OKANGA LIVE

Looking for an intimate concert in Abuja? 

Look no further. Okanga Live is here to serve you!

Not crowded, not noisy, acoustic sound, spoken-word poetry, Musicians who can play at least an instrument.

Food and drinks!!

The venue is the CUBE CAFE Maitama Abuja, inside the Abuja Amusement Park.

16 Usuma close.

for more info, go Here

Can You hear the bells?!

"Can you hear the bells?!" Kacii Eleven sang as she played the guitar while the sleigh bells rang in the background.  Born in Abia state, Nigeria, Kacii Eleven first released her debut Ep titled “The Acoustic Dreams Ep” in the Year 2015.

If you feel like a child excited for Christmas and also afraid of the uncertainties of it as an adult, here are two Kacii Eleven Christmas songs to get you accustomed to the cheers and feelings of Christmas in Nigeria.

Get it here

Follow her on SoundCloud to be the first to hear her new music.

This Christmas I don't wanna miss you!

Get it here!

Acoustic Dream Ep now Available on digital stores Worldwide

Kacii Eleven's debut Ep : Acoustic Dreams,  is now available on digital stores Worldwide.
The acoustic dreams Ep which was released last year for streaming only is now available for download.
The track list includes:
1. Fancy Night
2. Politicians
3.Our Names
4. Alive

Currently available on iTunes, Spinlet , Google Music , Spotify, Apple Music , Rhapsody, Deezer, and amazon. Go download now!

The Acoustic Dreams Ep

Some things take forever to make, things like making music that is perfect; music that everybody like is almost impossible to make. I decided to finish, maybe pause for a while , then show the world what I've been working on, i had to give these lines I've been writing a voice! i hope you like it, share it and maybe someday come watch me perform in a concert!

The first track "Fancy Night" from my  Debut Ep dropped on the 17th of October, 2015.
Acoustic Dreams Contains 4 songs!  I will be releasing  new tracks subsequently, every Saturday on SoundCloud and other streaming sites.

The Acoustic Dreams Ep has songs Ranging from Soft sounding mellow guitars in Politicians and EDM influenced "Some Mornings".  You can follow me on  Facebook, Twitter or Instagram For direct news on the Release of new tracks from Acoustic Dreams Ep and other music works.

Listen to Fancy Night here.

Shola Emmanuel,His Jazz, His mouth and his Saxophone!

Shola Emmanuel has some new songs out on SoundCloud, Something Rhythmic... well its Jazz, so challenge you by listening to some of his songs below.

Track number 1 on the "Afro Jazz" playlist might be too intellectual for some of ya (no, it is not your fault...who likes to read complicated things anyway?). You would love track number 2 and the rest. You should listen to the smoothness of his saxophone, he is a pro!

When you've shared the stage with very prolific Jazz musicians like Bobby Ricketts, Nicolas Folmer and so many others home and abroad, that's cool, right? yeah, very very cool.
For some of ya, It is Jazz, like Magic: you may not understand it, but it is exciting!

Songs That I Love: Redemption Song

I am going way back to the songs I used to love and still love.
Bob Marley's redemption song is my all time favourite (the only Bob Marley song I really like, ok, please forgive me Reggae fans). 

Hope you like it, I mean thumbs up on the video, and if you subscribe I will make more videos.

 Let's make it mutual, please share. Thanks.

Young John The Wicked Producer and that thing called Nigerian Music

Saturday evening. I'm going through the motions with my repertoire of Nigerian music; and that means a cycle of chest-thumping and allusions to fibrillating feminine hind; a vicious cycle now orchestrated by, well, Young John The Wicked Produzer. What's in a name! But make no mistakes, whether you like it or not, it is Nigerian music, and you will dance. Today my playlist mirrors the streets, owo ni koko, and Davido is King. Sometimes, there is an element of the distant past rearing its head; Remedies' Sakomo, hauntingly nostalgic, the rhyming was impeccable but that's because Eedris Abdulkareem, and his friends, were mostly making stuff up - laying the gauntlet for Konga to later run with from Ebute-Metta to Ilesa.

But the problem with talking sweepingly about Nigerian music, like the debate about what is African writing, is that a definition, or even a description, leaves so much behind; in part because one readily confuses narrowness for singularity. But, no, not everytime Shoki, sometimes Iyawo Mi, sometimes things less distinct, as the music mirrors a pot of egusi soup: sweet. Just. But then there is something else. See, Asa we all know is a witch, and little known Jeremiah is quite good, too; but when the two got together on My Heart Is On Fire, they recorded the best duet in Nigerian music since Tuface sang a hook for Remedies - except that isn't a duet, and this isn't technically Nigerian music.

Listening to Asa and Jeremiah Gyang mournfully profess love to each other on this song lends one a keen sense of otherness, love, oneness, beauty, pain, and a wordless wonder. It is a lamentation that deserves, as all pain does, only empathy and silence. The requests in the lyrics are slavish;

He Loves G strings too: A strings and his African Dance Violin Music

A Strings has another Violin cover out this week. The Nigeria Got Talent Season 2 second runner-up is at it again with his recent release of "Gentleman Violin cover". A song originally done by Eclipse.

Digital music distribution in Nigeria/How PayPal stands in the way of the independent artist

Imagine the excitement that comes with finally getting your own songs on the record—you want them on popular stores like iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, Spinlet, and Google play etc. The goal is to get your music everywhere, you want to get paid! But you are a Nigerian who lives in Nigeria and a PayPal account with Send-Only capabilities is what you get.

The first problem I encountered when I decided to have my music distributed online to streaming services like Spotify ( Spotify and Pandora are not even available in Nigeria) was the annoying issue with PayPal. Most digital distributors only use PayPal for transactions.


To find out if there are other means to receive funds from different online distributors, I signed up for Band Camp (an online music store/site that showcases artist/profiles, forums and also distributes music) to get my music distributed, but Bandcamp operates exclusively using PayPal. Sad, So... I left Band Camp alone! I found another distributor called Distrokid whose fee to distribute Albums, Ep, and singles to various online music streaming and download stores were attractive and considerate but, your guess is as good as mine.

After having the same problem with Tune Core ( restrictions on Nigerian  PayPal) I went on a search for local alternatives.

Below are Nigerian or domiciled digital music distribution companies that would pay your revenues into your local bank account.

Spinlet

Africori: 

Freeme Digital 

Iroking

Don’t go uploading your whole album/albums on SoundCloud/Reverbnation and blogs when you can sell it online first...just saying. For promotion purposes, you could upload some samples or few free songs on sites that do not pay you when your music gets played or downloaded but let the people who appreciate your music buy it. SELL IT.

Feel free to add more information to this in the comment section below!
Do you distribute music digitally around the world to online stores and streaming sites?  Tell us better ways Nigerians in Nigeria can distribute music without the hassles of using PayPal. 

Top 20 songs /Soundtrack of my life

"What is your Favourite song?" He asked me. A hundred emotions  swept over me,  I felt the songs I love begin to play like a soundtrack-- the  soundtrack of my life. These songs didn't play according to the sequence of how much I love them, but they came rushing and filling up the atmosphere with memories of pain,  laughter,  confusion, love-- raw teenage love filled with

Why Femi Kuti has never won a Grammy and may never win

fabmagazineonline.com (gramaphone clipart by kaciieleven)

Femi kuti has been nominated for the Grammy Awards like ten times? Oh, sorry four times in 2003, 2010, 2012 and 2013 for the World music category but never won! Aw, too bad!

I would be very surprised if he won,

Look at Korede Bello, just look at him!

Just look at him, He is Young?handsome? but, look at him!
When i first heard of Korede, that was before i even listened to his songs or wondered why his current popular song "God Win" sounded so familiar—i go to a Nigerian Church. The rhythm gets me each time—it is a mix of musical elements of year 1999 and early 2000’s Igbo Pop Christian songs—the Bass line makes you want to stomp your feet, clap your hands and shake your bottom. Each time "God Win"  comes on air I suddenly feel like I am in a Cherubim and Seraphim church or the Celestial church

Simi’s “Jamb Question” is telling you to stop Cat-Calling women everywhere, even on the side-walks

I have an idea... what if we print Simi’s “Jamb question” lyrics on our shirts and wear it every time we go out on the streets?... what if we make a complimentary card or a post card, then give it to every cat-caller who

Forget Food, Abdulkass Eats Music

He is a music producer, but before that he is a Singer—a mix of Sam smith, BoyZone and Andrea Bocelli. A Pianist (imagine an Asian with three hands playing the Piano), A Violinist, Guitarist, Saxophonist, Flutist, Trumpeter, Clarinettist, Comedian and Philosopher, he also messes with your photos and makes them beautiful.

Oh, why didn’t I use the word “multi- instrumentalist” ?

We used to call her Ice (Chimere)

We used to call her “Ice”, Ice made the shows happen—she was so good in organising and putting together concerts and rallies that she became the go to for concert creations. Her concerts sold out In the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

A Typical example of an extrovert!!!—there was never a moment to yawn and sigh with her—she leaves you with eyebrows raised, you would be like; “what the hell?” “O my God!!” “ha ha hahaha”.

Loud Music

If you play very loud music in your neighbourhood all the time; your neighbours wish something bad would happen to you.
Something bad like having you car trapped in a ditch.

Music Producer Blues

I felt like Thomas Edison--not after he invented the light bulb,  but during the process of inventing the light bulb--I felt the strain, mind bends and uncertainties associated with making things that just won't work (don't know if Edison felt that way tho).

The song I mastered three days ago started

This left handed guitar player will steal your heart with her voice

 She didn't fit the stereotype of the popular school musician (school musicians are said to have this air of, "we run this school" about them). She looked trimmed, dark, and appeared kind of shy.
I met Asikey at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka campus for the first time. Her love for guitar was what drew me to her. Who wouldn’t want to play with someone who plays the guitar well, especially,

Nigerian Music and the Big Fat Booty!

My close observation (not study because I didn't go researching it) of the lyrical content of the songs of most Nigerian artistes (men especially) reveals that they lack that depth that is important for a much needed "listening longetivity" pleasure of their audience. They just 'suffer' the ears