Sola Akingbola's Critical Mass
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Sola Akingbola's Critical Mass

London, England, United Kingdom | INDIE

London, England, United Kingdom | INDIE
Band World Adult Contemporary

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Routes to Roots"

Every so often an album commands our attention and respect. Sola Akingbola's solo debut is a prime example. The Nigerian born percussionist's main gig is with the chart topping globe trotting UK dance band Jamiroquai,but he found the time to make a traditional Yoruba drumming- inspired album with the help of a talented stable of musicians. Akingbola writes and plays with exceptional depth and emotion-he composed,arranged and produced most of the 11 songs here with instrumentation that mostly consists of hand drums,percussion and vocals. Tracks such as " Ninu Opon Ori Tiwa" and "Kulumbu Yeye" show not only his ensemble's nimble musicianship, but equally important,his song writing
artistry. Simply put,every track on this disk is a stand out,even if some of them are vignettes of three minutes or less. The more you listen,the more you hear,making Routes to Roots truely an aural expedition worth exploring many times over. - Global Rhythms Mag


"Phil Wilson"

Nigerian born but London raised, Sola digs into his Yoruba roots and has come up with some worth while material reflecting an interest in Yoruba Poetry and religion.
Sola is no mean singer either. He heads a small group of fellow drummers on most tracks and keeps it fairly simple but effective.
This combination of skill and religious interest... has the potential to appeal on several fronts. - Froots Magazine UK


"Tom Orr"

Sola Akingbola has been seasoning the sound of the UK jazzfunk band Jamiroquai for a long time, but it's the drumming traditions of his native land that stir the pot on Routes to Roots:
Yoruba drums from Nigeria. An intricate mesh of talking drums,bata,sakara and small percussion builds or arrives full throttle in each track,often accompanied by vocals (in praise of the Orisha pantheon) and always providing polyrhythmic thrills that are never too busy or cluttered. A lot of this is rooted in the apala music of the Nigerian Muslim communities,while some of the smoother passages are only a couple of guitars away from being juju. Still,the sounds have their own sort of sophistication,with interplay between the individual instruments constructing elaborate work outs that will thrill both percussion lovers and fans of African music cut to the core. Jamiroquai can continue to be Akingbola's bread and butter so long as he also takes the occassional break to make disks as good as this. - World Music Central


Discography

Debut Solo album with ARC Music Int - ' ROUTES TO ROOTS

Photos

Bio

Sola Akingbola is the guy who puts the grooves within the groove of the internationally renowned group Jamiroquai. During the 1997 world tour,back stage at the MTV awards in New York,Sola was approached by an old Cuban drummer who asked him ' Where is the music of my Yoruba brothers in London'?
The seed was set. 4 world tours later, Sola was introduced to the finest traditional Yoruba drummers on the thriving underground fuji scene in London.
Sola says " I can always hear the FUNKINESS in those fuji drummers,it's time we tried to draw it out"!
Combining this rhythmic perspective with melodies inspired by the philosophical ideas drawn from the poems of IFA- A deep body of philosophical and cultural knowledge. We have a sound that praises the progressive spirit of all Yorubas, men and women young and old, rich and poor,visible and the hidden.
This music can also speak to all people interested in the concept of identity. Born in Nigeria,raised and educated in London, hearing Haruna Isola, King Sunny Ade, Ayinla Kollington on the system at home,with their blazing drummers, set a tone! Whilst at school, getting down 'hard' to the likes of Earth Wind & Fire,Miles Davis, The Ojays, Mandrill, James Brown,Bizet, Hugh Masakela, The Clash, Sham 69,Ian Dury & The Block Heads, Funkadelic, Parliament, LABoppers, Side Effect, Dazz Band, FatLarry's Band, Ozone, Pleasure, MFSOB, George Duke, Deep Purple, Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder, Public Enemy, Airto ,NWA,Giovanni Hidalgo, Cyprus Hill, Irakere, Lauren Hill, Joni Mitchell, Michael Franks, Salif Keita,Donny Hathaway, Miriam Makeba, Lokua Kanza, Towre of Power, Sonny Stit, Bach, Ali Farka Toure,Sarah Vaughn, Oumou Sangare, Raul Midon,shall I go on?
A heady mix of influences!!!