Software Writer with a deep interest in music from Hip Hop, Soul, Broken Beat/Nu Jazz to African Music (somehow missed my calling). I blog as Soul On Ice and write about whatever takes my fancy. I am from Nigeria and currently reside in London with my family, taking in the multicultural vibes of the Big Smoke.
Latest posts by Obi
Sounds of Africa
As you read this the World Cup is in it's Semi Final stages with Italy knocking the host Germany out. So far it has been a wonderful festival of football with heroes created and reborn. Ghana made it to the last 16 and made all of us proud. Other African...
Musique Africaine
The Global football festival that is the World Cup. The best so far I've witnessed with a genuine feelgood atmosphere and a lot of goals. With Ghana the strongest African contender left in the competition my interest is still deep and I wish them luck. When an African team play...
African Vibrations
The football fever is on with the World Cup finals round the corner. As is the tradition different countries have come up with their football anthems to cheer on their national teams. To quote Bob Marley “Football Is Music”. A claim playup.org have taken seriously by releasing An Alternative World...
African Music #9
There is nothing like a local library that truly caters for the community. Wandering around my local library I came across a CD “Africa Remix (Ah Freak Iya)” and the tracklisting was a delight. It was released to compliment the Africa Remix '05 exhibition, one of which i had the...
African Music #8
I recently had a discussion with a friend about fair trade and it threw up some deep questions about African music. Who really owns the rights to the recordings? Who brokers what? How connected is the artist to his/her audience market? Is the music industry inherently complex? Is this solely...
African music #7
Nothing beats a music festival. You meet like the music lovers, people interested in the genre and enjoy the good party vibe. And though you know the lineup in advance you have no idea what antics will be displayed on stage. With these musings I look forward to the 4th...
African music (#6)
Coupé-Décalé? I went blank when my lady friend Tchi asked if I knew about Coupé-Décalé. A wiki entry for Coupé-Décalé provides a brief definition: “The Coupe-Decale created by Doucoure during the militaro-political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire,reflects the aspirations of the Ivorian youth. Coupe-Decale is a very melodious and percussive African...
African Music Roundup #5
yay! summer is upon us over here in the UK and that only means one thing. concerts, festivals, showcases. An abundance of music, sunshine and outdoor runnings. Smiles on peoples faces, the pace less hurried. In rotation as I type? Bongo Flava : Swahili rap from Tanzania, a dope compilation...
African Music Roundup #3
It's been a fun few weeks with the festival of football that was the African Cup of Nations (congratulations to Egypt the host). Watching all the footballing talent on display made me proud to be an African. So we look forward to Ghana '08 and all the beautiful things the...
African Music Roundup
What is African hip hop? From Nairobi to Dakar hip hop has caught the imagination of the youth producing so many rap crews, breakers and all round b-boys. Some argue it's roots go back to the days of the African Griot, others argue its a unique African American experience. Whatever...
African Music Roundup
World Music. Lazy term. Music out of Africa is so rich it deserves it’s own full section in any major music store. but I could argue with the marketing department all day. My name is Obi and welcome to my first music blog roundup focusing on what’s buzzing on the...
