Imade iN Truth

Thanks to Karl Nova, the rapper/awesome sauce person who seems to know every talented artist who ever lived, I came across Soneni & The Soul, a band firmly rooted in Zimbabwe heritage and London modernity.  Their 8-track EP, Million Miles Away spans the energetic rhythms of soulful house (“We Can Go”) to the stripped down instrumentation of spoken word (“God Bless The Creators”).  This project hinges on the strong vocal presence of lead singer Soneni.  She bravely reveals the struggle of claiming and reconciling an identity that society often limits (“A Place Called eKhaya”).  Soneni’s defiant confidence is the heartbeat of this project.  Once Soneni embarks on her “Siyahamba”, I felt inspired to be a part of this journey as well.  Bandcamp  Twitter        

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If you are on the left side of the pond, you may not know that Jaz Ellington has become a singing sensation on UK’s The Voice. He stunned will.i.am and Jessie J to the point of tears with his rendition of “Ordinary People” by John Legend.  It’s evident that Jaz has a God given voice.  He can bend notes and slide into a silky falsetto or rest in his lower, husky register.  This was my first introduction to Jaz, but with the help of Karl Nova, I’m now aware that Jaz has been doing this for years.  His 2008 EP So…This Is Me and his 2010 single “Light Up The Room”  has become a playlist staple overnight.  After you watch the “wonderful, beautiful owl” (o_0) that is Jaz Ellington, listen to my favorite song from him, “Always Be Home”.  Twitter  The Voice Profile  Facebook  

I’m a biased writer. (Insert fake gasp)  I genuinely like UK emcee Karl Nova as a person.  He introduces me to great people and lets me know a thing or two about Nigerian culture.  So because of our genuine friendship, it feels good to share his latest video FreeDome off his forthcoming mixtape, Outside My Bubble.  But what doesn’t feel good is the critique I’m about to make.  In my opinion, Karl Nova sings outside of his range on the hook.  There’s an unemployed writer willing to drop a few bars to help a brotha out, but I digress.  If you can overlook the vocal trespass, Karl Nova shines on the verses as the chill Hip Hop jazz beat puts you into a hypnotic head nod.  I almost wanted to raise a Black Power fist when Karl Nova discussed his defiance of black stereotypes in the third verse.  FreeDome comes alive when Karl liberates himself from social norms.  I’m sure this intelligent emcee has much more to say on his upcoming project.  Website   Twitter  Facebook