Kele Okereke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kele Okereke
Okereke performing in November 2018
Background information
Birth name	Rowland Kelechukwu Okereke
Born	(1981-10-13) 13 October 1981 (age 43) Liverpool, England
Origin	London, England
Genres	Indie rock post-punk revival post-Britpop art punk alternative rock alternative dance house
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano vocoder
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Wichita V2 Kobalt A Remarkable Idea
Associated acts	Bloc Party Tommy Sparks Tiësto Benson Taylor Martin Solveig The Chemical Brothers Hercules and Love Affair

Rowland Kelechukwu "Kele" Okereke (born 13 October 1981), known simply as Kele, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is famous as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party. He has also released several albums as a solo artist.

Early Life and Education

Kele Okereke was born in Liverpool, England, on October 13, 1981. His parents were immigrants from Nigeria. He grew up in Edinburgh and London and was raised Catholic. As a teenager, he went to Trinity Catholic High School in Woodford Green. Later, from 2001 to 2003, he studied English literature at King's College London.

Music Career Journey

Starting with Bloc Party

Bloc Party performing in January 2006

Kele Okereke met Russell Lissack, another guitarist from East London, through friends. They formed the band Bloc Party in 1999 after meeting at the Reading Festival. In 2000, bass player Gordon Moakes joined after seeing an advertisement in the New Musical Express. Matt Tong became the band's drummer in 2003. Kele didn't tell his parents he was a musician until Bloc Party got a record deal. He then left university to focus on music.

Bloc Party's first album, Silent Alarm, was released in 2005. It reached number 3 on the UK Album Charts. The album's fast style was compared to the band Gang of Four. Kele later said the lyrics on this album were a bit too unclear. He wanted to write more direct songs, inspired by the band The Smiths.

Bloc Party's Growing Success

The band's second album, A Weekend in the City, came out in February 2007. It reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and number 2 in the UK. For this album, Kele wrote songs about more personal and social topics. He mentioned that events in London, like the 7 July London bombings, made him want to write lyrics that were "dark, bigger and quite abrasive." The song "The Prayer" was their most successful single, reaching number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.

Kele Okereke sometimes had disagreements with other musicians. In 2007, he responded to comments from Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis. He called Oasis "the most overrated and pernicious band of all time." He felt they didn't change their music style enough over time.

Bloc Party's third album, Intimacy, was first released online in August 2008. The CD version came out in October 2008. It reached number 8 on the UK Albums Chart.

After this, Bloc Party took a break. Kele also worked with other artists like Tiësto and Martin Solveig.

In 2011, Kele reunited with Bloc Party to record their fourth album, Four. It was released in August 2012 and reached number three in the UK charts. In 2013, the band released an EP called The Nextwave Sessions and then took another break.

Bloc Party got back together in 2015 with some new members. Their fifth album, Hymns, was released on January 29, 2016. In March 2018, Bloc Party announced a tour to play songs from their first album, Silent Alarm.

Kele's Solo Music

Okereke performing in 2009

Kele Okereke released his first solo album, The Boxer, on June 21, 2010. He released it under the name Kele, without his last name. He explained the title by saying that a boxer relies only on themselves and keeps going despite challenges. The first single from the album was "Tenderoni."

In September 2011, Kele released an EP called The Hunter. He also released the single "Everything You Wanted," which was remixed by South African producers.

Kele was featured on Sub Focus's song "Turn It Around" in 2013. On July 23, 2014, Kele announced his second solo album, Trick. He released it on his own record label, Lilac Records.

His third album, Fatherland, came out on October 6, 2017. For this album, he used his full name, Kele Okereke.

In January 2019, a new musical called "Leave to Remain," written by Kele Okereke and Matt Jones, opened in London. The musical tells a love story and has a tie-in album of new songs. Kele said it was important to tell a story about people from different cultures finding love.

Kele's fourth album, 2042, was released in November 2019. The album's title refers to a prediction about population changes in the United States. Many songs on the album talk about social issues. Musically, the album mixes funk with electronic sounds and West African beats.

In May 2021, Kele released his fifth studio album, The Waves Pt. 1. His sixth album, The Flames Pt. 2, followed in March 2023.

Personal Life and Views

In the early days of Bloc Party, Kele sometimes felt uncomfortable with interviews that focused on him being a black man in British rock music. He felt that some questions suggested British rock wasn't for black people. He also compared his quiet personality to other rock singers who were more outgoing.

In October 2008, Kele moved to Berlin, Germany, because of its lively music scene. He then lived in New York City until 2011. He said that living in the United States made him more aware of social differences. He felt the situation was better in the UK, where his music was enjoyed by many different people.

In 2017, Kele and his partner became parents to a daughter through surrogacy in the United States. Around the same time, he moved to a new home in London, looking for more green spaces and a quieter life.

Kele has shared his opinions on social issues. In 2022, he said that not many artists were speaking out against racism in the United Kingdom. He believes it's important to challenge harmful comments made by public figures.

Discography

Solo Albums

Kele Okereke has released several studio albums as a solo artist. Here is a list of his albums and where they appeared on music charts.

Soundtrack Albums

EPs

Kele has also released shorter music collections called EPs (Extended Plays).

Singles

As Lead Artist

Here are some of the singles Kele has released as the main artist.

As Featured Artist

Kele has also been featured on songs by other artists.

With Bloc Party

Kele Okereke has released several albums with his band, Bloc Party.

• Silent Alarm (2005)
• A Weekend in the City (2007)
• Intimacy (2008)
• Four (2012)
• Hymns (2016)
• Alpha Games (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Kele Okereke para niños