Last night the Afro dz AK All Stars played a gig at Berklee’s Cafe 939 and I did a few tunes with them- “Lyrics to Grow” and Jill Scott’s “Golden.” Before we took the stage the opener was an artist named Nneka and her band. To say last night was a multicultural experience would be understatement. Nneka hails straight from Nigeria, Africa and sounds like a mix of Macy Gray (vocally speaking), Bob Marley (musically speaking) & Lauryn Hill (emotionally speaking). Nneka relocated some 10,000 miles to Hamburg, Germany, at the age of nineteen to pursue a career in singing along side a degree in Anthropology. Having landed in the German port, the singer hooked up with DJ and Hip-Hop beatmaker DJ Farhot and ever since, their strong musical relationship has been the backbone of Nneka’s success.
She says,
“I do not see myself as a performer but as somebody who shares her heartfelt feelings with others. I have fortunately, by the grace of God, the opportunity to sing my message to you on stage.”
Her band was on point, tight as hell and the energy of their performance was felt by everybody (including the dude who started breaking in the middle of the crowd). My only gripe with Nneka is that her recordings don’t do the music justice. Do yourself a favor and go see her and her band live. Its not your every day music but the strong hip-hop/reggae vibe brings it all together.
-Lori
