CALLING FOR AFRICAN UNITY WITH HIS NEW CD, FEMI KOYA PAYS HOMAGE TO THE AFRICAN SOIL
6 city tour on his new album, cities include Johannesburg, Lagos, Durban, Abuja, Cape Town and Accra. Album releases with Kolanut Music and launches in Johannesburg August 27th 2015
PRETORIA, Gauteng. August 13, 2015
The new face of the African Renaissance, Femi Koya, widely known as Olufemi, will be launching his new CD iba (Homage) at the Fringe Venue of the Joburg Theatre located in Braamfontein on the 27th of August 2015. By RSVP, doors will open at 19.00.
With this album, he pays homage to the gone and living musical prophets, to the African soil and the world at large. Unlike Femi Koya’s debut albumJust in Newtown, where he wrote songs for the cities, the new album calls for African unity and makes a plea for human rights to be respected.
But the album also celebrates Africa’s love of life with infectious dance numbers that bring fans to their feet. Great artists and poets such as Stompie Manana, the Soweto Gospel Choir, Pops Mohamed, Lisa Combrinck, Pitika Ntuli, Prince Lengoase and Kenny Mathaba are featured on this new CD.
“I am part of the new Africa on the move, where home is not just one place but a multiplicity of places and influences,” says Femi Koya. He comments that, “Africa will have its true homecoming when people see themselves as first and foremost African. Until then I will make music about this homecoming and what the future holds if Africans unite. This is our destiny.” “What all Africans share is a love for dance and therefore I am saying that it is Time to Dance.”
The album release concert will feature the artists mentioned above. From September to December 2015 Femi Koya will be on tour promoting the album. Shows will include Jazz on the Lake 6th September, the Joy of Jazz Festival 25th September and other shows.
The digital online release date will be the same as the launching date of the album which is the 27th of August 2015, music will be available for download on itunes, cdbaby, spotify and many other online stores and streaming.
The musical influences on Femi Koya’s Iba(homage) CD include Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Manu Di Bango, Hugh Masekela, Baaba Maal and Salif Keita.“The ideas of W.E.B. Du Bois, Henry Sylvester Williams, Marcus Garvey and more recently Kwame Nkrumah, Obafemi Awolowo, Julius Nyerere, Modibo Keita, Robert Sobukwe, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Steve Biko, Patrice Lumumba, Nelson Mandela and many more still resonate in our heart. While Africans sought to unite long before other continents, the road to real unity remains elusive. Yet Africa’s success depends on this greater unity and identity,” says Femi Koya.
Copies of the CD are available for review and also an invitation to the Album release concert. Guest speaker at the CD launch concert will be Mr Peter Tladi, CEO of Tmusicman (Joy of Jazz festival)
For more information, promo requests, interview set ups.
concert: contact Zee at media@femikoya.com or 071 642 9692/0726216697
Femi Koya - Album releases with Kolanut Music,
