Keziah Jones

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Keziah Jones
Keziah Jones-IMG 5263.jpg
Background information
Birth nameOlufemi Sanyaolu
Born (1968-01-10) 10 January 1968 (age 56)
Lagos, Nigeria
Genres Blues, Funk, Yoruba music, soul
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, photographer, poet, playwright, painter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano, bass, percussion, clarinet
Years active1992–present
Labels Delabel Records
Virgin Records
Because Music
Unplugged concert in Strasbourg, France, September 2008 Keziah Jones - Unplugged Strasbourg Sep 08 - 5.jpg
Unplugged concert in Strasbourg, France, September 2008

Keziah Jones (born Olufemi Sanyaolu on 10 January 1968) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He describes his musical style as "Blufunk", which is a fusion between raw blues elements and hard, edgy funk rhythms. Also his Nigerian roots in Yoruba music and soul music can be considered a major influence on his sound.

Contents

He is known for his distinctive style of guitar playing, including his percussive right-hand technique which is similar to a bass guitarist's slapping technique.

ph. Penelope Caillet KJ playing.jpg
ph. Penelope Caillet

Life and career

Olufemi Sanyaolu a.k.a. Keziah Jones was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Son of Oshodolamu Sanyaolu, Chief of the Yoruba people and successful industrialist Abiola Sanyaolu, he was being prepared to follow his father's footsteps in the family concern and was expected to have an academic career. That is why, at the age of eight, he left Nigeria and relocated to England to attend the prestigious Millfield School in North London.

Reflecting on his experience, Jones has remarked:

"I had to find a way out of all that (English public school system), and music was it!".

By 13, he had discovered the piano and began teaching himself how to play and write songs. Three years later, he took up the guitar and started busking in London’s underground stations, folk clubs, and streets, often evading the police. In the late 1980s he moved to Paris, busking in the metro, where he was discovered by manager Phil Pickett. Jones attributes his Parisian subway experiences as highly instrumental to his by now blossoming career.

Keziah Jones developed a reputation as a distinctive musician and charismatic performer with a unique hard funk style, moving frequently between London and Paris. In 1992, he released his debut album, "Blufunk Is A Fact", which included the hit single “Rhythm Is Love” . This track gained global recognition and established Jones as a significant musical talent. Over his career, he has released six studio albums, producing hits such as “Where Is Life,” “A Million Miles From Home,” “Beautiful Emilie,” “Femiliarise,” “Kpafuca,” and “1973.”

Recently, Keziah Jones recorded his first full live album in Lagos with his long-term band, including Josh “McNasty” McKenzie on drums, Joey “Anchor man” Grant and Alex ‘Beanz” Miller on bass, and Edem “Amen” Viana on guitar. He is currently working on his seventh studio album and collaborating on various side projects, including an EP titled Class Of 89 with famed French EDM producer Philippe Cohen Solal. There are plans to expand this project into a full studio album.

Influences and artistic vision

Jones cites Fela Kuti , Miles Davis , and Jimi Hendrix as his primary musical influences. His signature sound, Blufunk, is a blend of punk-funk attitude, Yoruba rhythms, and diverse lyrical themes, sung predominantly in English with occasional Yoruba. Visual arts is an integral part of Keziah’s work, himself a draughtsman.

Jones, who splits his time between Lagos, Nigeria, and Paris, France, frequently explores the relationship between the northern and southern hemispheres in his art. He aims to portray the modernity of post-colonial Africa, challenging the Western perception of Africa as a continent ravaged by famine and conflict. He highlights the vibrancy of contemporary urban African culture, particularly in Lagos, a city of 25 million people. Jones emphasizes that modern African culture thrives in music, fashion, and art, greatly influenced by the African Diaspora. He states:

“ What I want to show the world is the modernity of post-colonial Africa, far from the image that the Western world carries of a continent devastated by famine and/or war. I’m talking about young urban Africa.”

Keziah Jones continues to innovate and create, solidifying his place as a significant figure in both the African and global music scenes.

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[1] 		BEL
(FL)
[2] 		BEL
(WA)
[3] 		FRA
[4] 		SWI
[5]
Blufunk Is a Fact
  • Released: 23 March 1992
  • Format: CD
———56—
African Space Craft
  • Released: 27 March 1995
  • Format: CD
95———16
Liquid Sunshine
  • Released: 10 May 1999
  • Format: CD
———3938
Black Orpheus
  • Released: 22 April 2003
  • Format: CD
———1322
Nigerian Wood
  • Released: 1 September 2008
  • Format: CD
—7331414
Captain Rugged
  • Released: 1 January 2013
  • Format: CD
——1695897

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
SWI
[5]
Rhythm Is Love – Best Of
  • Released: 2 November 2004
  • Format: CD
98

Collaboration albums

• Class Of 89 - Philippe Cohen Solal feat. Keziah Jones (2022)

EPs

Videography

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
AUS
[1] 		FRA
[4] 		UK
[6]
"Rhythm Is Love"1992—40—Blufunk Is a Fact
"Where's Life?"———
"Million Miles from Home"199592—181African Space Craft
"If You Know"———

Filmography

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References

  1. 1 2 Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
    • Top 100 peaks to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 148.
    • "Million Miles from Home": "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 27 Aug 1995" . Retrieved 4 July 2017– via Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.
  2. ↑ "Ultratop > Keziah Jones in Ultratop Vlaanderen" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "Ultratop > Keziah Jones dans L'Ultratop Wallonie" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  4. 1 2 "lescharts.com > Keziah Jones dans les Charts Français" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  5. 1 2 "hitparade.ch > Keziah Jones in der Schweizer Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "Chart Log UK 1994–2010 > Jessie J – JX". zobbel.de. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
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