Bumi Thomas (born 1983) is a Scottish-Nigerian jazz-folk-soul singer-songwriter and guitarist. She was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland, but grew up in Nigeria. Now London-based, and frequently found performing in smaller venues around the city, she released her debut EP, ''Feather Pearl'', in November 2014.

Life

Thomas was born in Glasgow in June 1983.

Career

Thomas is known for songs such as "Free As a Bird", which she has performed live on

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

, "My Baby (Hole in the Sky)", "Walk with Me" and "Don't Lie to Me". Her songs tend to be centred around themes of "journey and expression". She has performed with the likes of Kenny Thomas, Muntu Valdo, Nneka,

Shingai Shoniwa Shingai Elizabeth Maria Shoniwa ( ; born 1 September 1981), known professionally as Shingai is a Zimbabwean-British singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the vocalist and bassist for the English indie rock band Noisettes. In 2017, she ...

of the Noisettes,

Keziah Jones Keziah Jones (born Olufemi Sanyaolu on 10 January 1968) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He describes his musical style as "Blufunk", which is a fusion between raw blues elements and hard, edgy funk rhythms. Also his Nigerian roo ...

and Tony Allen, and is often found performing in cafes, bars and jazz clubs in London, though as appeared on the stage in the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

. Her debut EP, ''Feather Pearl'', was released in November 2014. In October 2015 she appeared at the London Felabration 2015 with the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra and artists such as Breis, Temi Dollface, Afrikan Boy, Tiggs da Author, and others.

Personal life

Thomas resides in London. She has said of her heritage: "My experience in Nigeria as a woman of

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

and

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

heritage living in Hausaland has shaped me. Though I still retain aspects of my experiences of early childhood; I had a thick Glaswegian accent when we moved to Kano and still retain the Scottish attitude about being less uptight about life." Thomas was threatened by deportation because she was born in the UK in 1983. Her elder sister did not receive this threat. The campaign to assert her rights attracted over 25,000 signatures. In August 2020, Glasgow born Thomas was granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Bumi 21st-century Nigerian women singers British women jazz singers British soul singers Living people Musicians from Glasgow Nigerian guitarists Yoruba women musicians Igbo musicians 1983 births