On today's episode, I chat with uber-talented musician Olugbenga (the first 'g' is silent) about his career in music as a producer, dj and bassist, his heritage, collaborations with family and friends, chatting with producer Brian Eno while on a bus in Bamako, and how Pounded Yam with okra stew pounds Mashed potato & pie.
Born in Lagos to a Kenyan mother and Nigerian father, OLUGBENGA now resides by the sea in Brighton. His childhood was split between Nigeria and the Netherlands, before moving to the UK where he finished school in South London and then studied at King's College, Cambridge. These cultures and experiences are a never-ending inspiration for OLUGBENGA and feed his unique ‘epic & blues’ sound.
He has travelled the world working as a bass player and vocalist, lending his talents to groups such as Damon Albarn’s Africa Express, Paloma Faith and La Roux. He is best known for his long-standing association with Metronomy, but OLUGBENGA has also lent his talents as a remixer to the likes of Laura Marling, Janelle Monae, Mew, Alt-J, Depeche Mode and the Scissor Sisters.
September 2016 saw the release of Solange Knowles’ A Seat At The Table, an album OLUGBENGA had been flown out to New Orleans to write music for. His track Don’t You Wait (co-produced by Sampha, Kwes and Adam Bainbridge) garnered positive comments from fans and reviewers alike and the album flew to #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 off the back of 36 million streams in a single week.
OLUGBENGA’s DJ skills have taken him to events and festivals across the UK and worldwide, performing in the USA, Australia, Japan, Russia, Italy, Norway and more. His undoubted ability to work a crowd also caught the attention of the Red Bull Music Academy, who recorded a live session with him at the Rockness Festival in Scotland. He has also scored a much-coveted Boiler Room session and had DJ mixes featured on such prestigious sites as Dummy, i-D, Okayafrica, Clashmusic, XLR8R and many more.
Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar, for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at theswingingpalmtree@gmail.com.
Keep Rising & Thriving. Aṣẹ!