rite!

 

gotta love floetry

Soul Power.

Dwele... for those who don't know... now u know

lurv... 'brotha'

'Coming from where i'm from'

Raphaeeeel

Maxwell. 'A woman's worth'

India Arie -soul sista 4 real

                               ' I am not my Hair'

Funk Soul Musiq

Nneka: our Naija soul sista

Erica B. Gotta lurv her

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In Honour of Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen was a British Designer who died on the 11th of February 2010

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To our friends and family...

...looking forward to a bright and colourful new year ahead. Thanks to all who have supported Maali in one way or the other. For those who bought, keep buying... for those who haven't please buy...  Some of the profits of the promotional tees go to Gweimen Center in Kwoi, Nigeria a self sufficiency center for orphans with HIV/AIDS.

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