OLA ONABULE

Interview 17 May 2002

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We'll start on the new album 'Ambitions for Deeper Breadth', Tell me something about the album, how long it took to make, what it's trying to achieve, how it all came together.

The album took a year to make and I hoped that it would be a refinement of
the production methods I had already found myself moving towards. That is
recording live performances from outstanding musicians. I also wanted to
better fuse the influences that feature strongly in my life, i.e., the
African and the Western as well as the traditional soul jazz values.

You wrote all the songs right. Tell me about how you write the songs, what you draw from, who or what influences you and what you are trying to say?

Yes I did write all the songs and I tend to write songs with specific
purpose predetermined long before I sit down with pen and paper. For
instance the song HE SAYS was inspired by a particularly outrageous
character I had met who seemed so sure that everything he said was law and
that anyone else's opinion just didn't even begin to exist and I love such
pantomime characters because they make very good song fodder. As far as
influences go anything and everything can be drawn upon. I often find that
one small section of an obscure song may lodge itself in my subconscious and
evolve to become the basis for a song. I try to make sure that I don't get
trapped within the genre that I work and allow my mind to be open to
anything as long as it is quality. Of course the impact of certain artists
upon the soul music cannot be denied and are always present in any song
within a genre.

Lagos Boy was one of the first songs that I conceived for the album. There
has been some pretty high profile bad news from Africa in general and
Nigeria in specific over the last few years. It pains me and many Africans
living away from home that we are subject to many difficulties living abroad
and it is compounded further by receiving news of the turmoil at home. The
song was written as a plea to all Africans to begin to take responsibility
for the state of our continent regardless of the harm that may have been
done to it by others.

Which cuts do you like, most are ballads 'Closer' is a bit more upbeat, W.O.W I like?

I can never choose a favourite amongst my own compositions because although
they may be about varying subject matter they all come from the same place.

How have you developed from your previous albums

I hope I have developed as this is certainly the intention to keep pushing
standards further and further.

Did you produce? What musicians did you use? Do you play?

Yes I produced the album and the musicians included:

Winston Blissett - Bass - Massive Attack, Lulu, Belinda Carlisle, Robbie
Williams, Phil Collins, Kylie Minogue.

Frank Tontoh - Drums - Craig David, George Michael, Omar

Tony Smith - Roy Ayres, Jocelyn Brown

Matt Johnson - Keyboards - Jamiroquai

and many more.

What are you doing to promote, are you doing any PA's, gigs?

There will be press reviews, gigs coming up including BBC London Live on
June 3rd in Hyde Park. Please check website for different venues
www.ola-onabule.co.uk.

You've being doing some gigs from time to time over recent months haven't you - what were these like. Do you have a regular band. You get a lot of plaudits for your live shows - you obviously enjoy that side yes?

I try to stay constantly in gigging mode because it is the most exciting
thing about being a singer being able to make an instant connection with
people using my voice singing my songs is what it is all about for me.
Records are fine for promoting the fact that I exist but I wouldn't want
that medium to be my sole representative in the world.

You've been around for over 10 years now. Tell me about you're beginnings in life, and then how this evolved into your musical career.

I have been performing for much longer but only put out my first single
about 71/2 years ago. It was always obvious to me that I was going to be a
singer/musicians as I could always be heard singing and I was always a part
of any event involving music. In my school in Nigeria they nicknamed me
Gramophone because they needed only to name a tune and I would sing it from
beginning to end.

You signed a US deal quite early on didn't you. How did that come about and how did you do back then. You did quite a lot of Ad work early on- was that a necessary evil, or part of your evolvement.

I was signed to Elektra by Bob Krasnow whose a & r man had seen me singing
at a club called Singers (an old club on Tottenham Crt. Road). The US deal
didn't quite work out unfortunately but I decided to get on make my own
records. The ad work was definitely a necessary evil.

Tell us about some of the things you've done and who you've worked with, aside from your recorded work. What or who sticks out and who helped you along the way.

I have worked with various artists from George Michael to Gladys Knight
either as backing vocalist or support but the assistance and support I have
received in my career has more notably come from great soul djs such as Bob
Jones, Bigger, Steve Hobbs and specialist music press such as Blues & Soul
and Echoes. They have been a great encouragement.

More Soul than Sense and From Meaning beyond definition were your first two albums from about 1996 and 1997. How did these go down, and what were their successes.

Both these albums did better than we thought they would. We thought we
would release them and sell a few hundred copies but amazingly enough they
were both well received and did a good few thousand each. Tracks from them
were licensed in various foreign territories and received critical acclaim.

Working the Fela Kuti commemoration concert must have been an honour. Was he someone who you admired.

Fela was admired by most Nigerians as he represented an artist who spoke out
regarding political and social injustice in Nigeria and at the same time he
was a great performer and artist.

The third album was Precious Libations for Silent Gods from which Heartbreak Ghetto came, followed by quite a range of interesting gigs and supports. Tell me about this period. You worked with some 'icons' like Gladys Knight,
Al Jarreau, Natalie Cole.

The gigs in the last few years have given me great opportunities to display
my wares so to speak and they have afforded me the opportunity to meet
artists whom I truly respect and who have inspired me musically.

..........oh and Victoria and David's Wedding!

David and Victoria Beckhams' wedding was great fun and the band and I really
enjoyed the whole event. It was interesting being a part and yet distanced
from something that received so much media attention.

'The picture' was quite successful wasn't it?

The Picture received considerable radio play on various stations and it was
licensed onto a Japanese compilation.

You're a prolific songwriter, do you have any material for or being covered by anybody else.

I have quite a few songs which are currently being considered by different
producers and artists. It would be a great tribute to the music if one of
them is covered by a new artist.

Who are you're influences both in life and in music

My influences are extensive - Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie
Wonder, Michael McDonald, Al Jarreau, Earth Wind & Fire and many more.

What do you do outside of music......for relaxation or otherwise.

Music is my relaxation.

What's happening next? Anything going on in the States, Europe or Japan.

We are working on opportunities in the States and Europe and hope the new
album will go some way towards achieving this goal.

Anything else you'd like to add

Thanks for your interview Mike and forgive the tardy reply.

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