We Plug To You... NOSA

When a song sticks to you and won’t let go, it just will NOT let go - it keeps playing in your head, in your mind and in your sleep - in a good way. That’s how I describe NOSA’s (full name Nosa Omoregie) songs - it’s like a hug you don’t want to let go off. I don’t know if it’s his voice or his lyrics, his depth or the soothingness of his sound or maybe it’s all of the above; he is such an effortless and natural singer/songwriter and it is with great pleasure that we plug to you this refreshing and unique Nigerian inspirational neo-soul singer/songwriter - NOSA.

We Plug to You... A.V.I.D (A Voice I Deserve)

Blog surfing a few months ago, I stumbled across A.V.I.D while one of his tracks was set to auto play on the ‘said blog’. With Neo-Soul being one of my favorite genres, I listened to the song playing and a few other tracks featured and was immediately drawn to this Tanzanian native.

Born Tinashe Bgoya, A.V.I.D - which stands for A Voice I Deserve - hails from one of Tanzania’s largest cities – Dar es Salaam. He certainly is not new to music and boasts of a burgeoning catalogue of beautiful R&B and Soul tracks. Like most artists, A.V.I.D recognized his talents early on and by the age of 7 to be precise, he started taking music lessons to develop his skills and I must applaud A.V.I.D for in a time where most would have given up as a result of not having the right resources to record having been thrust into boarding school, he instead turned to writing and based on the quality of songs he has on offer, he has shown that he is just as good a writer as he is a vocalist. A.V.I.D - apart from his solo work - is also one half of the band named Sy-Meez which he’s currently working on a project with. With no solo album to his credit yet, 3/4 available tracks on his Reverbnation page will be reviewed here giving you an introduction to his music...

We Plug to You... Bez - Super Sun

Help! I'm never usually starstruck but here I am completely won over by the voice of this - rightly put - Super Sun!. However, I'll get myself composed enough to put this review together. I got very excited to do the feature on this particular artist and his music and you can probably decipher the reason why as you read on. I have followed this cool gentleman (even virtually so) from his days of small cozy performances at a Jazz/Soul Jam slash Poetry Slam cafe of sorts called Taruwa in Lagos, Nigeria - a brain child of his sister Lydia Idakula-Sobogun - up to his involvement with one of the most popular and gifted Producers in Nigeria, Cobhams Asuquo and his C.A.M.P production outfit and label. We plug to you, one who many have referred to as "Nigeria's John Legend" - velvety Alternative Soul singer/songwriter by the name of BEZ.

We Plug to You :: SALAKIDA

One glance at this caramel skinned beauty and you can't help but feel a sense of intrigue. With her long wavy locks framing her sweet and soft featured face, her deep dark eyes and becoming smile; her appearance screams 'Soul'. A guitar player herself, Salakida has toured and worked with a lot of big names in Soul and R&B music from the likes of Kenny Lattimore, D’Wanye Wiggins, Blackilicious and Jaguar Wright to Tony Toni Tone, N’Dambi, Tre Hardsen, PJ Morton and Anthony David and is now currently distinguishing herself amongst the sea of music flooding the industry via her "Spirit Music" as she calls it.

With her looks already predicting her music somewhat, however prejudiced that might seem, I prayed not to be disappointed when I clicked the 'play' button - hoping & really hoping that the sound would match (or better) the image before me and thank goodness, I was NOT disappointed. Smoky vocals with a tinge of sensuality serenaded me in her song 'In Bloom' and much like 'In Bloom', Salakida's songs are flowery and dreamy just like her personality.

Listen to 'In Bloom' below - An easy-listening smooth flowing one minute expression of comfort and natural feel-goodness.

Her earthiness and heart further shines through in the quicker-paced 'Wild Hair and Flowers' that tells a story of the usual "boy meets girl" and the heart conversations that follow. Listen below...

While she describes her music as "Black Hippie Funk" also known as "Blippie Funk" (referring to herself as the pioneer of this genre), it is a bit more than that... Her music reaches to the whole being - body, spirit & soul while her sultry vocals give you that 'feel good, no care in this world' feeling. It's kind of a merger of genres of sorts that most Neo-Soul artists try to aim for today. You can hear some Pop here, some Rock there but I'd say that it's mostly Soul that you hear from Salakida. Her voice is soulful yet rocky at spots with the electric guitar playing a major influence in most of her songs.

Her self-titled debut was heavier on good ol' Soul music though; released under Selket Recordings in 2005. Personally, I think this urban easy-listening mix is reminiscent of legendary American Jazz and Soul Singer/Songwriter Anita Baker's sound. Another comparison I'll make to Salakida's music would be the swing of Jill Scott mixed with the aura of India Arie. Neo-Soul....Yes? No? Maybe so?...Preview the album at CD Baby and decide for yourself.

The live version of the acoustic song 'Sick Days' is one of my favorites. It exhibits her voice nicely and the lyrics show her inner rebelliousness and quest for freedom. The song talks about the limitations of working at a job and a desire to be free free free...

"Am gonna use up all my sick days, Till I can leave this place behind"

I'm actually closer to Salakida (real name - Aminah Barry) than I thought, she resides in my city - Atlanta, GA, although originally from Oakland, California and the name Salakida means 'prayer music' in Hausa language, an ethnicity from the northern part of Nigeria - my country of origin. And hey, how about calling her a 'Black Bohemian' artiste? I think it fits perfectly.

Her current album, 'The Resurrection' which was released in August of last year is very different from the previous. I'll call it 'Alternative Soul/Rock' and it evidently shows that she has 'bloomed' into a more absolute sound and is more comfortable with going out of the box, musically. Majority of the songs on this album display more of an alternative rock edge with Brandon Thomas' guitar skills representing heavily especially on the song 'Kiss the Sky'- here she plays around with staccato vocalisms and gets very playful in her delivery.

"So High I can touch the sky... Wanna Kiss the Sky"

On the Album's title song - 'The Resurrection', the rocker girl in soulful Salakida definitely shines through without loosing her gentleness. Again, her carefree nature is spread across the lyrics to the song:

"Cause sooner or later, I know a brighter day will come Behold, The Resurrection So leave your cares behind Enjoy the music and just Ride"

Salakida, Oh Salakida! One can just tell she makes music that will take you on a journey to nowhere land. More of her songs are available on her BandCamp page. Her music/voice, lyrics, aura speak the same message: Be free, Be you, Be in touch with your inner spirit. She is definitely one to watch out for. For the free spirited, love and freedom conscious, her music would surely be worth a listen to. All hail the 'Blippie Funk' Queen!!!

Download: Salakida - Resurrection

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