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 Okereke (born 13 October 1981), who often goes by the name Kele, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is famous for being the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the indie rock band Bloc Party. He has also had a successful career as a solo artist, releasing six studio albums on his own.

Early Life and Education

Kele Okereke was born in Liverpool, England, to Nigerian parents. He is of the Igbo people. He grew up in Edinburgh and London, where he attended Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green.

After high school, he went to King's College London to study English literature. However, his passion for music led him down a different path.

Music Career

Kele's music career is known for his work with Bloc Party and his solo projects.

Bloc Party: The Beginning

Bloc Party performing in January 2006

In 1999, Kele met guitarist Russell Lissack at the Reading Festival. They decided to start a band, which would later become Bloc Party. They found a bass player, Gordon Moakes, through an ad in the New Musical Express magazine. In 2003, Matt Tong joined as the drummer.

Kele didn't tell his parents he was in a band until they got a record deal. At that point, he left university to focus on his music.

Breakthrough with Silent Alarm

Bloc Party's first album, Silent Alarm, was a huge success. It reached number 3 on the UK Album Charts. The music was fast and energetic. Kele later said he was inspired by the band the Smiths to write more direct and personal lyrics for future albums.

A Weekend in the City

The band's second album, A Weekend in the City, came out in 2007. It was also very popular, reaching No. 2 in the UK and No. 12 in the United States.

For this album, Kele wrote about more serious topics. He was affected by sad events happening in London at the time, including the 7 July London bombings. He said these events made him want to write lyrics that were "dark, bigger and quite abrasive". The song "SRXT" was inspired by the personal struggles of two of his university friends.

Later Bloc Party Albums

Bloc Party continued to release popular albums.

• 'Intimacy (2008): This album reached number 8 on the UK charts.
• 'Four (2012): After a short break, the band reunited to record this album, which hit number 3 in the UK.
• 'Hymns (2016): The band released this album with a new lineup.
• 'Alpha Games (2022): This is the band's most recent album.

After releasing an EP called The Nextwave Sessions in 2013, the band took a long break. They got back together in 2015 to continue making music.

Solo Music Projects

Okereke performing in 2009

While Bloc Party was on break, Kele started his solo career. He released his first album, The Boxer, in 2010. He explained the title by saying, "as a boxer, you have to rely on nobody else but yourself... Even though you take hits, you have to keep focus."

Over the years, Kele has released several other solo albums, including:

• Trick (2014)
• Fatherland (2017)
• 2042 (2019), which explored social topics.
• The Waves Pt. 1 (2021)
• The Flames Pt. 2 (2023)

He also wrote the music for a musical called "Leave to Remain," which debuted in London in 2019. The story is about a couple from different cultures finding love.

Personal Life

In the early days of his fame, Kele preferred to keep his personal life private. He wanted people to focus on his music. In 2010, he began to speak more openly about his life and relationships.

In 2017, Kele became a father to a daughter. He moved from the busy area of East London to a quieter part of the city to have more privacy and green space for his family.

Kele has often used his platform to speak about important issues. He believes it is important for artists to stand up against racism and has encouraged other musicians to do the same.

Discography

This is a list of the albums and songs Kele has released as a solo artist.

Solo Albums

with 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