|
Bai Kamara Jr. describes his music as having "a basis in soul with jazz and blues wrapped around it". Sting is cited as an influence, alongside the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye. However, Bai's personally constructed style of music has also arisen from the many various influences of his younger years in Africa.
Singer-songwriter Bai Kamara Jr. was born in Bo Town, Sierra Leone, where he continued to live for most of his childhood. When Baii moved to the United Kingdom for his schooling at the age of 15, his musical talent was awakened by the sounds of the English music scene. As soon as Bai started college in Manchester he began to write his first songs that explored and reflected his diverse cultural, social and political backgrounds. In spite of musical success, Bai moved to Brussels to continue his University career. The politically-charged atmosphere of the EU at the time, |
meant that the content of Bai's songs soon became highly demanded by local musicians. At the same time Bai had an opportunity to experiment with his own personal sound as a singer.
Bai went on to create several bands, including: Odex Protocole (1992), whose highlight performances included the Jazz Rally and the International Music festival Couleur Café. In 1996 they recorded their first EP produced by Mel Gaynor (drummer of the simple minds) and in 1998 their full album produced by Dan Lacksman (Deep Forest).
Bai then started touring and promoting himself primarily as a solo artist, becoming an extremely well known and much loved performer in the venues around Belgium, Spain and Italy. Subsequently, as Bai's solo career began to take form, he was able to work with Youssou n'Dour on another project, Refugee Voices.
|
