Ola Onabule facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ola Onabulé
Background information
Born	Islington, London, England
Genres	Jazz, world, soul
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter
Labels	Rugged Ram

Ola Onabulé is a talented British-Nigerian singer and songwriter. He is known for his unique blend of jazz, world, and soul music.

Early Life and Music Start

Ola Onabulé was born in Islington, London. When he was seven, he moved to Lagos, Nigeria, and lived there for ten years while attending school.

At seventeen, he came back to the UK to study at Millfield School. Later, he started studying law, but he soon realized his true passion was music. He decided to switch to an arts degree at Middlesex Polytechnic. While studying, Ola began performing his own songs in clubs around London. This was the start of his amazing music journey.

A Career in Music

Ola Onabulé performing with the WDR Big Band in 2013.

Ola Onabulé has been making music for almost twenty years! He often releases his songs on his own record label, called Rugged Ram Records. Before that, he also recorded music for big labels like Elektra and Warner Bros. His very first album, More Soul Than Sense, came out in 1995.

You might have heard his voice without knowing it! He was the uncredited singer on Gigi D'Agostino's popular 1999 dance song, L'amour toujours.

Performing Around the World

Ola Onabulé has traveled all over the world to perform. He has played at famous jazz festivals and concert halls. Since 2009, he has often performed with large German bands like the WDR Big Band and the SWR Big Band. He even performed with the German Film Orchestra Babelsberg in Potsdam.

In July 2009, he played on the main stage at the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Vancouver Jazz Festival in Canada. Later that year, he teamed up with South African jazz singer Sibongile Khumalo for a show called Soul Noel. This show toured the UK and even led to Ola being a guest on a BBC TV program.

Ola continued to perform in Canada in 2010, playing at the Victoria Jazz Festival and the Edmonton Jazz Festival.

Baltic and European Tours

In 2012, Ola Onabulé visited the Baltic region for the first time. He performed at festivals in Estonia and Latvia. While in Estonia, he sang with the ETV Choir in a church in Saaremaa. He returned to Estonia in December 2012 for more concerts, including one filmed and broadcast by ETV.

He also returned to Latvia in 2013 to perform with the Mirage Jazz Orchestra. His shows were so popular that he was invited back for more concerts in Riga. In December 2013, he performed with the WDR Big Band Köln for the third time. This show was even filmed and streamed live online!

In 2014, Ola performed with the SWR Big Band for a TV special. He also played shows in Germany, Vienna, and Romania. He even performed in New York with a US band. That summer, he appeared at the Istanbul Jazz Festival.

More International Performances

In November 2014, Ola Onabulé performed with an orchestra in Mexico. He also played with the HR Big Band in Germany. That same month, he was the main performer at the Lagos Jazz Festival in Nigeria. He returned to Nigeria in December 2014 for more shows, which got a lot of attention from the press.

In 2015, Ola headlined the Romania International Jazz Day. His song "Soul Town" also got a new remix. He performed at jazz festivals in Finland and Germany. In September 2015, his album It's the Peace That Deafens was released. A big highlight was when he was a guest artist with Diana Krall at the Royal Albert Hall in London!

In 2016, Ola performed at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow. He also performed with the Danish Radio Big Band for the first time. He played songs from his new album, and the concert was broadcast on Danish Radio.

He also performed with the Big Band Jazz de Mexico and played shows in the US. He even gave special lectures at universities about his journey in music. In July 2016, Ola performed on the main stage at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy. He shared the stage with famous artists like Diana Krall and Pat Metheny.

Discography

Here are the albums Ola Onabulé has released: