Country: Nigeria/Ireland
Born in Nigeria, before migrating to rural Ireland as a child, Caleb Kunle has a sound that blends sounds and styles that are just as disparate as the places he grew up. Taking inspiration from folk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and narrative storytelling, Kunle counts The Beatles, Michael Kiwanuka and Nina Simone as key points of influence in his new material.
His latest single to be released, “All in Your Head”, an anthem about facing doubt, sounds like a blast to the past, with 60’s R&B/soul production elements, classical strings adding an Eastern European element, and a steady rhythm that lets Kunle’s incredible vocals to soar and weave through the melody. Previous single “Could Be Good” is a loungey slow jam, finding Kunle hitting lingering falsetto notes over a silky groove.
Another stand-out in Kunle’s catalog is his 2020 single “Call Me Mad”, a lightly psychedelic folk song, that finds Kunle singing over an orchestrated afrobeat, with acoustic guitars and horns that flow like a warm wind. It shows off the awesome range Kunle has as a songwriter, and creates excitement over what directions his music could take next in the future.
Listen to some of Caleb Kunle‘s beautiful music in our World Watch playlist on Spotify or Apple Music!
The Indy Review 