Osaru

Artist Information

Biography

Osaru is a multi-talented musician, composer and vocalist who lives in the Winston-Salem area, North Carolina, USA. He is also a full time physician.
His Debut CD home is Urban Jazz in a new dimension. Osaru uses his unique vocal style to complement mid-tempo ‘head bobbing’ percussive rhythms with jazzy undertones and hip hop chants.
His second album aptly titled 'Home with the keys' is a follow up to his debut CD. It is Smooth Jazz at its best. From silky soprano phrases in 'last night' to funky tenor sax lines in 'let’s begin', he manages to express the story behind each song using his keyboards, a breath controller and his wind controller. His background training as a physician is many a time evident in the meticulous craftsmanship of his songs and bedside manner in which he delivers his message.
These songs will take you on an unpredictable ride with slow jams intermingling with smooth mid-tempo vibes. Each song will keep you guessing and wondering what’s coming next.
Osaru started playing African percussion at the age of 8, church organ at 9 and toured with a covers band as a keyboardist in his teens. Today he plays the electric keyboards, piano, electric bass, WX5 wind controller and the drums. He sings and plays all the instruments on both his albums. He also does all the tracking, overdubs, mixing and arrangement.
Having lived in, and played music in Europe, Africa and North America. There is a wide diversity in the range of music he composes and records in his home studio, the 'O.R' (operating room). Be it a classical piano solo or a funky infectious groove, he always seems to be in his element; creating memorable hooks and thought provoking melodies.
His music influences include Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Paul Hardcastle, Kenny G, Steel Pulse, Bob Marley, John Legend, Stanley Clarke and Alicia Keys to name a few. He is presently working on his third album out later this year.

Instrumentation

Osaru: Lead and background vocals and all musical instruments.

Discography

1.'Home' Date of release August 22nd 2008
2. 'Home with the keys'
Date of release November 24th 2009

Audio

• Made up my mind
  Listen  
• last night...
  Listen  
• start the dancing
  Listen  
• I know
  Listen  

Lyrics

• I know
• Keep it real

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Osaru's melodic menagerie of muse [+ Show ]
  

  Osaru’s Melodic Menagerie of Muse A Smooth Jazz Journey Leads to Home with the Keys WINSTON-S...Osaru’s Melodic Menagerie of Muse
  A Smooth Jazz Journey Leads to Home with the Keys
  
  
  WINSTON-SALEM, NC (12/05/09) – Home with the Keys is Osaru’s latest release and a follow-up to Home; his successful debut CD released in 2008. Home with the Keys is a musical evolution for Osaru and the result of requests for instrumental versions of the tracks off of Home. In his latest project, Home with the Keys, Osaru creates a smooth jazz journey through the course of ten-tracks, unlocking a melodic menagerie of muse.
  
  Home with the Keys exhibits Osaru’s songwriting ability and finesse on the keyboard. “The album summarizes my comfortable relationship with the keys. I feel ‘at home’ on the instrument,” says Osaru. The keyboard allows him to tap into the unbounded creative potential of each song. Like a master painter, Osaru’s keyboard is his easel while the sheet music is his canvas. He “paints” with a unique aural ambience. Within each track a new soundscape emerges, with an unsullied innovative style.
  
  Home with the Keys contains all-original tracks that were all written, arranged and mixed by Osaru into a plethora of various styles that display influences from Kenny G and George Benson to Earl Klugh and Steve Cole. The album opens with “Made up my Mind,” with its unique urban-based background vocals and hauntingly seductive sax. With a Baby Face styled backbeat, “Home” mesmerizes with subliminal and sublime riffs. Hints of R and B overlay jazzy melodic hooks in “Downtown” and “Last Night.” “Let’s Begin” cleverly flaunts Osaru’s talent in arrangement and composition with a vibrant mix or urban funk and jazz.
  
  “I wanted to keep the listener guessing. There’s a story behind each song that I had to ensure was maximally expressed,” states Osaru. Indeed, with its blend of slow jams and mid-tempo cuts there is a song that fits every human emotion. Osaru’s jazz journey is a twisting and surprising one with unpredictable creative intersections on each avenue of style and leads directly to Home with the Keys.
  
  
  FOR MORE INFO PLEASE VISIT:
  www.osarumusic.com
  

• Home with the key [+ Show ]
  

  Rating: (4 stars) Title of Review: Home With The Keys is a smooth jazz CD that will delight your ...Rating: (4 stars)
  Title of Review: Home With The Keys is a smooth jazz CD that will delight your ears. It is a superb album full of sexy grooves and romantic interludes. A must have for the smooth jazz fan!
  
  Most people who think of smooth jazz these days are going to think of Kenny G. Well, now they a new name to think of, and that’s Osaru, who has created a magnificent album of smooth jazz that will chill you out on the hottest of days and take you below zero when the temperatures are cool.
  
  Home With The Keys is Osaru’s second album and its aptly titled too. Listen to the solo sax on these tracks. Those beautiful sounds are made with the keyboards, a breath controller and a wind controller. That’s impressive to say the least.
  
  The songs have a very low tempo, lets take it to the bedroom type of vibe. Each track seems to speak to you in an intimate manner. I call this album an instrumental album, but there are vocals, but when the tracks use the voice its more as an instrument creating a unique sound then it is singing to a lyric particularly in songs like Pretty Lady one of the more mid-tempo tracks, where those vocals give the song an almost tribal sound and yet later the same song closes the album with a totally different feel to it with the Slow Jam Version, which gives the song more of a romantic, turn the lights down low and snuggle closer feel.
  
  Home is probably the track that moves me the most. There’s something about the groove that gets the hips swaying. Its one of the lower tracks but the music really compels the body to move. Its like the music reaches out and asks you to dance and you have no choice but to accept. How could you resist? The sax solos give new meaning to the word sexy. The sax grooves on in Downtown which can best be described as a Saturday night song. I love songs that create an image in my head, and this album is full of them. When I listen to Downtown, I can see Pittsburgh on a rainy Saturday night with people hustling about to get to the theaters, clubs and bars. A song that can make you visualize, especially one without lyrics, is something spectacular. The music is telling its story and that’s a hard thing to do. Kudos to Osaru for filling an album with songs like that, as well as songs that make your body want to move.
  
  So slip Home With The Keys into your CD player, grab a glass of wine, or better yet, a whole bottle, turn on the music, close your eyes and relax and let the music take you wherever it leads you. Osaru’s latest album is the perfect way to chill out after a long day or any day for that matter. Home With The Keys is an album that fans of smooth jazz will be thrilled to add to their collections. Osaru has brought something special to his listeners ears and all we can do is say thank you for the beautiful music, which we’ll be playing for years to come.
  

Setlist

8 to 10 songs
6 original 3 covers
typically 2 sessions with a short break

Basic Requirements

Calendar