Ndidi Onukwulu (born 1988) is a Canadian singer-songwriter born in British Columbia.[1] Although her style is often classified as jazz and blues, Onukwulu combines several musical genres in her songs including surf music, electric blues, gospel, and country.[2] She has frequently toured across Canada and Europe in support of her records.[3]
Ndidi Onukwulu | |
|---|---|
 Onukwulu in Paris | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Ndidi O |
| Born | 1988 (age 35–36) |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2005 – present |
| Website | http://www.ndidio.ca/ |
Life
editBorn in 1988, Onukwulu lacked any interest in music while young. She did not consider a career as a singer until her friends heard her sing in her early adult years.[4] She moved to New York City, where she sang on the open-mic circuit. During her time in New York, she met several hip-hop and blues musicians who influenced her atypical style.[3] Next Onukwulu moved to Toronto where she first became a member of a rock band. Later, she joined the electronica group Stop Die Resuscitate.[1] Eventually, Onukwulu moved back to a more definitively blues style and began performing at prominent venues including Massey Hall in Toronto.[5] In January 2006 Onukwulu, aged 18, released her first album No, I Never. The album release was followed by a tour that garnered positive buzz in the Canadian blues community.[3]
Following a bad break-up in December 2006, Onukwulu spent 2007 composing new music. In addition to drawing on the experiences of her relationship, she found inspiration by visiting cemeteries and imagining stories for the deceased people whose graves she visited. Onukwulu united the ideas of death and the end of relationships to create the eclectic music featured on her second album The Contradictor. This album introduced the more diverse styles for which she is now known. The album got its name from the contradiction between the upbeat music and its more serious themes, in addition to elements of the singer's own personality.[4] The Contradictor, released on June 17, 2008, was produced by Steve Dawson under the indie record label Jericho Beach Music.[3] She then went on to Europe, where she signed a deal with Universal Jazz and Classics France and went on to write and record two additional albums The Escape (2011) and Dark Swing (2014).
Discography
edit| Album | Release Date | Song Title |
|---|---|---|
| No I Never | January 2, 2006 | "Horn Blower" |
| "Water" | ||
| "Wicked Lady" | ||
| "Hey There" | ||
| "Hush" | ||
| "Weight" | ||
| "May Be the Last Time, I Don't Know" | ||
| "Seen You Before" | ||
| "Old Heart" | ||
| "Home" | ||
| "Long Way Home" | ||
| Saturday Night Blues: 20 Years | November 28, 2006 | "Come on Home" |
| The Contradictor | June 17, 2008 | "SK Final" |
| "The Lady and E" | ||
| "Forever SZ" | ||
| "Almost JD" | ||
| "Goodnight JF" | ||
| "Move Together" | ||
| "No Everybody" | ||
| "Her House is Empty KH" | ||
| "Boogie MB" | ||
| "Cry All Day" | ||
| "Rise" | ||
| "He Needs Me" | ||
| The Escape | May 2011[6] | "The Whisper" (single) |
| "On The Metro" | ||
| "Around The Corner" | ||
| "Kissing on a Bridge" | ||
| "Crossing The Line" | ||
| "Old Road" | ||
| "The Escape" | ||
| "Little Dream" | ||
| "Waiting for a Sign" | ||
| "It Isn't You" | ||
| "Heart of Steel" | ||
| "Under The Sky" | ||
| Dark Swing | February 2014[7][8] | "How Long" |
| "Engine Gone Cold" | ||
| "Once Again" | ||
| "Sit Down" | ||
| "Love And Laughter" | ||
| "Don't Come Around Here" | ||
| "Sugarman" | ||
| "Last of the Pure" | ||
| "Why Can't You Be Mine" | ||
| "Dark Swing" | ||
| "Yer So Bad" |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Ken Eisner, "Melodrama seems to suit wide-ranging Ndidi Onukwulu" Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine, Georgia Strait
- ^ Rachel Sanders, " Ndidi Onukwulu: The Contradictor", Exclaim.ca
- ^ a b c d Mike Mineo, "Ndidi Onukwulu" Archived 2008-09-16 at the Wayback Machine, 5/20/08, Obscure Sound
- ^ a b Kathleen Bell, "Ndidi in a Blue Dress," See Magazine, September 18–24, 2008, Music Section, Edmonton edition.
- ^ [1] Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The escape - Ndidi Onukwulu". Paris Jazz Corner. Archived from the original on 2016-01-25. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- ^ "2014/01/11". Kpsule.me. Archived from the original on 2016-01-25. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- ^ "Albums de Ndidi O - Toute la discographie - Universal Music France". Universalmusic.fr. Archived from the original on 2015-01-13. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
External links
edit- Official website
- Ndidi Onukwulu discography at Discogs
- Ndidi Onukwulu at IMDb