Lindsey Chukwufumnanya Abudei, known professionally as Lindsey Abudei, is a Nigerian

neo-soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contem ...

singer and songwriter. She started recording music and having jam sessions with M.I Abaga and

Jesse Jagz Jesse Garba Abaga (born 10 August 1984), known professionally as Jesse Jagz, is a Nigerian rapper, record producer and songwriter. He signed a record deal with Chocolate City in 2010 and released his debut studio album ''Jag of All Tradez'' that ...

while still an undergraduate law student in 2014. Abudei has released three solo projects; ''Brown: The EP'' (2013), '' ...And the Bass Is Queen'' (2016), and ''Kaleidoscope'' (2023).

Early life and education

A native of the Igbo-speaking part of Delta State, Nigeria, Abudei was born and raised in Jos. She attained a law degree from the

University of Jos The University of Jos, abbreviated as Unijos, is a Federal University in Jos, Plateau State, central Nigeria. History What became the University of Jos was established in November 1971 from the satellite campus of the University of Ibadan. ...

but decided to pursue a career in music after graduating. Abudei was born to parents who were involved in music during their early years. She chose to make neo-soul and R&B music after listening to artists such as Stevie Wonder,

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", "Wher ...

Sade Sade may refer to: People * Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine * Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band * Sade Baderinwa (born 1969), WAB ...

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Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis S ...

, Andy Williams,

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

and

Omar Lye-Fook Omar Christopher Lye-Fook MBE (born 14 October 1968), known professionally as Omar, is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He grew up in Canterbury, Kent and learned his craft classically, playing the trumpet, piano and percussion. He als ...

Career

2004–10: Early beginnings and ''Project Fame West Africa''

In 2004, Abudei started recording music with MI,

and Ruby Gyang (who were at the time under Loopy Records) while still an undergraduate student at the University of Jos. In 2010, she auditioned for the third season of ''

Project Fame West Africa ''Project Fame'', also known as ''Project Fame West Africa'' or ''MTN Project Fame West Africa'' (for sponsorship purposes), is a music talent TV reality show filmed in Lagos and aired in the West African subcontinent. It is a regional version of ...

''. Although she exited the platform as an early evictee, she managed to attract a devoted fanbase. Abudei had a brief stint with The Jazzcats, a jazz band. She lent vocals to M.I's "Jehovah", a track from his debut studio album ''Talk About It''. She also lent vocals to DJinee's "Thank You" and Jesse Jagz's "This Jagged Life".

2011–13: ''Brown: The EP''

Abudei's 8-track EP ''Brown'' was released independently on 24 February 2013. Stylized as ''Brown: The EP'', it contains three bonus tracks and was produced by Atta Lenell, Jesse Jagz and IBK. ''Brown'' was supported by the previously released singles "Drift Away", "The 90s Song" and "Out the Magazine". It also contains

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of

Aṣa Bukola Elemide (born 17 September 1982"There's 'Fire O ...

's "Jailer" and Fela Kuti's "Trouble Sleep, Yanga Go Wake Am".

2014–present: ''...And The Bass Is Queen'' and ''Kaleidoscope''

Abudei started recording her debut studio album '' ...And the Bass Is Queen'' in 2014. She shot the music video for "Out the Magazine" with

Kemi Adetiba Kemi Adetiba (born 8 January 1980) is a Nigerian filmmaker, television director and music video director, whose works have appeared on Channel O, MTV Base, Sound City TV, BET and Netflix. Education Kemi holds bachelor's degree in law fro ...

in 2015. On 25 June 2016, she unveiled the album's artwork on Twitter and announced that it would comprise 12 tracks. In 2017, Abudei got into a music residency in New York and became an Art OMI Music Fellow. Abudei recorded "Abụ Ya", an acoustic solo that appeared on

Brymo Ọlawale Ọlọfọrọ (born Olawale Ibrahim Ashimi; 9 May 1986), better known as Brymo, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, stage performer,actor and author. He started recording music in 1999 while in secondary school. He signed a record dea ...

's seventh studio album ''

Yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the ...

'' (2020). Prior to recording "Abụ Ya", she released two singles in four years. On 3 April 2020, Abudei released the alternative ballad "One on the Outside". Abudei's second extended play, titled ''Kaleidoscope'', was released to coincide with her thirty-six birthday on 6 February 2023. Produced by Abudei and Bigfoot, the EP is a mixture of

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...

and classical music. Abudei said she wrote the EP while experiencing feelings of doubt and loss. She also said that each song on the EP, excluding the intro, is accompanied by an intermission. ''Kaleidoscope'' was written as a soundscape for visual and performance presentations.

Artistry and influences

Abudei's music is a mixture of

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...

and alternative music. Her sound has been described as everything from "songbird to songstress, sultry to sonorous, emotion evoking to even effortlessly earth-moving". She has cited Stevie Wonder,

Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...

Eva Cassidy Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American singer and guitarist known for her interpretations of jazz, folk, and blues music, sung with a powerful, emotive soprano voice. In 1992, she released her first album ...

, and

as her key musical influences.

Discography

*''Brown: The EP'' (2013) *'' ...And The Bass Is Queen'' (2016) *''Kaleidoscope'' (2023)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abudei, Lindsey 1987 births Living people 21st-century Nigerian women singers Nigerian women singer-songwriters Nigerian singer-songwriters Neo soul singers English-language singers from Nigeria Musicians from Plateau State People from Delta State University of Jos alumni Nigerian women lawyers Nigerian record producers