Shadows - Music

Ben Okafor Mixes African Musical Sounds With The Western Traditions Of Jazz And Rock And Perhaps Most Notably A Large Amount Of Reggae. His Compositions Are Heavily Influenced By The Music He Heard As A Child Growing Up In Nigeria But He Also Sites Musical Legends Such As The Beatles Stones James Brown And Of Course The Wailers As Big Influences. He Is A Singer Songwriter A Poet And A Multi Instrumentalist. He's Almost As Well Known For His Political Activism As For His Music As A Teenager He Was A Child Soldier In The Nigeria Biafra War And Has Dedicated Many Years To Campaigning On Behalf Of Children Forced Into The Brutalities Of Warfare. His Spirituality Is A Constant Factor In His Music And Says About Himself "In A Way My Music Is About A Vision Of A World Reconciled To God - The Absence Of This Dream’s Realization Also Influences What I Write And Sing About." Although He Has Won Recognition From Many Directions Appearing On Stage With Nelson Mandela And Desmond Tutu Among Others He Still Remains A Badly Under-Rated And Relatively Low Profile Musician. read less