Following the release of his debut single ‘Ka Home’, AfroSoul artist Ch! Nonso is set to release ‘Liar’ the second single from his forthcoming EP ‘Kola Nuts & Chardonnay’ on Friday, 10 March. The single is a series of questions the Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) based artist was ruminating over about the dehumanisation and heartbreak caused by lies. In the second verse he questions what would’ve become of his-tory if he didn’t pick up his pen and voice his own story. Who would’ve appointed themselves the writer of his-tories?
Stream ‘Liar’ [Here]
Paying homage to the music tradition of Indigenous African and Black music, Ch! Nonso invites the listener to witness the deeply personal documentation of his experiences for a cathartic release that is backed by rhythmic melodies. Illuminating how the personal is not separate from the political and the multi-layered nature of heartbreak.
Sonically, the hauntingly muffled vocal effect, which sounds like an altar call due to the traditional RnB beat and call and response chant in the bridge, is influenced by D'Angelo’s ‘1000 deaths’. The style of guitar echoes Spanish influences something Ch! Nonso says is a deliberate choice to pay tribute to the different musical traditions he grew up listening to, like calypso and Afro-Cuban rhythms.
Set to release Friday, 31 March, Ch! Nonso’s debut EP ‘Kola Nuts & Chardonnay’ continues this style of putting sounds and music traditions that have elements of crossover and jarring aspects seamlessly together.
Born in Enugu, Nigeria, Ch! Nonso is an AfroSoul artist of Igbo descent residing in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand). In releasing his first project as Ch! Nonso, the artist invites us to witness his homecoming and reclamation of the philosophies and stories his name embodies.
Drawing inspiration from sounds that have deep roots in African music traditions, Ch! Nonso’s first foray into music was as a church choir member and later as a member of a boyband in university. Previously he performed under the alias Nuel Nonso as lead vocalist for Ijebu Pleasure Club and has worked with Phodiso, Mazbou Q, New Telepathics and Sola Rosa.
Sonically, Ch! Nonso’s sound is influenced by traditional Igbo rhythms such as Amawbia and Mbaise sounds, Highlife, RnB, Afrobeat, Jazz, Soul and artists such as Femi Kuti, Destiny’s Child, Celestine Ukwu, Plantashun Boiz and Stevie Wonder.
His reflective lyricism provides commentary on straddling multiple cultural influences and making sense of the awkward space between the jarring union of traditional African and Indigenous cultures, colonial influences and Western culture.