Bez Idakula
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Emmanuel Bez Idakula, known as Bez (born 10 November 1983), is a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and composer, working in a genre known as "alternative soul", a hybrid of
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
,
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and R&B. He was featured in ''Pulse'' Magazine as number one on the list of "Top 12 Musicians To Look Out For in 2014".


Early life and education

Emmanuel Bez Idakula was born in 1983, in
Jos Jos is a city in the North-Central region of Nigeria. The city has a population of about 900,000 residents based on the 2006 census. Popularly called "J-Town", it is the administrative capital and largest city of Plateau State. The city is situ ...
in central Nigeria. He grew up in a musically inclined family, listening to
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
and
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
. As a child, he sang in choirs and began playing his father's guitar at the age of nine. His parents recorded duets, with his mother singing and his father playing the guitar, while Bez and his younger brother, Anyidakula Idakula, and his two sisters, Eunice Chiedu and Lydia Sobogun provided a sing along audience. Growing up Bez spent his time fixing things, and dabbling in painting and sketching. Bez lost his father, who was a politician and gubernatorial candidate for
Nasarawa State Nasarawa is a States of Nigeria, state in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by the states of Taraba State, Taraba and Plateau State, Plateau, to the north by Kaduna State, to the south by the states ...
in Nigeria, at the age of twelve. His family's finances crashed as a result and he could hardly afford to pay the rest of his tuition for high school. An anonymous person paid for his high school education. In college, he received help paying his fees, as well. Upon finishing
Loyola Jesuit College Loyola Jesuit College is a private Catholic secondary school in Abuja, Nigeria. It was founded on 2 October 1996 by the Society of Jesus in Nigeria and was named after the founder, Ignatius of Loyola. History In 1962, the New York Province of the ...
, Bez attended and graduated from
Covenant University Covenant University (CU) is a private Christian university in Ota, Nigeria, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. It is affiliated with Living Faith Church Worldwide and is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Association of African Un ...
in 2007 with a BEng in
Information and communications technology Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computer ...
. He sang at open mic nights while at university. One of such open mic nights was called Taruwa ("gathering" in the
Hausa language Hausa (; / ; Hausa Ajami, Ajami: ) is a Chadic language spoken primarily by the Hausa people in the northern parts of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern parts of Niger, and Chad, with significant minorities in Ivory Coas ...
), where the platform encouraged artists to share their talent through music, poetry, the spoken word and art. Here, Bez played every two weeks and met
Praiz Praise Ugbede Adejo (born 8 March 1985), better known by his stage name Praiz, is a Nigerian multi award-winning R&B singer, songwriter, and producer. Praiz's music career hit the limelight after he finished second runner-up at the maiden seas ...
, who he later collaborated with on "That Stupid Song". Later, he read ''He-Motions'' by Bishop
TD Jakes Thomas Dexter Jakes Sr. (born June 9, 1957) is an American non-denominational Christian evangelical pastor and motivational speaker. He was the senior pastor of The Potter's House, a non-denominational American megachurch in Dallas, Texas, f ...
and other spiritual and self-help books, which led him to the view that his purpose in life is to add value to the world through his music.


Career


''Super Sun''

Bez's album ''Super Sun'' was released in 2011, and includes the single "That Stupid Song". ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' placed this song at number 3 in its top ten world music albums of 2011, calling Bez a "superb alternative-soul singer". Connect Nigeria called it "unusual and just a perfect blend for a debut album" In an interview with
Vanguard Nigeria ''Vanguard'' is a Nigerian daily published by Vanguard Media, headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. Vanguard Media was established in 1984 by journalist Sam Amuka-Pemu and three friends. The paper currently has an online edition. In June 1990, the ...
, Bez stated "That Stupid Song" was created accidentally when someone entered the studio requesting "a stupid song". Bez's producer, the talented songwriter and music producer,
Cobhams Asuquo Cobhams Asuquo (Efik language, Efik pronunciation: ) (born January 6, 1981) is a Nigerian musician, producer, and songwriter. After working as Head of Audio Productions at a local label, Questionmark Entertainment, he set up his own recording f ...
, thought to create a song that was a mixture of different songs they sang while growing up. They invited Praiz to do a collaboration with Bez and they recorded "That Stupid Song" the next day.


''Gbagyi Child''

In November 2013, Bez premiered the first single off his second album, ''My Baby'' also produced by Cobhams Asuquo, that was released in 2014. The title and release date are currently unknown. In the interview of April 2013 with Vanguard Nigeria, Bez stated that his next album will be a slight departure from the sound he is known for, stating he will be putting a more African sound in his music and rock while keeping the soul present in the music. This may make the music a bit more mainstream. Gbagyi Child was released on 28 November 2016. 360nobs calls the album 'swirling, expressive, poetic, lush and bursting to the seams with its influences'. It includes the remix track of 'You Suppose know' which features acclaimed Nigerian artiste
Yemi Alade Yemi Eberechi Alade (born 13 March 1989), known professionally as Yemi Alade, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress and activist from the Akoko part of Ondo State. Her music is a mixture of Afropop, highlife, dancehall, pop music, pop and Rh ...
.


Tours and other career accomplishments

Bez's music video of "That Stupid Song", premiered on the renowned
BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...
's
106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...
, an American hip-hop and R&B music video show, in January 2012. He was the first African artist to world premiere his music video on BET and the first Nigerian artist to do a solo show at the iTunes store in Soho, New York. He also had a show at the iTunes store in Santa Monica, California for Black Music month in June 2012. Bez enjoys being on stage: "Once I get on stage, it goes crazy from there. We perform with our hearts and just go in. It's great energy on stage and we try to keep it that way till the end." Recording in the studio also has many rewards. "Sometimes it may be down to business, other times and most of the time… it's just pure unadulterated fun!!" Bez performed at many events in 2012: The New Africa Shrine in Harlem, New York; the Applause Africa Award ceremony honouring
Angélique Kidjo Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo (; born July 14, 1960) is a Beninese- French singer-songwriter, actress and activist noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Kidjo has won five Grammy A ...
in Manhattan, New York; Arts Alive Festival and Moshito Music Conference in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, South Africa; Africa Utopia at
Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is an arts centre in London, England. It is adjacent to the separately owned National Theatre and BFI Southbank. It comprises the three main performance spaces – the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Purcell R ...
in London, UK; Africa Leadership Network Annual conference in
Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...
, Ethiopia, and Nigeria House pre-Olympic concerts in London, UK. He also performed for Sol Village at SOBs in Manhattan, New York, and for the TML100 event in
Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
, Kenya. He also performed in the "Spinlet All African Showcase", (the first of its kind), at
SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
in Austin, Texas; in March 2012. His Super Sun Concert in Nigeria, in December 2012, received raves. In 2013, Bez made the American tour in March, and the European tour which was held later in the summer of the same year. He also played the Slide and Bounce Tour, sponsored by Globacom.


Personal life

Bez married Bolatito Ladoja, the daughter of former
Oyo State Oyo is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the List of Nigerian cities by population, third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo ...
Governor
Rasheed Ladoja Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja (; born 25 September 1944) is a Nigerian businessman and politician who served as the governor of Oyo State from 2003 to 2006; and from 2006 to 2007. He was impeached in January 2006, and reinstated in December 2006. ...
, in January 2014. Bolatito works as a banker at
First City Monument Bank First City Monument Bank (FCMB), a member of FCMB Group Plc, is a financial services holding company headquartered in Lagos. FCMB Group Plc has nine subsidiaries divided among three business groups: commercial and retail banking, investment bank ...
. She holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations from
Warwick University The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded in 1965 as part of a ...
in the United Kingdom, with a Masters in Management from
Imperial College Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a cultural district in South Kensington that included museums ...
in London. Bolatito is supportive and involved in Bez's career, and is often present at his gigs. Bez is currently based in Lagos. Musically, his biggest influences are Amy Winehouse, the Beatles and '70s soul. In addition to guitar, he also plays piano and percussion.


Charitable involvement

Bez founded the Bez Idakula Foundation to help with educational needs for kids who can't afford it, and to try to help transform their lives in the same way his own life was affected and transformed. Bez also sits on the board of an NGO, Ovie Brume Foundation, is a member of the African Leadership Network and is one of two Nigerian members of Sandbox, a global network of young entrepreneurs. He also endorses '’Friends Africa'’ and a Telecommunications brand in Africa,
Globacom Overview , GLO has over 60.7 million subscribers, making it the second largest network operator in Nigeria. In 2011, GLO became the first telecommunications company to build an $800 million high-capacity fibre-optic cable known as Glo-1, a ...
and has appeared in their commercials. In March 2012, Bez spoke at the Harvard Africa Business Conference on an entertainment panel.


Awards and nominations

Bez received six nominations in the
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
The Headies The Headies (originally called the Hip Hop World Awards) are honors established in 2006 by ''Hip Hop World Magazine'' to recognize outstanding achievements in the Nigerian music industry. The annual ceremony features performances by established a ...
, the Nigerian Music Awards: Recording of the Year (single "The Stupid Song"), Best R 'N' B Single ("The Stupid Song"), Best R 'N' B/Pop Album (''Super Sun''), Best Collaboration (Stupid Song featuring Praiz), Best Vocal Performance, and Hip Hop World Revelation.


Discography

*'' Super Sun'' (2011) *''Gbagyi Child'' (2016) *''The Light'' (2019)


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bez 1983 births Living people Nigerian soul musicians Nigerian rock musicians Nigerian jazz musicians People from Jos Covenant University alumni