Bai Kamara jr

Bai Kamara Jr describes his music as having "a basis in soul with jazz and blues wrapped around it". Sting is cited as an influence, alongside the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye. However, Bai's personally constructed style of music has also arisen from the many various influences of his younger years in Africa.

Singer-songwriter Bai Kamara Jr. was born in Bo Town, Sierra Leone, where he continued to live for most of his childhood. When Bai moved to the United Kingdom for his schooling at the age of 15, his musical talent was awakened by the sounds of the English music scene. As soon as Bai started college in Manchester he began to write his first songs that explored and reflected his diverse cultural, social and political backgrounds. In spite of musical success, Bai moved to Brussels to continue his University career. The politically-charged atmosphere of the EU at the time, meant that the content of Bai’s songs soon became highly demanded by local musicians. At the same time Bai had an opportunity to experiment with his own personal sound as a singer.

Bai went on to create several bands, including; Odex Protocole (1992), whose highlight performances included the Jazz Rally and the International Music festival ‘Couleur Cafe.’ The success of these performances was compounded when his band supported Terence Trent D’Arby, The Neville Brothers and Youssu n’Dour amongst others. In 1996 they recorded their first EP produced by Mel Gaynor (drummer of the 'simple minds') and in 1998 their full album was produced by Dan Lacksman (Deep Forest).

Bai then started touring and promoting himself primarily as a solo artist, becoming an extremely well known and much loved performer in the venues around Belgium, Spain and Italy. Subsequently, as Bai’s solo career began to take form, he was able to work with Yassou n’Dour on another project, ‘Refugee Voices.’ The UNHCR (UN Commission for Refugees) contacted and elected Bai to travel to Senegal and record with n’Dour. Eventually releasing the CD ‘Building Bridges’ in 1998.

Since then Bai has remained dedicated to helping the less fortunate around the world, reflected in participation in the ‘One Voice’ project (2005), in which a group of Brusselite musicians, including Bai Kamara, recorded a compilation called ‘Charity CD for Hurricane relief.’
Bai himself is quoted as saying that had it not been for a musical career he may have been some kind of activist, a humanitarian. ‘That's always been part of me. I do what I do to bring up issues that have dropped off the map. We still need to fight for social justice.’

In 2001, Bai signed a publishing deal with Universal Belgium launching his solo career. After releasing 2 Albums with Bang Music Bai continues to appear on radio, TV and live across Europe. His most successful album ‘the Urban Gipsy’ is still rocking the radio charts in Belgium, and now reaching the US. Bai is now working hard on his next album, videos and a DVD, writing for the groups Vaya Con Dios and Larry.

After a full and thus far rewarding career Bai has finally signed with a professional management team (VURSE), in the hope that higher levels of exposure will take him to the pinnacle of his potential. When Bai himself was asked what song he felt was his best he replied, "I haven't written it yet. I think there's a lot more to come..."

For more info you can go to Bai's website www.baikamara.com or his highly successful myspace site www.myspace.com/urbangypsy