Keziah Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Keziah Jones
Background information
Birth name	Olufemi Sanyaolu
Born	(1968-01-10) 10 January 1968 (age 57) Lagos, Nigeria
Died	Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day
Genres	Blues, Funk, Yoruba music, soul
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, photographer, poet, playwright, painter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, bass, percussion, clarinet
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Delabel Records Virgin Records Because Music

Keziah Jones performing in Strasbourg, France, in 2008.

Keziah Jones, whose real name is Olufemi Sanyaolu, is a talented singer and guitarist from Nigeria. He was born on January 10, 1968. He calls his music "Blufunk". This style mixes strong blues sounds with energetic funk beats.

His Nigerian background, especially Yoruba music and soul music, also greatly influences his unique sound. Keziah is famous for his special way of playing the guitar. He uses his right hand to hit the strings, much like a bass player uses a "slapping" technique. This makes his music sound very rhythmic and cool.

Keziah Jones playing his guitar.

Early Life and Music Career

Olufemi Sanyaolu, known as Keziah Jones, grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. His father was a chief of the Yoruba people and a successful businessman. Keziah was expected to follow in his father's footsteps and have an academic career. Because of this, he moved to England at age eight to attend a school in North London.

Keziah found his passion in music. He said, "I had to find a way out of all that, and music was it!" At 13, he started learning piano and writing songs. Three years later, he picked up the guitar. He began playing his music on the streets and in subway stations in London.

In the late 1980s, he moved to Paris, France. He continued playing in the Paris subway, where a manager named Phil Pickett discovered him. Keziah believes his time in the Parisian subway was very important for his growing music career.

Rise to Fame

Keziah Jones became known as a unique musician and a great performer. He had a special "hard funk" style and often traveled between London and Paris. In 1992, he released his first album, Blufunk Is a Fact. This album included the popular song "Rhythm Is Love". This song became famous worldwide and showed everyone Keziah's amazing musical talent.

Throughout his career, Keziah has released six studio albums. Some of his hit songs include "Where Is Life," "A Million Miles From Home," "Beautiful Emilie," "Femiliarise," "Kpafuca," and "1973."

Recently, Keziah Jones recorded his first live album in Lagos with his band. He is also working on his seventh studio album. He is collaborating with French EDM producer Philippe Cohen Solal on an EP called Class Of 89. They plan to make this into a full album later.

Musical Influences and Art

Keziah Jones says that famous musicians like Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, and Jimi Hendrix are his biggest musical inspirations. His special "Blufunk" sound mixes punk-funk energy, Yoruba rhythms, and different song topics. He sings mostly in English, but sometimes uses the Yoruba language.

Visual arts are also a big part of Keziah's work, as he is also a skilled artist. Keziah splits his time between Lagos, Nigeria, and Paris, France. He often explores the connection between different parts of the world in his art. He wants to show the modern side of Africa after colonial rule. He challenges the idea that Western countries often have of Africa as a place only of famine or conflict.

Keziah highlights the lively culture of modern African cities, especially Lagos, which has 25 million people. He emphasizes that modern African culture is thriving in music, fashion, and art. He says, "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 create new music and art. He remains an important figure in both African and global music.

Discography

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Collaboration Albums

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

EPs

• Frinigrô Interstellar (1991)
• Live (1993)
• The African Anarchist (1999)

Videography

• Live at the Elysée Montmartre (June 14, 2004)

Singles

Filmography

• Eva & Leon (2015)