Nhojj

Artist Information

Biography

Last year Nhojj made OUTMusic Awards history when he became the first black male to win an OUTMusic award. The Alliance of LGBT Recording Artists & Performers voted his ballad “Love” 2009 OUTStanding R&B/Soul song of the year.  He broke another barrier earlier this year when his gay music video “Love” reached # 1 on MTV Music Top 100 chart. 

“Nhojj has been delivering high-quality jazzy soul for nearly a decade.  Soul Sessions congratulates soul singer Nhojj for being a Black history and a gay history first!” – BET/Centric TV

“Congratulations on making history.” – The Advocate

Unlike current R&B/Soul music videos, “Love” is the sensitive reflection of 2 male college students who feel a mutual attraction toward each other. Director Kirk Shannon-Butts spliced scenes from his 2008 Cannes Film Festival screened "Blueprint” with new footage of Nhojj as the angel of love. The music video was featured in the 2010 Sundance Film Festival Queer Lounge.

“Love” appears on the “Love Songs” compilation and the 2x Velocity nominated “Soul Comfort.”  It features Carl Evans on Keys (Stevie Wonder, Barry White); David Stark on Guitar (Rick James & Teena Marie); Tommy Aros on percussion (Luis Miguel); and is mastered by by Robert Honablue, whose Gold and Platinum credits include Santana, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, and Miles Davis.

Over the years Nhojj has donated his gifts to MTV's Pos or not, ALSURA, Lifebeat (HIV/AIDS), Gay by God Campaign, Lesbian Domestic Violence, Drug Rehabilitation, National Disability Awareness, THAW (Theaters Against War), and September 11th Concerts. Most recently he donated the proceeds from his #1 CDBaby Reggae single “The Gay Warrior Song” to SASOD (Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination), an LGBT Rights Organization in Guyana.

Nhojj grew up in Guyana and Trinidad , where he performed for the Presidents of both countries. The son of a church minister, he began singing in church at the age of 5, but didn't embark on a career in music until after graduating from NYU with a BA in Economics. 

In almost a decade of recording music, Nhojj has released 6 CDs and an unplugged live DVD filmed by Emmy nominated director Bill Cote. He has toured the USA, UK, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Music from his 2001 debut “I've Been Waiting for You” was featured at the International Fringe Festival in the Award-winning play "The Making of the Black Man.”  His 2003 sophomore “Someday Peace Love & Freedom” was nominated for OUTStanding New Male Recording, and won Best Musical Performance at the Homo Hip-Hop Poetry Jam Fresh Fruit Festival. In 2005, Nhojj released the inspirational “John Martinborough Coming Home,” a dedication to his mother. And last year, he released the compilation Karaoke Vol. 1 which includes the instrumental tracks to all his CDs.

“Congratulations to Nhojj on his continued success.” - AfterElton

Instrumentation

Nhojj - singer & acoustic guitar

Discography

I've Been Waiting for you - 2001
Someday Peace Love & Freedom - 2003
An Intimate Evening with Nhojj DVD - 2004
John Martinborough Coming home - 2005
Soul Comfort - 2008
Karaoke Vol.1 - 2009
Love Songs - 2009
The Gay Warrior Song Single - 2010
You're A 10 - 2010
Things Will Get Better (A Song for Gay Teens) - 2010

Official Website

http://www.nhojj.com

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Last.fm
• MySpace
• Youtube

Audio

• Things Will Get Better (A Song for Gay Teens)
  Listen  
• The Gay Warrior Song
  Listen  
• Love
  Listen  
• Dream
  Listen  
• Adam & Steve
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Peace & Blessings
• Dream
• Music
• Doing m' thing
• I Like that...
• My Brother
• James Donovan

Video

Barbados Music Awards 2009

Photo Gallery

Press

• Gay Love on Top at MTV [+ Show ]
  

  Gay singer-songwriter Nhojj made music history twice in the past year — first as the only black male...Gay singer-songwriter Nhojj made music history twice in the past year — first as the only black male ever to win an OUTMusic Award for his song “Love,” and then, more remarkably, hitting the coveted number 1 spot on MTV’s music video chart this month. The “Love” video is a narrative that culminates in two young black men embracing in a bed. Nhojj’s sensual vocals drive the imagery, singing, “Our thighs now meet, our souls are singing, harmony sweet.”
  
  But Nhojj’s life’s trajectory was just as unpredictable as the success of his explicitly gay music video. Born in Guyana and raised in Trinidad, Nhojj was brought up in an extremely religious Caribbean family that still struggles to fully understand his homosexuality. Nhojj moved to the United States to attend New York University, where he studied economics. - David Michael Conner

• Soul Sessions Congratulates Soul Singer Nhojj [+ Show ]
  

  Nhojj has been delivering high-quality jazzy soul for nearly a decade. A soul pioneer, Nhojj is one ...Nhojj has been delivering high-quality jazzy soul for nearly a decade. A soul pioneer, Nhojj is one of a growing number of “out” Black gay performers releasing both universal and same-sex material... Soul Sessions congratulates soul singer Nhojj for being a Black history and a gay history first! - L. Michael Gipson

• Nhojj Stirs Souls While Finding Chart Success [+ Show ]
  

  Sometimes an artist comes up and surprises you. The fact that Nhojj is sitting at #1 on the MTV Musi...Sometimes an artist comes up and surprises you. The fact that Nhojj is sitting at #1 on the MTV Music Video charts likely surprised the devil out of teen sensation Justin Bieber, who sits below him at #2. For the record, I have no idea why Justin Bieber is famous, I just know his appearance at a mall can cause riots, so I have no idea how he buys pants.
  
  Nhojj's life reads as unlikely as his chart position. Born in Guyana as the son of a minister, he grew up singing in churches, radio programs, and even before his president. He was educated in the United States at New York University. And he's openly gay, as are the images of his video.
  
  His sound evokes memories of Sade. The video is a storybook of young love found, celebrated and consummated. It's easy to see why people like the sound, and the story is at first sweet and touching, then sad and moving.

• First Black Male to Win an OMA [+ Show ]
  

  Topping the MTV Top 100—and that's ahead of Justin Bieber, Ke$ha and the ubiquitous Taylor Swift—is ...Topping the MTV Top 100—and that's ahead of Justin Bieber, Ke$ha and the ubiquitous Taylor Swift—is "Love" by Nhojj. If you aren't familiar with the black, openly gay, Guyana-born independent artist, he made OUTMusic Awards history when he became the first black male to win an OMA. That was for the soulful, haunting ballad "Love", the theme song to OUT 100 honoree Kirk Shannon Butts' critically-acclaimed black gay love story "Blueprint".
  
  You may recall that Nhojj was part of the Gay by God campaign, joining Pastor Joseph W.Tolton other black gay activists with a full page newspaper advert in response to Donnie McClurkin's hateful "ex-gay" and anti-gay rants. Says Nhojj: "God is love, so wherever love exists, God exists. Same gender love is just as right and good as any other – because love is at the core. hat is what I want to share with the world.”

• Blown away by his Presence [+ Show ]
  

  The first time I heard Nhojj (produced like "Taj" in "Taj Mahal".) perform live, I was pretty much b...The first time I heard Nhojj (produced like "Taj" in "Taj Mahal".) perform live, I was pretty much blown away by his presence as a performer. With his striking appearance, gifted voice, and provocative lyrics, the singer/songwriter makes a captivating first impression on our eyes and ears... and sustains that musical euphoria throughout his performance. - Jed Ryan

• Fluidity of Sound [+ Show ]
  

  Categories are quickly dissolved by the fluidity of his sound. His so-soft-it's so strong and soarin...Categories are quickly dissolved by the fluidity of his sound. His so-soft-it's so strong and soaring voice reminds one of lullabies, though ones that work in reverse. They help gently wake you to reality rather than send you of to dreamland. - Chael Needle

• Acoustic Soul Music [+ Show ]
  

  The aptly titled Someday Peace Love & Freedom by Nhojj, is acoustic soul music with a message. Addre...The aptly titled Someday Peace Love & Freedom by Nhojj, is acoustic soul music with a message. Addressing homelessness (“The Beggar’s Cup”), settling disagreements (“Peace”), ending ignorance and hate (“Fighting For Love,” “Someday”), and loss (“I Miss You”), Nhojj does it all with an island flavor and the resolve of church music. - Gregg Shapiro

• Astounding Audiences Everywhere [+ Show ]
  

  I have the pleasure of hearing Nhojj deliver his pure and beauteous sound live in concert. I can tes...I have the pleasure of hearing Nhojj deliver his pure and beauteous sound live in concert. I can testify that when this man sings, you can hear a pin drop in the house. Astounding audiences everywhere with both his passion and his message, it is no wonder this man's music is played on radio stations throughout the world.

• The Artist to Watch this Year [+ Show ]
  

  There was a time when Nhojj didn't think he was talented enough. And now the out neo-soul recording ...There was a time when Nhojj didn't think he was talented enough. And now the out neo-soul recording artist and songwriter boasts a number one MTV video for the hit song, 'Love'. MTV picked up his video from LOGO. BET hailed him as a pioneer in music. Now, with his melodic pride anthem "The Gay Warrior Song", indie sensation Nhojj is the artist to watch this year.

• Impressed [+ Show ]
  

  I was impressed when I heard Nhojj's most recent independently released album, Someday Peace Love an...I was impressed when I heard Nhojj's most recent independently released album, Someday Peace Love and Freedom, and that impression solidified even further when I saw him performing live as a nominee (Outstanding New Performance - Male) at The Outmusic Awards Showcase.
  
  His sound is reminiscent of Bobby McFerrin's (he also somewhat resembles the famous maestro) but there are several other influences in his sound, including electronics coupled with tone samples varying from modern to traditional.
  
  Nhojj, who is openly gay, was born in Guyana to a minister father, and music surrounded him from the earliest years of his life as he participated in gospel choirs back home. He relocated to New York a few years ago, where he earned a BA in Economics from NYU before taking the plunge into professional music.

• Hope [+ Show ]
  

  Nhojj’s writing - he penned all the album’s lyric - has an uncanny way of combining the intimate and...Nhojj’s writing - he penned all the album’s lyric - has an uncanny way of combining the intimate and the universal, filling a listener with the desire to change the world and the hope that such change is indeed possible. - Cynthia Potts

• An understated Maxwell [+ Show ]
  

  Nhojj stands out as the real deal, his sweet-soul approach coming across like an understated Maxwell...Nhojj stands out as the real deal, his sweet-soul approach coming across like an understated Maxwell on an album, Soul Comfort, that exudes delicacy and controlled release. The Lucky Fellow-ish Peace & Blessings has already been picked up by many a DJ, a deservedly so - it really ought to be a big early summer tune - while Dream has that under-current pull of sexiness which Urban Hang Suite achieved most of the way through. The opener Doing M’ Thing pulses and bounces in just the right amounts. Yeah, this guy could grow into something.
  

• Celebration of Life & Light [+ Show ]
  

  A fusion of soulful moods flecked with a joyous celebration of life and light. The musical journey ...A fusion of soulful moods flecked with a joyous celebration of life and light. The musical journey on 'Soul Comfort' soothingly blends quiet storm, soul, sweetness all wrapped in a cozy blanket of spiritual awareness. It is easy listening spiked with organic layers of pure simple lyrics. - Walter Greene

• Voice of Social Conscience [+ Show ]
  

  If Wyclef is the new face of social conscience and Arrested Development its history, then Caribbean-...If Wyclef is the new face of social conscience and Arrested Development its history, then Caribbean-born, NY-raised Nhojj is its voice. What a voice. It manifests itself through his throat as a honeyed, subdued and unadorned combination of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye; it manifests itself through his fingers when he writes simple plainsong that sounds like it was birthed in the cotton fields; it manifests itself in an imagination that has created a hybrid of soft southern soul, folk and jazz-reggae. His is a voice that is as familiar as an old friend, as comforting as a happy memory, as stirring as the first flush of love. His is a voice that speaks from every orifice, hear it. - Michael Ornadet

Setlist

30 min to hour long sets.

Basic Requirements

Calendar