Concert on the Lawn
Michael Olatuja: Lagos Pepper Soup
Wednesday August 16, 2023 at 7:00pm
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Overview
Wednesday August 16, 2023 at 7:00pm
Just like the pepper soup from his hometown of Lagos, Nigeria, Michael Olatuja’s most recent album Lagos Pepper Soup is packed with a rich array of tantalizing flavors. The composer, bandleader, and bassist blends the sounds of Lagos, London (his birthplace), and New York (his current home) into what he describes as a “cinematic Afrobeat.” Join him and his band for a high-energy evening of hard-hitting Afrobeat, jazz, and fun. Yeah, we know, it’s August … but it’s never too hot out for a soup this good!
Please bring your own seating for this performance on Friends Field. Picnics are encouraged!
“A sonic experience of epic proportions.” — NPR
Learn More About the Artist
Michael Olatuja
Bassist Michael Olatuja is celebrating the release of Lagos Pepper Soup: his spectacular blend of West African Afrobeats and jazz “Cinematic Afrobeat,” backed by a string orchestra, arranged by iconic film music arranger Dave Metzger, the top orchestrator for Disney, with an International all-star cast featuring: Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves, Brandee Younger, Lionel Loueke, Regina Carter, Joe Lovano, Laura Mvula, Gregoire Maret, and Becca Stevens.
The London-born, Lagos, Nigeria-raised, New York-based electric and acoustic bassist/composer/bandleader Olatuja has been one of the most inventive and in-demand bassists since the early part of this century. He’s worked and recorded with hundreds of artists, including Dianna Ross, Spike Lee, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, Terence Blanchard, Chris Botti, Kurt Elling, Bebe Winans, and more. Current projects include Dianna Ross’ first album in 15 years Thank You (2021) and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s movie directorial debut Tick Tick Boom on Netflix (2021). Olatuja has recorded three CD’s as a leader, Speak (2009), which won an IMA award, The Promise by The Olatuja Project (2011), and Lagos Pepper Soup (2020).
Nearly five years in the making, Olatuja’s new, twelve-track CD, Lagos Pepper Soup, named after a zesty, West African meal, with lyrics mostly in Yoruba and English, and recorded in London and New York, is his most comprehensive and compelling album to date.
To learn more about Michael Olataju, please find him on social media (@michaelolataju).
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