Teni
London, England, United Kingdom | SELF
Music
Press
Afro-Cuban fusions dipped in seductive percussion, midnight horns mournfully cornering soul-jazz labyrinths, “Afrodisiac,” matches soothing coos to tempting tempos for cool musical jewels swayed by reggae and bathed in highlife. Generous, spirited and softly persuasive, Teni’s Nigerian roots and London birth bridges global traditions with feminist wisdom, an earth-mother enchantress doling bold, lavish mantras through bewitching sophistication and sultry funk. - Maximum Ink
Afro-Cuban fusions dipped in seductive percussion, midnight horns mournfully cornering soul-jazz labyrinths, “Afrodisiac,” matches soothing coos to tempting tempos for cool musical jewels swayed by reggae and bathed in highlife. Generous, spirited and softly persuasive, Teni’s Nigerian roots and London birth bridges global traditions with feminist wisdom, an earth-mother enchantress doling bold, lavish mantras through bewitching sophistication and sultry funk. - Maximum Ink
Perhaps even more expansive musically than Ikwue’s new record is “Afrodisiac,” the full-length debut from singer-songwriter Teni, the London-born daughter of a Nigerian chieftain. Fusing West African afrobeat with American blues, funk and jazz, the singer describes her music as “afrosoul,” and it’s certainly an apt characterization of her album, a prophetic record that reveals debts to sources ranging from Nina Simone, Fela and Sade to Motown, dub reggae and contemporary neo-soul.
Though raised in England, Teni later spent a decade in Africa, where she performed with a latter-day installment of Fela’s Egypt 80 and witnessed the poverty and injustice that would greatly politicize her music. “Stop the fighting and heal the land/ We need to find the strength to stand,” she cries, spurred on by the bracing polyrhythms of “Africa,” her album’s closer. Over the vamping funk of “Lionheart,” she asserts, “You cannot hold me down / I always wear the crown,” echoed by unrelenting horn choruses that sound like resistance itself.
- Washington Post
Perhaps even more expansive musically than Ikwue’s new record is “Afrodisiac,” the full-length debut from singer-songwriter Teni, the London-born daughter of a Nigerian chieftain. Fusing West African afrobeat with American blues, funk and jazz, the singer describes her music as “afrosoul,” and it’s certainly an apt characterization of her album, a prophetic record that reveals debts to sources ranging from Nina Simone, Fela and Sade to Motown, dub reggae and contemporary neo-soul.
Though raised in England, Teni later spent a decade in Africa, where she performed with a latter-day installment of Fela’s Egypt 80 and witnessed the poverty and injustice that would greatly politicize her music. “Stop the fighting and heal the land/ We need to find the strength to stand,” she cries, spurred on by the bracing polyrhythms of “Africa,” her album’s closer. Over the vamping funk of “Lionheart,” she asserts, “You cannot hold me down / I always wear the crown,” echoed by unrelenting horn choruses that sound like resistance itself.
- Washington Post
Teni is a jazz singer and composer who makes afrosoul. Upon hearing her sultry and elegant jazz vocal, one is immediately reminded of the great Sade Adu.
She doesn’t just have talents in music, having studied History at University College London, and running her fashion house, The House of Makeda whilst living in Lagos, Nigeria.
Leading her fourteen piece band the Afro-Renaissance, and also appearing from time to time with the Egypt 80, Fela Kutis’ original band. She is set to release the second single from her forthcoming album “Afrodisiac,” titled “Lionheart.” She is a BBC Introducing artist after getting airplay on several BBC shows, and has interest from several major labels in the UK.
The album is classic, with afrosoul roots; having been at this for ten years , Teni is set to revolutionize music with an epic self-produced sound that transcends genres from jazz and the blues to soul and reggae, is inspired by eclectic influences from Fela Kuti to Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley and has a strong, truly timeless message. - Fab Magazine Online
Teni is a jazz singer and composer who makes afrosoul. Upon hearing her sultry and elegant jazz vocal, one is immediately reminded of the great Sade Adu.
She doesn’t just have talents in music, having studied History at University College London, and running her fashion house, The House of Makeda whilst living in Lagos, Nigeria.
Leading her fourteen piece band the Afro-Renaissance, and also appearing from time to time with the Egypt 80, Fela Kutis’ original band. She is set to release the second single from her forthcoming album “Afrodisiac,” titled “Lionheart.” She is a BBC Introducing artist after getting airplay on several BBC shows, and has interest from several major labels in the UK.
The album is classic, with afrosoul roots; having been at this for ten years , Teni is set to revolutionize music with an epic self-produced sound that transcends genres from jazz and the blues to soul and reggae, is inspired by eclectic influences from Fela Kuti to Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley and has a strong, truly timeless message. - Fab Magazine Online
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
After studying History and African Studies at a prestigious London university, jazz singer Teni returned to Lagos, Nigeria, the home of Fela Kuti and afrobeat, where she spent her formative years, to start her ten piece band the Afro-Renaissance. Influenced by Sade Adu, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Fela Kuti and Marvin Gaye, she's the only woman composing contemporary feminine afrobeat and afrosoul as Fela's legacy ignites stages from New York to London. She's now in London, ready to take on the world and become a third world superstar.Ten years in the making, we present Teni and the Afro-Renaissance.
"Afrodisiac" is the debut album by jazz singer and composer Teni. A timelessly soulful, sensual jazz and afrobeat inspired piece with sultry vocals, funky bass lines and hypnotic afro guitars. She has appeared from time to time with Fela's band, the Egypt 80, in Lagos opening for his son Seun Kuti and has also performed at Felabration. Teni has performed this year in Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg and London and will be doing a three city tour of Australia in March 2014.
With her nine-piece band the Afro-Renaissance, Teni seeks to start a new movement as one of the few African women composing her own sound and touring the world. The rising afrosoul star's message of African unity and upliftment and powerfully sensual live performance are sure to help her take the music world by storm. Industry insiders have said "Sade, watch out," however Teni makes it clear that while she is inspired by her, and other torch singers like Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, she is very much forging her own unique path with a more afrobeat inspired sound and style. Afrobeat co-creator and master drummer Tony Allen is one of her biggest fans personally calling to congratulate her on the release of her album. This gifted singer-songwriter now looks firmly set to emerge as one of 2014's finest new breakthrough artists with her self-produced album that was recorded entirely in Lagos, Nigeria and singles which have received airplay on the BBC and have been featured by NME, the original British rock music magazine, The Voice News and the Washington Post.
Her sultry new afro dance inspired single 'Your Love Is The Key' is currently heating up the airwaves from Lagos to Accra while her 'Lionheart' music video makes waves across the continent. With an album of truly classic, rootsy afrosoul music that is ten years in the making, Teni is set to revolutionize music with an epic sound that transcends genres from jazz and the blues to soul and reggae and has a strong, truly universal message. Afrodisiac the debut album by Teni is out now on iTunes, Amazon Mp3 and Spotify.
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