Eki Shola’s music is “Half-time electronic soul for the mind” – Resident Advisor. Featured on BBC3, PBS, NPR Tiny Desk Contest, KQED, and most recently selected Best of the Bay 2020 Editors’ Pick, Eki Shola’s music transcends genre, as she seamlessly draws from jazz, electronica, and soul music to create a sonic landscape all her own. A vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and physician, Eki Shola uses her music as a conduit for healing.
Born in London to Jamaican parents, Eki Shola was raised in a musical family. She emigrated to NY in ’87 and later as a pre-med student at Cornell, she performed in the jazz ensemble featuring guest artists including Steve Turre and Dr. Donald Byrd. In 2016, fueled by grief, she was inspired to release her debut album, Final Beginning, in honor of her mother. Subsequently, after a traumatic escape from the October 2017 northern California wildfires, Eki Shola was moved to make music her main profession and after transitioning from a full-time medical career, she composed Pieces, a trilogy. Each album portrays a particular stage of reflection. Possible (11/11/19 release) symbolizes a moment characterized by hope and a determination to not give up after losing so much. Drift (2/2/20 release) represents the subsequent period of wanting to be cocooned within a movement that was comforting, and healing. The recently released Essential (9/9/20 release) envelops you in instrumentals, spoken word, and lyrics that share hope, inspired by periods of contemplation among movements of climate change, coronavirus pandemic, and Black Lives Matter advocacy.
ASCAP Plus winner and recently selected “23 people to watch in 2023″ by the Press Democrat, Eki Shola has shared the stage with Dr. Donald Byrd, Steve Turre and more and and has opened for various artists including Habib Koité, Bebel Gilberto, DakhaBrakha, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Lucky Otis, Sammy J and Kitaro. Eki’Shola completed her Essential Virtual Tour in 2021, performing and giving talks across the world. Furthermore, inspired by observing the need for amplifying the voices of underrepresented creatives, Eki Shola was moved to create and launch Unmute Magazine, a digital publication by and mainly for BIPOC artists. The five-time NorBay Music awardee was selected to participate in the OBRAS foundation, Portugal artist residency and will embark on a Japan tour after recording her 5th solo album, 還 (Kaeru) with local artists drummer Hidenori Tsugita, shamisen and shakuhachi musician, Uma Ebina, and Mongolian Morin Khuur musician, Tatsuya Okabayashi, to be released October 6, 2023.
Videos
The first track on the Possible album (released 2/22/19), Why 2x reflects a sense of restriction and inner conflict - a feeling of wanting to break out, vocalize and be heard. It transitions into resolution and acceptance of self, accompanied by playful joyfulness.
Why 2x is written, produced, performed & mixed by Eki Shola
https://www.ekishola.com/
Dance by Europa Grace
Filming by Brad Stroud
This year I decided I wanted to enter the competition as a way of giving back to my community. The setting is in our garage where my music studio was (where I filmed my Tiny Desk 2016 entry) - both destroyed by the wildfires. Despite the contents being incinerated, the structure although not structurally sound, is somewhat erect and it reminds me that even in stark conditions, hope always remains.
“Dreaming” is a song about growth and gratitude and is my gift to not only those affected by the wildfires but for all the strangers, friends, family and community that have supported us and Sonoma County over these months.
Special thanks to TownfuturistMedia.com and Ted Gould at www.flytdiary.com. I couldn’t have done this video without their talent. It was somewhat of a somber yet uplifting experience and I think they captured that essence beautifully.
Dreaming of a new start!
Eki Shola
www.ekishola.com
Lyrics:
No time to say bye but giving thanks
Trying to find peace of mind
The
Radiohead, All I Need cover by Eki Shola
Nina Simone I wish I knew How It Would Feel to Be Free, rendition by Eki Shola
Eki Shola: Jazzy hiphop vibes to chill, study, de-stress to
When you lose your music including all your stems in the 2017 Tubbs wildfire and you come across a musical gem among your saved emails - you realize how making music doesn't have to be temporal nor perfect in its process. It's all about the vibe and how it makes you feel. Jubilee is about two artists virtually collaborating and connecting... music unifies us all.
In times of adversity, I think about the different ways I’ve learned to cope with challenges. I don’t assume that we share the same beliefs or interpretation but my personal thought is that crisis as excruciating as it may be to endure, allows an intricate view into the breakdown of structure, systems, and life as the way we know it. Change can be accompanied by examining what went wrong and how it can be mended, improved upon or even uphauled. A friend posted online the other day, is there any good that can come out of this current time? I say yes! There’s always the opportunity to do good and to be better if we can appreciate and learn from what circumstances come our way.
After reading about the struggles experienced by Brooklyn's SUNY Downstate Medical Center battling coronavirus, I was moved to donate to Charles Kim's GoFundMe. Please consider helping these medical residents and make a donation, even if it's $1, at https://www.gofundme.com/f/downstate-.... Every little bit counts