(April 25, 2024) Singer and songwriter Kemi Sulola grew up in the musical and cultural hotbed of East London where she was surrounded by diverse musical sounds emanating from her house and the community at large. She heard the reggae and Afrobeats that her parents played and the hip-hop and contemporary R&B that her brothers played. She also heard classic soul and R&B, gospel, and jazz music.
As she grew, Sulola gravitated toward the sounds of 1990s R&B. That’s an era where a music fan could hear all those influences on the radio and sometimes even in one song. Those influences can be heard in Sulola’s new song “T.I.M.Y. (Til I Met You).” It’s a track that explores meeting the person who transforms your life. There is a before that incredibly special person comes into your life, and there is an after. “T.I.M.Y.” is about the after.
The tune possesses a slow, propulsive groove with a seductive bass line, and sets the foundation for sensual improvisation on the saxophone. Vocally, Sulola displays comfort with being able to improvise as well. Check out Kemi Sulola’s “T.I.M.Y.” here.
By Howard Dukes
