Keziah Jones (born Olufemi Sanyaolu on January 10, 1968 in Lagos, Nigeria) 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.
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. He's also famous for playing most of his live shows with a bare torso.Contents [hide] 1 Biography 2 Influences 3 Art 4 Personal life 5 Discography 5.1 Studio Albums 5.2 Videography 5.3 Charts 6 References 7 External links
[edit] Biography
Jones is the son of Osodolamu Sanyaolu; Chief of a Yoruba tribe and successful industrialist. Jones spent his early childhood in a large family in the semi-Muslim part of Nigeria, close to the city of Lagos. From a young age he was being prepared to follow his father's footsteps and was expected to have an academic career. Therefore his father enrolled him in a Public School in London and he left Nigeria at the age of eight to be educated in England.
"I had to find a way out of all that bullshit, and music was it!"[citation needed] By the age of 13 he discovered the old school piano and taught himself how to play and write songs. Three years later he switched to the guitar, increasingly neglecting his studies. After scraping through exams he went against his father's wishes and family tradition even more by skipping school and busking in the streets, clubs and London Underground, constantly avoiding the police, the Immigration Department - and his own relatives.
Jones led a bohemian lifestyle for several years instead of the one envisaged for him. "Lose all time, love your mind, free your soul!" were words from his song Free Your Soul. Moving from London to Paris, accompanied by his guitar, he acquired a reputation as a talented musician and performer with a unique style. In 1991, while playing in the Paris Metro, Keziah was discovered by an A&R man from the French music label "Delabel". In 1992, Delabel signed Keziah for his debut album and recorded it in Paris, Blufunk Is a Fact including the worldwide success of Keziah's first single "Rhythm is Love." Jones attributes his Parisian subway experiences as being instrumental to his blossoming career in his official biography.[1]. By 2008, Jones recorded eight albums and one DVD. [edit] Influences
Keziah often cites Fela Kuti and Jimi Hendrix as important influences, along with Michael Jackson.[citation needed] Keziah is not in support of Drm ,[clarification needed]he thinks music should be shared no matter the cost, and that people in third world countries should listen to music to help them. Jones works with these people, and so plays music while doing it. [edit] Art
Keziah Jones also paints and writes poetry. He’s a talented[citation needed]photographer and he produces short films, one among them entitled BLACKSPEEDTEXT This film, his music and the other facets of his artistic life reflect his experiences on the streets. [edit] Personal life
Keziah was married to Anglo-Nigerian singer Akure Wall in 1994. they separated in 1996. [edit] Discography [edit] Studio Albums Blufunk Is A Fact - (March 23, 1992) African Space Craft - (March 27, 1995) Liquid Sunshine - (May 10, 1999) Black Orpheus - (April 22, 2003) Black Orpheus Limited Edition - (2004) Rhythm Is Love - Best Of - (November 2, 2004) Nigerian Wood - (September 1, 2008) [edit] Videography
Live At The Elysée Montmartre (June 14, 2004) [edit] Charts
The album Nigerian Wood spent 43 weeks in the French S.N.E.P.-chart, and reached number 4. Black Orpheus was in the French chart for 63 weeks, its highest position being 13[2]. Rhythm is Love stayed in the chart for seven weeks. Nigerian Wood spent four weeks on Billboard's European Albums Chart[3].
