Koku Gonza: Reaching For The Sky

I'm sure when Koku Gonza sings, people listen. When she plays her guitar, I'm sure people are in awe of her talented ability. Her songs are well written and are a cut above the corny music that's out here disguised as music today. Her understated lyrics come across with a sense of believability that any one can connect with. Success comes only to those whose hearts, souls and minds are in sync with each other and in due time the world will know who she is. Once you hear her music, you won't want to talk. You'll just want to listen.

Influenced by two musicians in her life. Her father a Tanzanian guitarist and songwriter, exposed her to Tanzanian music and her mother a flute/sax/keyboard player from the U.S. exposed her to Jazz, Classical and Gospel music. Her father was a known song writer in Tanzania. So, naturally she is inclined to the creativity of combining various styles. At young age Koku learned how to play and piano, and like most singers sung in the Gospel and Classical children's choir.

While attending college, Koku Gonza studied music production and song writing at Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington before deciding with true faith to pursue a career in the music industry. Her love for the guitar has resulted in mandatory accompaniment with most of her songs, but she works with different instruments to create her unique sound. Koku currently resides in Chicago, IL.

To learn more about Koko click here. To hear more of her beautiful music click here.
(Photos: The Artist)

Afrolista of the Week: NABIHA BENSOUDA

Nabiha Bensouda is a Copenhagen based performer. Nabiha has Danish and North-West African roots (Gambia, Mali and Morocco) born and raised in Copenhagen as the eldest child in a family of seven. Nabiha grew up listening to disco music and soul, but at the age of five she fell in love with reggae. Later, her love turned to rock music, R’n’B and electronic music. Nabiha has been exposed to most genres and has now developed her own unique style, which is strengthened by her sublime and distinctive vocals. She possesses an energy and attitude that bewitches the listener of her music in a brilliant way.

"Nabiha performing at this years Zulu Awards in Danmark"

Throughout the last year, Nabiha worked intensely on her debut album ‘Cracks’ together with the Swedish producer/writer Carl Ryden, which was released in Denmark February 1st 2010. The tracks on the album are inspired by pop, urban and electronic music the productions are on an international level, rarely seen from an artist out of Denmark. Carl and Nabiha have written and produced most of the songs on the album but also collaborated with fantastic songwriters such as; Nina Woodford, Cozi Costi and Chanelle Gstettenbauer. During their first writing session, Nabiha, Carl and Cozi wrote the track “The Enemy”, which is the second single off the album in Denmark.

”Cracks” entered the official Danish Top-40 Album Chart at 17 and on the TDC PLAY download album Top-40 ”Cracks” has so far peaked at 7. The album has received fantastic reviews with 5-stars in several music magazines such as Gaffa, Tjeck, Sirene & Olivia and received 4 stars in various other well known magazines across Denmark. Nabiha has done several spectacular live performances on Danish National TV this spring – including the prestigious Zulu Awards show.

Nabiha is in the Danish charts right now with her first single “Deep Sleep” - a song with an incredibly strong hook focusing on “just wanting to sleep”. The middle-8 is a lullaby from Mali, which Nabiha’s mother used to sing to her when she was a child. The lyrics in the lullaby are a mix of African and French and it always put Nabiha to sleep.  Nabiha is an artist to definitely be on the look out for as she expands her reach all across Europe and on into the USA.
(Source:Nabiha)