Artist SpotlightOla Onabulé

Fri Aug 25 2023

The Slow food movement arose from a feeling that what we were being fed was losing its ability to properly nourish and nurture people. Food had simply become a commodity with vital nutrients being lost in the pursuit of profit. If such a ‘slow’ movement was to be applied to the Music Industry, then Ola Onabulé surely epitomizes a move towards hearty, sustaining music, made by artisans with a commitment to quality, integrity and real flavor. Onabulé - A charismatic and sophisticated entertainer possessing an emotional intensity and vocal virtuosity accompanied by poignant storytelling. Those who already know Ola’s work truly appreciate this powerful performer and his capacity to cross cultural and musical boundaries with an unflinching and lyrical pursuit of truth and justice. Onabulé has forged an international career via his relentless program of recordings and concerts. Appearances at many of the most respected international jazz festivals that include Montreal, Vancouver, Istanbul, London, Edmonton, Umbria as well as concert halls and Jazz clubs worldwide ensuring that Onabulé’s reputation continues to be cemented with audiences globally. Onabulé's songs about love, loss and the human condition have been performed all over the world with his quartet/quintet as well as appearances with much larger ensembles of big bands and symphonic orchestras. This includes several projects with the Grammy winning WDR Big Band of Cologne, the SWR Big Band of Stuttgart, the HR Big Band of Frankfurt, Danish Radio Big Band, Copenhagen and Babelsberg Film Orchestra. Performances further afield with Big Band Jazz Y Mexico in Mexico City and Orquestra Symphonica of San Luis Potosi in Mexico. Ola states; “Hands-on, self-sufficiency has always been my mantra for survival in the music game. I always felt like the creative parts of song writing, producing and recording were merely different stages of a single process”.