Beautiful Nubia is the performing name for Segun Akinlolu (born 11 November 1968), a Nigerian-born songwriter, music composer and band leader. Beautiful Nubia and the Roots Renaissance Band is

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

's foremost

contemporary folk Contemporary folk music refers to a wide variety of genres that emerged in the mid 20th century and afterwards which were associated with traditional folk music. Starting in the mid-20th century a new form of popular folk music evolved from tradit ...

and roots music group. Formed and fronted by songwriter and poet Segun Akinlolu (aka Beautiful Nubia), the group's songs and albums have achieved cult status among their loyal and growing fans spread across the world. Segun Akinlolu is an advocate of social reform and achieves this via his folk music.''"He has dedicated his lifetime to the enduring belief in the power of change; that our society is not irredeemable; that its inherent dysfunction is correctable." ''

Theme

Beautiful Nubia's songs are built on rich folkloric traditions and native wisdom but his message is universal in thrust and theme: value life, respect nature and learn to live in peace with others. The music speaks for the voiceless and champions the dream of a balanced society where individuals are truly free and equal. It preaches love and tolerance but also urges people to stand and defend their rights when trampled upon anywhere in the world.''"His songs transcend parochialism. As they appeal to African sensibilities, so do they contain universal truths."''

Early Days

Born in

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

in 1968, Segun started writing songs at a very young age. He drew his early influence from the traditional culture which was prevalent in the form of

oral poetry Oral poetry is a form of poetry that is composed and transmitted without the aid of writing. The complex relationships between written and spoken literature in some societies can make this definition hard to maintain. Background Oral poetry is ...

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

and

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

. In 1997, he establishe
EniObanke
a

music production A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

and marketing company, under which his first album was released in 1997. All subsequent recordings have been released on this label and, in 2010, the company commenced the first-ever folk and roots

music festival A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or h ...

in Nigeria, the annua
EniObanke Music Festival (EMUfest)
In 1998, the artist invited several young musicians in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

to form a backing band to which he gave the name The Roots Renaissance Band. Throughout the years, Beautiful Nubia has remained the songwriter, music composer, arranger and bandleader - contributing acoustic/rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals and

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

Highlight

Reward came in 2002 with the release of the ground-breaking third albu
''Jangbalajugbu''
It is estimated, by radio journalists, that more than 50 million Nigerians wake up each day to "Owuro L'Ojo (How D'You Do?)", one of the hit tracks in the album. To date, ''Jangbalajugbu'' has sold in excess of a million copies (not including the large numbers sold in the open market by

pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

). Since then, the band has released 14 more studio albums, all of which confirm what can be described as the Beautiful Nubia style and his stubborn refusal to be pigeon-holed. The over 200 original songs - didactic, philosophical and deeply moving - have cemented his reputation in Nigeria and beyond as an advocate for employing traditional wisdom in achieving personal and community development and

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

. It is the combination of enjoyable entertainment and provocative thoughtfulness that has come to define Beautiful Nubia's style. The music has garnered excellent reviews in leading African/ world music publications. It has been nominated for music awards and topped international/world charts on community, grassroots and campus

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

stations.

Education

Segun Akinlolu graduated from the

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 196 ...

with a

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

(DVM) degree in 1992 and worked as a

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

for about 8 years. He also holds a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Nigeria Institute of Journalism.

Honours

In October 2016, Beautiful Nubia was conferred with the award of ‘Doctorate in Science (Honoris Causa) in Art’ b
ESEP Le Berger University
Republic of Benin for his body of work.

Discography

STUDIO ALBUMS * Huruhara (2021) * Àpèjǫ (2019) * Atunluto (2018) * Amunudun (2018) * Iwa (2016) * Taabaku (2016) * Odds and Ends (2016) * Soundbender (2015) * Keere (2014) * Oriojori-Eternal Spirits (2012) * Sun No Dey Sleep (2011) * Irinajo (2009) * KilòKilò (2007) * Fèrè (2006) * Awilele (2004) * Jangbalajùgbú (2002) * Voice From Heaven (1999) * Seven Lifes (1997) ACOUSTIC ALBUMS * Lord of Letters (2022) * Brand New Tales from a Small Room (2021) * Several More Tales from a Small Room (2020) * Even More Tales from a Small Room (2019) * More Tales from a Small Room (2017) * Tales from a Small Room (2017) INSTRUMENTALS * Rhythms of the Way (Instrumentals Vol. 2, 2020) * Instrumentals, Vol. 1 (2019) LIVE RECORDINGS * Essential Work (2021) * Live Concert Series V (2018) * Live Concert Series IV (2017) * Live Concert Series III (2017) * Live Concert Series II (2016) * Live Concert Series I (2013) POETRY CDs * Like A Tale at Night (2006) * Where Rivers Sing A Song (2004) * On A Cold Evening (2001)

Publications

* Sounds of Joy (Autobiography, 2018) * Book of Songs (Lyrics, 2018) * A WordMerchant's LogBook (Poetry, 2018) * Citadel Blues (Fiction, 2004 and 2017) * The King's Messenger (Poetry, 2004) * Thinking Big (Poetry, 2000) * Waiting For The Bones (Poetry, 1997)

References

The Many Lives of Beautiful Nubia

Interview with Beautiful Nubia

Art on a Journey

Soundbender

Taabaku

Review of Beautiful Nubia's "Awilele"

The Beauty of Beautiful Nubia

The Meandering Paths of Segun Akinlolu

Beautiful Nubia's Polemics on Child Rights and the Leadership Challenge in Nigeria

External links

Official site

Beautiful Nubia on Twitter

Beautiful Nubia on Facebook

Beautiful Nubia on Instagram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beautiful Nubia Folk musicians Nigerian male poets 20th-century Nigerian male singers Living people Yoruba musicians Yoruba-language singers Musicians from Ibadan 21st-century Nigerian male singers English-language singers from Nigeria University of Ibadan alumni 1968 births 21st-century Nigerian poets