Ade Adu
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Ade Adu

Wellsville, New York, United States | SELF

Wellsville, New York, United States | SELF
Band Pop Singer/Songwriter

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"Alfred Alum Ade Adu Performs"

Singer/songwriter and Alfred University graduate, Ade Adu, performed acoustic songs for his audience at the Knight Club on Nov. 6.

With no backing band, he got the crowd to clap and sing along with just his rhythm, powerful voice, and guitar.

He shared some original material from his newly-released album, as well as a few popular favorites. Among those, he covered the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back,” R. Kelly’s “Ignition,” “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, and “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

Adu currently lives in Wellsville and will be doing a few upcoming shows in the area.

Adu described how 10 years prior, he had put together a show for Terra Cotta's Open Mic Night on the very same stage. In that performance, which he worked hard for, he came in third place. “It’s funny how I can come here on this stage tonight and know that even if you don’t come in first place one time, nobody is really a loser. We’re all winners when we do what we love.” His new album, “Winner,” can be purchased online at www.adeadu.com.

He also encouraged everyone to friend him on Facebook and to tell all of their friends about his music. - Fiat Lux Magazine (Alfred University)


"Ade Adu - Whistling While He Works"

“First impressions are often the truest… A man's look is the work of years; it is stamped on his countenance by the events of his whole life… and it is not to be got rid of easily” – William Hazlett.

When I first met singer/songwriter Ade Adu, I found him alone, struggling to carry his equipment from his vehicle into the cramped, small door of The Hickey, Allegany’s favorite hole in the wall. It’s the kind of place where you get the feeling that you could read the entire history of its patrons on the walls of its bathrooms, and not really the sort of place you’d think you’d hear a performer who’s lived in three different countries and has three college degrees. With a polo shirt, jeans, and no jacket in the middle of January, Adu carried his large speakers and six-string with the sort of reassured, content smile that you could only hope to find on the countenance of a man who truly loves what he does. And to say that Ade Adu loves what he does would be a considerable understatement.

What Adu does, nearly everyday of his life, is bring music to the masses. However, on any one of those given days, you might be in for an entirely unique listening experience. Depending on his undertaking, it’s difficult what to expect with Adu and nearly impossible to pin down with any genre classification. It’s not that Ade doesn’t play recognizable material; it’s that he plays it all.

“I just don’t want to be stuck in one box. I call it multidimensional, because you can’t really just say that this is all I am,” Adu says of his musical undertakings. “I can do anything from gospel, I can do rock songs, some dance, some reggae…”

In a live setting, Adu can give the audience the listening experience they’re looking for with just an acoustic guitar, or maybe an acoustic with a band. On this frigid winter evening, he’ll play an all acoustic set that will end up moving the crowd for over four hours; in several weeks, he’ll be playing a rock set with a full band. In the midst of all of this, Adu continues to work in the studio, bringing his pop-sensibilities to fruition with his beat-heavy, rock, folk, hip hop, dance, and reggae inspired original tracks.

“It’s a whole different ballgame with the CD. The CD, it’s like pop music… Pop music will work better on a CD, because people want to turn up their car stereos and they want to hear the loud bass and the beat,” Adu said.

After a quick tune of his guitar and brief introduction of himself and his guest djembe player, Richard Allen Braithwaite, the warm and sultry sounds of Adu’s rendition of “Anytime She Goes Away” filled the dank and vacant recesses of The Hickey. Smooth and comforting yet dense and virile, Adu’s voice immediately defrosted the hearts of the few patrons that had, as of yet, braved the cold to come out for the evening. One by one, they all abandoned their drinks and turned on their stools to devote their attention to his melodious musings. Though the night was still young and there were only a handful of people in the small bar, shouts of applause rang and couples danced within only the opening moments of his set. He continued the night with other hits, including, “Only Want to Be With You,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” and “Ants Marching.”

He said that he prefers to play upbeat songs, songs that get people out of their seats and moving. The world is a sad enough place, and people have enough troubles, Adu said. People don’t come out to a club to hear depressing, loathsome music; they come to have a good time.

“What I really want music to be is a tool for people to get away from their stress, to make them happy,” he said.

And make people happy he did. Adu had obviously done this more than a few times before, because like a pied piper, he lured in more and more fans from the wide selection of other bars in Allegany to come and see what all the fuss was about. Before long, one would have thought it was a different bar altogether; tables were pushed aside and college students started getting down and dirty to acoustic versions of “Electric Avenue,” “ABC,” and an especially imaginative mash-up of “Heartless” and “Wonderwall.”

After several hours of playing, Adu still hadn’t taken a single break except to wipe the sweat from his brow and take a quick sip of water. For the past year and a half, he’s typically played 16 to 20 hours per week, and he’s been known to sing for up to nine hours at a time. Adu said he’s been referred to as ‘the guy who never takes a break.’ A true working musician, he fills his evenings with performances and his days traveling to the next gig.

“I pretty much keep myself busy week in and week out. It’s fun, and that’s all I do. This is all I do for now, because I realize if you ever want to make it, you have to pay the price. This is the price you have to pay. It’s like paying your dues,” Adu said of his lifestyle. But paying his dues isn’t without its benefits.

“I think it’s rewarding; the other day, I played Cojones. An - Odeum Magazine


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

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Bio

Sometimes you just need to be inspired and music is the one universal thing in this world that connects us to one another. Whether it is a nice beat, nice sound or simply a desire to feel like someone understands what you are going through Ade Adu is the man to listen to.

He is not your average singer- songwriter. Born in Buffalo N.Y. he has since lived in West and Southern Africa finally moving back to Western N.Y. where he now resides. When asked how living in other countries has influenced his music he answered. “It helped my music come across as more diverse and more universal as I have a better idea of what kind of music people generally like around the world.” Adu has a smooth voice that has the sound of Bob Marley, Dave Matthews, Seal, John Mayer, and Richie Havens. Although he sings a broad range of genres including dance, hip- hop, reggae, rock, euro- beat, contemporary Christian rock he isn’t limited too any genre. He has done rock, hip-hop, R&B, reggae, and even jazz on his acoustic guitar.

“Just the passion and non-stop music in my head as I hear melodies and song ideas constantly.” has influenced him greatly in being the musician he is today. The first album that Adu sat down too that made him feel the music was Tracy Chapman’s self –titled debut album and The Cranberries “No Need to Argue” album from 1994. The bands and singers that made him want to pick up a guitar and make his own music are Tracy Chapman, Bob Marley, Baby Face, Dave Matthews Band and Seal.

“I can fill a void in the music industry right now…as a black guy on the acoustic guitar who can do several music styles but with an upbeat pop- dance music for a wide range of music listeners.” says Adu. He is a very dedicated singer who can sing for non-stop hours at a time.

Adu is a highly educated musician with several college degrees in economics, business, and information Technology. He’s a graduate of Alfred State College and Alfred University. As a fellow college student he takes pride in performing at several colleges and being heard on college radio stations.

He is a hard working musician who has played 16-20 hours a week as a solo acoustic performer for the past year and a half. He once played 10 straight nights and up to 9 hours on one occasion. He has performed at various colleges including Daemen College, Niagara University, Alfred University, Cazenovia College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Lemoyne College, St. Bonaventure, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Bradford and more. Locally, he performs regularly at Cojones Cantina, Tortugas Restaurant and Codder’s Sports Bar.

He is a singer/songwriter with potential to create a new sound and unique style that captures attention of record industry executives across the country. He currently performs at colleges, high schools, bars and restaurants playing well known covers and his original songs.

His debut CD entitled “ Winner” which came out August 2010 features his hit original songs “ Come With Me”, “ Be My Girl”,” Living Single”, Life Lessons” and more. The CD was produced by legendary producer Mike Garrrison of Digitek Publishing and has gotten rave reviews from magazines such as UpstateLIVE.

Ade Adu is very passionate about music. “I feel I have what it takes to create and perform to a broader audience than most college performers. I’ve performed for multi- racial audiences playing everything from Johnny Cash to Bob Marley to John Mayer to Dave Matthews to Kanye West to Zac Brown Band. My original music is currently played on Hot AC radio stations lie Power 105.3 in Hornell, NY as it appeals to a mainstream audience. I have a dynamic voice that is powerful yet soothing and it fits with different styles of music. My music is highly rhythmic and melodious at the same time.” said Adu on what his music means to him in his life.

Adu has a website www.adeadu.com for more information on how to contact him or purchase his music. He is also found on facebook at www.facebook.com/adeadumusic or on youtube at www.youtube.com/adeadumusic.

We haven’t heard the last from Ade Adu. He will continue to use his voice and universal sound to captivate audiences as much as he can for as long as he can.