RADAR: Josephine
Manchester, England's Josephine Oniyama cites Fela Kuti, Odessa, The Isleys and King Sunny Ade as influences in her music but also Joanna Newsom, Johnny Cash, MGMT and Iron and Wine. Forthcoming full-length Portrait (October 8, ARK U.K.) promises an equally eclectic mashup of styles. "At school it was all about indie but when I went home it was African," admits the 29-year-old. "The rhythms and subjects were totally different to the Manchester sounds. I never try to cram all these influences in, hopefully they just come out in a natural way." A prior label deal and a pair of EP's behind her, Josephine has been collaborating with writers and producers such as Ed Harcourt and Jimmy Hogarth (Corinne Bailey Rae, Sia), creating eclectic but grounded art/pop and neo-soul/folk that's both sweepingly dramatic (the sublime "When We Were Trespassers") and undeniably catchy ("What A Day").
Josephine - "What A Day" (from the album Portrait)
Josephine - "When We Were Trespassers" (from the album Portrait)
Josephine, Portrait, What A Day, When We Were Trespassers
Reader Comments (1)
This is music the way it should be. The ambience takes you to another world.