I – Grammy Winner, Lekan Babalola Releases New Song, Mr. Lakaye
II – Grammy Winner, Lekan Babalola Dedicates New Song To Ogun, Yoruba god Of Iron
Nigerian percussionist, Lekan Babalola will sate the appetite of his teeming African fans with the release of a new single entitled, Mr. Lakaye. The release of the new song will coincide with the launch of his multi-city tour tagged Ebo Tour which kicks-off on June 17th at the Somerset Festival, England.
Mr. Lakaye was produced by Will Angelero, a New York/ United Kingdom-based Producer and has Lekan Babalola on the co-producer’s credit roll.
Lekan Babalola’s voice booms in Yoruba over a bouncing tune enriched with infectious electronic elements and complemented with his signature percussion sound.
According to the two-time Grammy Award-singer, the song is dedicated to Ogun, the Yoruba Icon of iron while the title is inspired by the deity’s Oriki (praise).
In addition, Mr. Lakaye will also be the sound track to the musician’s new art installation in honour of late American jazz artiste, John William Coltrane.
According his management, Temple Management Company (TMC), Mr. Lakaye is available on all digital stores to all the fans of the Grammy Award winner.
Speaking about his inspiration for the new song, Lekan Babalola explained, “I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, into a Yoruba family. As custodians of Yoruba tradition of Ogun, Oro, Obatala and Ifa, my family taught me first hand Yoruba art and culture. Ogun is the patron of my father’s family.’ The Babalola of Ajibesin compound at Ile-Ogbo, Aiyedire local government of-Osun State, South West Nigeria today.”
Lekan Babalola is one of Nigeria’s most accomplished musicians and has twice won the Grammy Award which is the Holy Grail of Nigerian music. He won it for the first time in 2006 for his work on Ali Farka Toure’s In the Heart of the Moon, receiving credit on three songs. He won a second Grammy in 2009 for his work on Cassandra Wilson’s album, Loverly.
Soundcloud Link – https://soundcloud.com/lekan-babalola/mr-lakaye
Artiste Social Media
Twitter – @LekanBabalola, Instagram – @lekanbabalola, Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/lekan.babalola
About Lekan Babalola
Olalekan Babalola is a Nigerian Jazz percussionist and musician. At the age of six, he had started playing the conga at his father’s Aladura church and later formed a patchwork band with his peers.
In 1980, he left Nigeria for the United Kingdom to study Automobile Engineering at the Chelsea College of Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering after he won a Lagos State Scholarship. However, he dropped the engineering programme for music and later enrolled at the Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design where he studied filmmaking. He proceeded to the Northern Film School where he completed his Master’s degree.
He began his professional career after joining a band called African Samba Samba Band and later the London City-based Gasper Lawal’s Africa Oro band, where he perfected playing the Percussion and performing jazz music.
Babalola has work with notable acts including Prince, Ernest Ranglin, Branford Marsalis, African Jazz All Stars, Roy Ayers, Pharoah Sanders, Charles Lloyd, Sinkane, David Byrne, Damon Albarn, Kate Luxmoore, Tony Allen amongst others.
In 2006, he became Grammy Award winner for his work on Ali Farka Toure’s In the Heart of the Moon, receiving credit on three songs. He won a second Grammy in 2009 for his work on Cassandra Wilson’s album, Loverly.
Lekan is proud to dedicate his current single, ‘Mr. Lakaye’ to his late friend and music icon on the occasion of his induction into Hard Rock Café Music Memorabilia Collection.
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