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Live Video from the WRTI Performance Studio: Vocalist and Multi-Instrumentalist Ola Onabule

Rugged Ram Records
Ola Onabul'e

Acclaimed British-Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, and music producer Ola Onabule makes a special stop in Philadelphia to share selections from his new album, Point Less. He and his band visit with host J. Michael Harrison in the WRTI Performance Studio for an exclusive live video presentation on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11th at 4 PM.

Born in North London and raised in Lagos Nigeria, Ola is known as a charismatic and sophisticated artist and entertainer. His compelling performances possess an emotional intensity and vocal virtuosity that is second to none.  Audiences cherish this powerful storyteller and his capacity to cross cultural and musical boundaries with an unflinching pursuit of truth and justice. Ola Onabule epitomizes a move towards hearty, sustaining music, made by artisans with a commitment to quality, integrity and authenticity.

Ola has forged an international career via his relentless program of recordings and concerts.  Appearances at many of the most respected international jazz festivals that include main stages of Montreal, Vancouver, Istanbul, London, Edmonton, Umbria as well as concert halls and jazz clubs worldwide ensuring that his reputation continues to be cemented with audiences globally.

Ola's songs about love, loss and the human condition have been performed all over the world with his quartet/quintet as well as appearances with much larger ensembles of big bands and symphonic orchestras.  These include several projects with the Grammy winning WDR Big Band of Cologne, the SWR Big Band of Stuttgart, the HR Big Band of Frankfurt, Danish Radio Big Band, and the Copenhagen and Babelsberg Film Orchestra and others.

Ola states; "Hands-on, self-sufficiency has always been my mantra for survival in the music game.  I always felt like the creative parts of song writing, producing and recording were merely different stages of a single process".  This ethos has led to endorsements with some of the world's leading sudio technology specialists, including and ACS Custom (UK), Reference Laboratory (Italy) and Hazelrigg industries (US).  Technical support of this kind has given Ola new possibilities in the production and recording of his latest album Point Less.

J. Michael Harrison’s first radio show, WPEB’s “Is That Jazz” launched in June of 1993. In 1994 he began volunteering with WRTI as a production assistant. In 1996, J. Michael debuted his own program, The Bridge, which continues to air Friday evenings on WRTI.