| A DIFFERENT KIND OF MAN - A DIFFERENT KIND OF MUSIC! |
|
Through his many artistic talents, Ben
Okafor lends his evocative voice to those who need it as he entertains, educates and inspires people to ask the question, "How can we change this world?" |
| Name: Ben Okafor (Pronounced O - KA' - FOR) | |
| Birth Name: Benedict Chukwudebelu Okafor | |
| Birth Place: Enugu, Nigeria | |
| Location: UK resident of 25 years | |
| Genre: Reggae/world music with socio-spiritual consciousness | |
| SINGER / SONGWRITER / MUSICIAN | |
| ACTOR / POET / WRITER | |
| POLITICAL ACTIVIST / HUMANITARIAN | |
| RELEVANT FACTS | |
| BACKGROUND |
| BACKGROUND (RETURN TO TOP) | |
|
Ben was born in Enugu, eastern Nigeria in 1954. His music and early life were shaped by his experiences as a child soldier as his country was torn by the Nigeria-Biafra War of 1967-70. His earliest memories of music go back to live street performances of West African Hi-Life, street dancers and percussion bands in the market squares of eastern Nigeria. Ibo and European church music, alongside his mother’s enthusiasm for Miriam Makeba, combine with the later influences of James Brown, Jimmy Cliff, The Beatles and Rolling Stones, Fela Kuti and – inevitably – The Wailers. Ben moved to the UK in the 1980s and settled in the Midlands, quickly releasing two albums, "Nkiru” (“freedom”) and “Generation”, both produced by Bob Lamb of early UB40 fame. Each sold around 3000 copies in the UK (with minimal press and publicity) and around 25, 000 each in the US. Later appearances in South Africa with Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu and involvement in diverse peace and justice initiatives followed, his songs reflecting a heartfelt plea for justice, truth and love. |
|
| SINGER / SONGWRITER / MUSICIAN (RETURN TO TOP) | |
| By and world, Ben Okafor is considered to be a
Reggae/World/Christian music artist.
His music styles are:
Ben considers his genre to be “Socio-spiritual consciousness.” This genre goes beyond entertainment and seeks to serve the betterment of all. Ben has released 10 albums, two of which were released in 2006. His new album, "Diverted Traffic" will be released in 2007. Ben is a prolific live performer and has toured in the UK, Europe, USA, Nigeria, Denmark, Sweden and South Africa. Ben is a political activist
whose songs frequently address issues of human rights. |
|
| ACTOR / POET / WRITER (RETURN TO TOP) | |
Since 1993, Ben Okafor has developed an acting career
in tandem with music.
Ben also wrote and directed the music for The Fireraisers and Pericles. Ben is currently preparing to embark on his next tour of universities and colleges titled ‘The Spirit Of The Act Tour’, which scrutinises the intent and the achievement of the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. In July this year the play, Child of Biafra, written in collaboration with Justin Butcher and based on Ben’s own experience as a thirteen-year-old during the Nigeria Biafra war, opens in Manchester’s Contact Theatre before touring to venues nationwide.
|
|
| POLITICAL ACTIVIST / HUMANITARIAN (RETURN TO TOP) | |
| Ben Okafor is an articulate and intelligent man who is compassionately engaged with the struggles of those least able to represent themselves. He is non-compromising in his fight for justice, peace and love. He takes his platform seriously and expects nothing less than excellence from himself. Ben is a man of stature, substance and genuine spiritual sensibilities. He is equally at ease with peasants and presidents....grounded in the certain knowledge that Africans are fully capable of speaking for themselves, and finding the solutions to their own dilemmas. Ben is a political activist whose songs frequently address issues of human rights. | |
|
RELEVANT FACTS
(RETURN TO TOP) |
|
| Child Soldier | |
| As a child, Ben was a victim of the civil war in Nigeria and at the age of 13, he fought as a boy soldier. The pain and destruction he witnessed during that period soon began to influence the lyrics he wrote -- his songs reflecting a heart-felt plea for justice, truth and love. An ongoing passion for peace and justice followed as Ben began work with the “Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers”, “Amnesty International” and others. In 2006, this led to Ben writing the title track for an album of African Artists focusing attention on the use of child soldiers. The album features, amongst others, Alpha Blondy, Angelique Kidjo, Youssou N’Dour and Salif Keita. | |
| Roots and Culture | |
| Jamaica is considered the spiritual home of reggae, but the African continent is the spiritual birth-place of the global genre. For the 'conscious' reggae-lover, the African connection must surely be embraced. At the same time, the issues of cultural conflict and animosity between Caribbean and African peoples must be directly confronted. If anybody can help to square this musical and political circle, it's people like BEN OKAFOR . . . | |