Oluwadamilare Art Alade (born 9 February 1982), known professionally as Darey, formerly Dare Art Alade, is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

multi-platinum Afro R&B

singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

, songwriter, record producer, philanthropist, humanitarian and entrepreneur. He is also the son of the African jazz musician and entertainer

Art Alade Modupe Afolabi Jemi-Alade (14 December 1937 – 29 June 1993), popularly known as Art Alade, was a Nigerian television personality and producer who was the host of ''The Bar Beach Show'', a weekly variety show on NBC-TV that aired during the 1970 ...

and the creative director of Livespot360.

Early life

Dare (pronounced Da-Ray) Art Alade was born in

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

to Nigerian jazz pioneer

and Olapeju Alade. He is the youngest of five children. As a child, he used to rummage through his father's extensive

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 ...

collection and go with him to his concerts. Darey sang with several choirs, including the National Troupe of Nigeria Choir and the Cathedral Choir. From the age 15, he began performing in clubs around

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the List of Nigerian cities by population, third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano (city), Kano, with a total populatio ...

and other cities in

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. It was during one of those late night sessions that he met an executive at

Cool FM Cool FM is an Independent Local Radio station based in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. The station is owned and operated by Bauer and forms part of Bauer's Hits Radio Network. The station began broadcasting in 1990 when its parent station ...

, a Radio station. The teenager began shuttling between Cool FM and the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is a Public university, public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria, which was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the education in Nigeria#First generation universities, first generation universities in ...

, where he was studying for a degree in music, and sang with the

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

group The Chordwebs. During his time at

, he had the opportunity to acquire the basic knowledge of radio production and marketing.

Career

Darey has also worked as a radio and TV personality, appearing as a coach, judge and host on several TV shows, including ''

Project Fame West Africa ''Project Fame'', also known as ''Project Fame West Africa'' or ''MTN Project Fame West Africa'' (for sponsorship purposes), is a music talent TV reality show filmed in Lagos and aired in the West African subcontinent. It is a regional version of ...

'', ''

Nigerian Idol ''Nigerian Idol'' is the Nigerian version of the ''Idol'' series franchise. It is the second Idol franchise for the country as it was already part of ''Idols West Africa'' which was also shot and produced in Stockholm, Sweden. The show started wi ...

'', and ''

The Voice Nigeria ''The Voice Nigeria'' is the Nigerian franchise of the TV series '' The Voice''. It is a singing competition that features music enthusiasts and professional performers. Since its first edition in 2016 in Nigeria, the show has become the biggest ...

''. He is also a master of ceremonies, voiceover artist and philanthropist. Darey is the co-founder of Livespot360, a creative agency. Under his creative direction, Livespot360 has organised several concerts and festivals in Nigeria, which have featured appearances from African and international superstars alike, including Grammy award winners

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, ''Goodies ...

Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...

and global super influencer and TV personality,

Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...

2004–06: ''Project Fame''

Darey came third in the 2004 edition of ''

Project Fame ''Project Fame'' was a pan-African version of the international talent/reality show ''Star Academy''. Held in Johannesburg, South Africa from June to August 2004, the show had 16 African contestants – 9 of them South Africans – groomed for ...

'' Academy.

2006–07: ''From Me 2 U''

After a record deal with Sony BMG Africa, his debut album ''From Me 2 U'' was launched on Storm Records. It included singles such as "Fuji" and "Escalade" which enjoyed airplay in the Nigerian and international media. The album also included the song, "Original Naija" which was used as the theme song for the first ever edition of ''

Big Brother Nigeria ''Big Brother Naija'', formerly known as ''Big Brother Nigeria'', is a Nigerian reality competition television series, based on the '' Big Brother'' television franchise. On the show, contestants live in an isolated house and compete for a larg ...

''. Darey's album, ''From Me 2 U'' won several awards including the Awards for Musical excellence in Nigeria (A.M.E.N) and the 2006

Channel O Music Video Awards Channel O Africa Music Video Awards, once known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards, are Pan-African music awards organised by South Africa -based Channel O television channel. The awards were first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video A ...

for best R&B Video in Africa.

2008: ''Project Fame West Africa''

In 2008, Darey spent several months as the host of a music based reality show ''Project Fame West Africa''.

2009: ''unDAREYted''

Two years after the release of his debut album, Darey released his follow up entitled ''unDAREYted'', on the new start up label, Soul Muzik. The album sold over 150,000 copies across Nigeria in just two months. The album features appearances by Darey's contemporaries and friends:

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 ...

(

Aṣa Bukola Elemide (born 17 September 1982),"There's 'Fi ...

's producer),

2face Idibia Innocent Ujah Idibia Order of the Niger, MON (; born 18 September 1975), known by his stage name 2Baba and formerly as 2Face Idibia, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, record producer and philanthropist known for his solo debut album, ''Face 2 Fa ...

Naeto C Naetochukwu Chikwe, stage name Naeto C, is a Nigerian rapper, Afrobeat artist and record producer. He rose to prominence with the track 'Kini Big Deal' which is credited for changing the Nigerian hip hop sound. Known for his catchy hooks and s ...

9ice Akande Abolore Adegbola Alexander Ajifolajifaola (born Abolore Adegbola Akande), better known as 9ice (pronounced nice; born 17 January 1980), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and dancer. He is known for his powerful use of the Yoruba language ...

Tee-Y Mix Temitayo Ibitoye, popularly known as Tee-Y Mix is a Nigerian music executive, and board member of Dapper Group. He is widely known for producing Naeto C's major hit "Kini Big Deal", which earned him a nomination at The Headies for Producer of the ...

and the up-and-coming R&B crooner, Pheel, to mention a few. The work features the smash hit ballad "Not The Girl," which has been nominated for several awards and won video of the year at the 2009 Nigerian Entertainment Awards held in Washington DC. ''unDAREYted'' caught the attention of

Dick Griffey Richard Gilbert Griffey (November 16, 1938 – September 24, 2010) was an American record producer and music promoter who founded SOLAR Records, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records". The label played a major role in developing a funk ...

, who is credited with discovering and influencing the music careers of artists such as

Shalamar Shalamar () is an American R&B and soul music vocal group created by Dick Griffey and Don Cornelius in 1977 and active throughout the 1980s. Shalamar's classic lineup on the SOLAR label consisted of Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey D ...

The Whispers The Whispers are an American vocal group from Los Angeles, California. Scoring hit records since the late 1960s, they are best known for their two number-one R&B singles, " And the Beat Goes On" in 1979 and " Rock Steady" in 1987. The Whispers ...

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

L.A. Reid Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer who served as president and CEO of Arista Records from 2000 to 2004, as well as chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Mus ...

and

Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...

. Dick Griffey offered to executive-produce Darey's third album which was to break Darey further into the U.S and international markets but Griffey died before the project could be completed.

2010–2015: ''Double Dare''

In 2010, Darey performed at shows in many cities across the World including Nairobi, Johannesburg, Abuja, Lagos and other major African cities, including a special concert with R&B legend

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), known as R. Kelly, is an American former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with prolific commercial success in R&B, hip hop, and pop music recordings, earning nicknames suc ...

in South Africa and the This Day Peace Concert Tour in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, which had

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

and Ciara as headliners. On request of the President of Nigeria,

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to former military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari and w ...

, he was invited to perform at the presidential villa in a dinner to commemorate the country's 50th independence anniversary. At the event, which was broadcast live to over 200 million viewers across the world, he performed a medley of 50 songs with his 15-piece band, "Soul band" to a room filled with several African presidents and past world leaders. Darey was the main host of both the '' Gulder Ultimate Search'' and ''Glo Naija Sings'' reality shows in 2011. In February 2013, he put together, alongside his Soul Muzik team, one of the biggest shows Nigeria has ever seen, Darey Presents: Love Like A Movie, which had the red carpet hosted by

, as well as the release of the music video, "Asiko" featuring Jozi and

Ice Prince Panshak Henry Zamani (born 30 October 1986), better known as Ice Prince Zamani or just Ice Prince, is a Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after releasing "Oleku (Ice Prince song), Oleku", one of Nigeria's most remixed son ...

. In May 2013, Darey released a single, "Special Fever", produced by internationally acclaimed producer

Harmony Samuels Harmony Olakunle David Samuels (born 16 May 1980), also known as H-Money, is an English record producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He has produced a multitude of hits for artists such as Brandy, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Ariana ...

. In June 2013, he co-hosted the launch of media mogul

Mo Abudu Mosunmola "Mo" Abudu (born 11 September 1964) is a Nigerian Media proprietor, media mogul, Philanthropy, philanthropist, and former human resources management consultant. Biography Early life Mo Abudu was born in Hammersmith, West London ...

's multi-broadcast network Ebony Life TV alongside Dolapo Oni. He also signed on as an ambassador to Unilever's popular beverage,

Lipton Lipton is a brand named after its founder, Sir Thomas Lipton, Tom Lipton, who started an eponymous grocery retail business in the United Kingdom in 1871. The brand was used for various consumer goods sold in Lipton stores, including tea from 1 ...

. Darey also became a judge on ''

'', replacing

Jeffrey Daniel Jeffrey Glen Daniel (born August 24, 1955) is an American dancer, singer-songwriter, and choreographer, and a founding member of the R&B vocal group Shalamar. In Nigeria, he is best known as a judge on the first three seasons of '' Nigerian ...

2013-2016: Darey Presents Love Like A Movie

Love Like A Movie is a concert for Valentines Day held annually by Darey. The first edition of the show was held in 2013. The show was tagged "The Flight of Love" and featured a special appearance from American reality TV star

. The second edition of Love Like A Movie was held in 2014. and featured a special performance by

. The third edition of Love Like A Movie was held in 2016 and saw the energetic

take to the stage and also lit up the streets of Lagos with an impromptu dance off.

2015: ''Naked''

In October 2015, Darey released his fifth studio album titled ''Naked''. The 13-track album made up of afrobeat, soul and R&B features collaborations with Asa, YBNL Nation rapper

Olamide Olamide Gbenga Adedeji (born 15 March 1989) is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists in Nigeria and Africa and has been crucial to the creative and commercial succe ...

and multiple Grammy award-winning

Soweto Gospel Choir The Soweto Gospel Choir is a South African gospel group. History The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in Soweto, South Africa, by David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, and producers Andrew Kay, David Vigo and Cliff Hocking in 2002. The more than 30- ...

. Ten of the thirteen songs on the album were produced by Oscar Heman-Ackah, with additional production contributions from Cobhams Asuquo, Vtek and Dare himself.

2018-2019: BAFEST

Darey served as the creative director and also performed at the second biggest festival in Nigeria BAFEST (Born in Africa Festival) in December 2018 and 2019.

2019: Livespot X Festival

Darey performed at the Livespot X Festival (produced by Livespot 360) which was held in December 2019 across two African cities

and

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

with Grammy Award winner

as headline act. The first ever Livespot X Festival in Lagos was the biggest concert in Nigeria with over 60,000 people in attendance. Along with creative directing, hosting and performing at the festival, Darey also immersed Cardi B in Nigerian pop culture, showing her around and also paying a philanthropic visit to an orphanage. During her visit, Cardi B adopted a Nigerian name "Chioma" and called herself "Chioma B" on social media.

Jah Guide Me

After being away for nearly five years as an active musician, on 14 August 2020, Darey returned with a gospel-esque single titled "Jah Guide Me". The song was accompanied by an Afro-futuristic video. Darey described "Jah Guide Me" as the beginning of a deeply African-rooted story.

Discography

Albums

*''From Me 2 U'' (2006) *''unDAREYted'' (2009) *''DoubleDare'' (2011) *''Naked'' (2015) *''Way Home'' (2020)

Singles

*"Escalade" (2006) *"Fuji" (2006) *"With This Woman" (2008) *"Carry Dey Go" (featuring 2Face Idibia) (2008) *"Not The Girl" (2008) *"More" (2009) *"No Stars" (2009) *"Let You Know" (2009) *"Style Na Style" Remix ft. 9ice, Password &

Jesse Jagz Jesse Garba Abaga (born 10 August 1984), known professionally as Jesse Jagz, is a Nigerian rapper, record producer, and songwriter. He signed a record deal with Chocolate City in 2010 and released his debut studio album ''Jag of All Tradez'' t ...

(2009) *"Stroke Me" (2009) *"The Way You Are" (2010) *"Don't Let Me Know" (2010) * "Ba Ni Ki Di" (2010) * "Sisi Eko" (2010) * "The Way You Are" (Remix) ft

Chamillionaire Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (), is an American rapper. He began his career in Houston's hip hop scene in the late 1990s. He was briefly signed with the local record label Swishah ...

(2011) * "Special Fever" (2013) * "Asiko Laiye" (Remix) ft Olamide (2015) * "Pray For Me" ft Soweto Gospel Choir (2015) * "Jah Guide Me" (2020)

Awards

Won *Best Male Video "Not The Girl" (2009

) *Best R&B Video "Not The Girl" (2009

) *Best R&B "Not The Girl" (2009 Nigerian Music Video Awards) *Best Use of Costume "More" (2009 Nigerian Music Video Awards) *Video of the Year "More" (2009 Nigerian Music Video Awards) *Best Music Video of the Year "Not The Girl" (2009 Nigeria Entertainment Awards) *Best R&B Video "Escalade" (2006

) *Best Picture / Musical Video "Escalade" (Awards for Musical excellence in Nigeria (A.M.E.N)) *Recording of the Year "The Way You Are" (The Headies 2011) *Best R&B Single of the Year "The Way You Are" (The Headies 2011) *Best Male Artiste: Inspirational "Pray For Me" (All Africa Music Award 2015) Nominated *Best R&B (2009 MTV Music Video Awards) *Best R&B Song "Escalade" (2007 Awards for Musical excellence in Nigeria (A.M.E.N)) *Best R&B Album "From Me 2 U" (Awards for Musical excellence in Nigeria (A.M.E.N)) *Best Single Recording "Not The Girl" (2009 Hip Hop World Awards) *Best Vocal Performance – Male "Not The Girl" (2009 Hip Hop World Awards) * Best Afro Pop Video "Ba Ni Ki Di" (2011 Nigerian Music Video Awards) * Best RnB Video "The Way You Are" (2011 Nigerian Music Video Awards) * Video of the year "The Way You Are" (2011 Nigerian Music Video Awards) * Best Use of Costumes "Ba Ni Ki Di" (2011 Nigerian Music Video Awards) *

Artist of the Year ''Artist of the Year'' is a television competition shown on the Sky Arts channel (formerly known as Artsworld and Sky Arts 1) which aims to find the best portrait and landscape artist every year. Overview Through several rounds of regional comp ...

(

The Headies 2011 The Headies 2011 was the 6th edition of the Hip Hop World Awards. The award's name was officially changed to "The Headies". The ceremony was hosted by Rita Dominic and eLDee. It was held on October 22, 2011, at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victor ...

) * Best R&B Pop Album – ''Double Dare'' (2011 The Headies) * Best Vocal Performance (2011 The Headies) * Most Stylish Artist – Male (FAB Awards 2012) * Best Use of Costumes "Sisi Eko" (2012 Nigerian Music Video Awards) * Best Highlife "Sisi Eko" (2012 Nigerian Music Video Awards) * Music Video of the Year "Sisi Eko" (2013 Nigerian Entertainment Awards) * Best Male Artiste: Inspirational "Pray For Me" (2015 Africa Music Awards)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darey Nigerian rhythm and blues musicians Nigerian songwriters Living people Yoruba musicians Musicians from Lagos University of Lagos alumni 21st-century Nigerian singers Nigerian hip-hop singers The Headies winners Nigerian music industry executives Participants in Nigerian reality television series English-language singers from Nigeria Yoruba-language singers of Nigeria 1982 births