Sussex, UK. (Top40 Charts/ ARC
Music Productions) - Sola Akingbola has spent most of his life in London, UK, but his roots are in Oregun, Nigeria, where he was born to Yoruba parents. Describing his relationship to Nigeria as a musical odyssey in which he finds his way home, Sola reveals his passion for the language of music:
"I was always seduced by the sound of the Yoruba language and the way it was expressed within the drumming. When a Yoruba drummer plays, it's not just music: he's talking, reciting, teasing, invoking and praising. These qualities open up other worlds of interest for me that go beyond music; worlds that lead me to history, to the essence of my people."
Entering the jazz scene in the early 90s with the Ronny Jordan band and then finding his feet for the last decade in the jazz-funk of Jamiroquai, Sola has toured the world and played innumerable major international venues. But no matter which route he takes as a musician he always returns to the same place - the tradition and culture that brings him home - Yoruba rhythm, language and poetry.
Renowned for its advanced drumming, Yoruba music is largely devotional in that spirituality and ancestor worship lies at it's core. The complex religious and philosophical system of the Yorubas date back thousands of years and, as a result of diaspora, has become influential throughout the Caribbean, many areas of Latin America and increasingly in North America and Europe. Through his musical expression on this album, you can truly feel Sola's genuine African ancestry.
"The first music I heard was Yoruba. It was inside the language I heard my parents speaking and pulsing through the drumming I soaked up as a child..."
What's been said about Sola Akingbola
"I've worked with Sol� for ten years on six albums and have found his technical skill unsurpassed. He is truly a master of his field and I look forward to his contribution on the next Jamiroquai project."
-Jay Kay from Jamiroquai
"Sola Akingbola has to be one of the best percussion players I've ever worked with - tremendous feel and power."
-Al Stone, Producer of Jamiroquai and Bj�rk
"Watching Sola solo, the deep rooted connection between his language and drumming, is clear to see. As he progresses through the solo, it's obvious that Kay himself is driven by the infectious grooves laid down by the percussionist."
-Louise King, Rhythm Magazine
Routes to Roots, by Sola Akingbola, available now.
