Charles Onyekachi Onyeabor is an Italian-Nigerian singer, songwriter and businessman. He is the eldest son of electro Afro-funk pioneer
William Onyeabor
William Ezechukwu Onyeabor (, ; 26 March 1946 – 16 January 2017) was a Nigerian funk musician and businessman. His music was widely heard in Nigeria in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Despite his success, he remained an enigmatic, private and ...
. After
debuting in 2020, his debut studio album, ''Like Father, Like Son'' was released in November 2023. As described by
BBC, Charles Onyeabor continues to keep his father's legacy alive in his music.
Early life and education
Charles Onyeabor is the first son of
William Onyeabor
William Ezechukwu Onyeabor (, ; 26 March 1946 – 16 January 2017) was a Nigerian funk musician and businessman. His music was widely heard in Nigeria in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Despite his success, he remained an enigmatic, private and ...
—a pioneer of electro-funk music genre. He is an alumnus of
Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
His grandparents were merchant traders who moved goods across Nigeria.
Career
Onyeabor was influenced by the music of his father and followed his footsteps as a funk musician.
[ Onyeabor, who left Nigeria for Italy in 2003, started his music career after the death of his father, having started a business there due to racial discrimination.]MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
. According to Onyeabor, his creative process happens mostly in the car and when he’s alone in the house.
In 2022, Onyeabor won Africa’s Diaspora Artist at the 2022 Scream African Women Awards. In March 2023 he performed in Germany at Afrobeat Invasion alongside Psquare
P-Square is a Nigerian music duo consisting of the twin brothers Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye. They produced and released their albums through Square Records (now Square Root Entertainment)
In December 2011, they signed a record deal with Akon ...
, Otile Brown
Jacob Obunga popularly known as Otile Brown is a Kenyan independent R&B singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor. He gained media attention after the release of his hit single "Imaginary Love" which features Khaligraph Jones. He released his de ...
, Abrantee and May7ven
May Odegbami, known professionally as May7ven, is a Nigerian-born singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, actress, model and entrepreneur.
Life
May7ven was born in Ibadan, Nigeria. Her father is the former footballer Segun Odegbami. She debuted ...
. In August the same year, he performed at the 36th Sanremo Rock Festival which is part of the RAI organized Sanremo Music Festival in Sanremo, Linguria. In November 2023, Onyeabor released his 20-track debut album, ''Like Father, Like Son'', which met with positive reviews.Lonzo Nzekwe
Lonzo Nzekwe is a Toronto, Canada-based filmmaker. He creates transnational Nigerian content, including Anchor Baby, his 2010 debut film which became the first Nollywood film available on iTunes. Anchor Baby was released on Netflix on May 20, 20 ...
's 2023 crime thriller ''Orah'', which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023.
Discography
Singles
* "They Can't Pull Us Down" [
* "Do It Your Way" ]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Onyeabor, Charles
Musicians from Enugu
Psychedelic funk musicians
Nigerian male musicians
21st-century Nigerian musicians
21st-century male musicians
Italian people of Nigerian descent
Italian musicians
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people