Asa

Asa is a polymath: born in Paris to Nigerian parents, her spiritually buoyant music draws from American soul, Caribbean reggae and vibrant African rhythms. Her music reflects her diverse upbringing and cross-cultural intellectual awareness, and she’s one of the better examples of how African pop artists can create fusion music that translates well into any language.

Raised and educated in Lagos, Asa (pronounced Asha) grew up listening to American pop, soul and R&B, while deeply absorbing the intricacies of music from her homeland, including traditional African folk, sounds from the streets and the church, and continent-hopping Afropean pop. She studied music in France, and toured with Assata, a group comprised of jazz musicians and African percussionists, while a student in the French government’s IMFP (Institut Musical de Formation Professionnelle) program. The turning point for her career was when she was introduced by her manager to Cobhams Asuquo. One of Nigeria’s top producers and an acclaimed singer in his own right, Asuquo soon became her creative partner. She returned to Paris to workshop her music, and to learn from playing with world- and electronic-music vets including Les Nubians, Manu Dibango and Doctor L. She eventually created a buzz so big on MTV Africa that she was pulled back to Lagos, where she opened for pop stars including John Legend, Akon and Beyoncé.

Asa’s self-titled debut is clearly both local and global: it’s a mix of lilting positive-message poetry in English and Yoruba (one of the predominant languages in Nigeria) that’s warmed by Hammond organ, lifted by flutes, and grounded in chunky acoustic and rhythm guitars.

Provenance: Lagos, Nigeria

Latest release: Asa (2009)

© 2009 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.