October 1, (THEWILL) – After accolades for her first single, ‘Little Black Bird’, UK-based Afro-soul sensation, Uchechi Emelonye, is ready with two new songs.
Billed for release Monday, October 3, 2022, the songs, ‘Sunrise to Sundown’ and ‘Underwater’, seem a consolidation of the lyrical and vocal prowess of the Law undergraduate, already being seen as ‘Afro-soul Princess.’
The songs which will be available to music fans on major streaming platforms are expected to tighten her grips on the Afro-soul genre of music in Africa and beyond, as industry practitioners continue to marvel at her ability to emotionalise her themes with words and rhythm.
Describing her choice of Afro-soul, Uchechi Emelonye, says it is her way of vocalising things that matter to her.
“I chose Afro-soul because I have always been a vocal person. I’ve always felt I had something important to say, things I am passionate about. Music is the medium in which I feel most confident vocalising my thoughts and feelings. I have also always felt that the tone of my voice was different and capable of making people feel different textures which is a trait most soul singers have. I would not mind crossing into the Afro-Pop genre, as it’s a very fun genre in which you can play around with a lot of things.”
The second of three siblings, Uchechi Emelonye, whose father is a senior diplomat with the United Nations, has had an interest in music from a young age.
Uchechi Emelonye’s singles have gained enormous airplay across major Nigerian, British and American radio stations. Her stunning music video for ‘Little Black Bird’, directed by top Nigerian Director, Sesan, is still being played on prime music channels and has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
Speaking on her musical journey so far, Emelonye said, “My musical journey started when my parents put me in guitar and piano classes when I was in primary school in the Republic of North Macedonia. There I developed knowledge of basic music theory and the basic skills to play those instruments. While studying in Italy, I always auditioned for musicals at school, and on Sundays, I sang the responsorial psalm at our Catholic church in Rome. It was from these exposures that I started to develop my voice. Through my time in Finland and Uganda, I started a band with my friends, and we wrote and composed our own music.”
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
