Nigerian singer Osagie Ojea is taking Afrobeat music on a global platform through his band Afrococoa
Afrococoa is an African live band formed
in Belarus, Minsk by Nigerian singer, songwriter and composer Osagie
Ojea. Inspired by the work and philosophy of legendary musician Fela
Kuti and other popular Highlife Afrobeat Jazz and Soul musicians, Osagie
is on a mission to lead his legacy on a global platform. The band has
gained amazing popularity in Minsk, playing more than 150 gigs in the
past 3 years of its inception. In December 2019, the band released its
debut album “Champion from Africa”
featuring 17 amazing songs that can make anyone groove to its beats.
The band mainly plays live usually accompanied by two professional
dancers that combine Dancehall and Afro dance in their performance.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Osagie has
grown up listening to Highlife music and dancing to it. One day he
walked into the kitchen and heard Fela Kuti playing on the radio so he
asked his father about him. His father then gave him a CD of songs by
Fela Kuti and Osagie instantly became a die-hard fan of his music.
Osagie found Fela Kuti’s music highly inspiring. He composed his first
song at the age of 11, called “Sweet angel” about his mother.
Osagie’s band Afrococoa
is all about mixing African traditional sounds with popular genres like
Dancehall, Jazz, Rock, Reggae, etc. “We want to convey unity, love,
happiness. We want people to dance on our music and catch the happiness
of the moment. We promote unity not only of people but the unity of
different music genres. We promote freedom in our lyrics, freedom of
thinking, freedom of expressing ourselves, freedom of speech”, says
Osagie.
Before forming Afrococoa, Osagie used to
play with his friend on a Blues band and showcased his talent as a
blues and jazz singer. He started Afrococoa with an aim to create a live
band that uses a variety of instruments like saxophone, and percussions
in addition to the classic drums, bass, and guitar while also feature
dancers on the stage.
Afrococoa is an independent band that
produces music in their own studio in collaboration with young talents.
They are open to partnerships if the right label comes along that
doesn't require them to make creative compromises and provides them
better exposure in the music industry.
Listen to Afrococoa’s latest album “Champion from Africa” on Spotify.com
Homepage: afrococoa.com
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