Meet Lolade: Vocalist and Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lolade and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lolade, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is unavoidable in the music business. You invest in equipment, promotion and marketing, studio time all in the hopes that it will all pay off in the end. And paying off could range anywhere from personal fulfillment to global reach. Whenever an opportunity or an idea comes, I have to be step back and think to myself “how does this align with my purpose in music?” and then decide whether it’s a risk worth taking.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I make music that’s straight from the heart. While my music can be classified as soul, world, jazz, afro…my aim in making music is to reach a depth that’s far beyond genre and trend. I’m very proud of the fact that my influences are broad due to my eclectic experiences in life. I was born in a small village in Oyo State, Nigeria, I had a conservative Southern Baptist upbringing in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended an Historically Black College/University “HBCU”, and am now living in the metropolitan city of Houston TX. I’ve been the “only” in so many stages in my life, I use that as my superpower to speak to all the other “only”s out there. Music is such a powerful tool to do so.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a nature girl so our first stops would be the amazing parks that Houston has to offer including Buffalo Bayou, Memorial, and Hermann Park. Then we’d check out some of the African restaurants on the southwest side of the city. We’d definitely hit MFAH on Thursday night for a little art and happy hour. We’d do some low-key nightlife at City Center, and of course…we’d check out some local live music at spots like Cafeza and Alley Kat.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I sometimes share a stage with a group here in Houston called The Gathering. They’re a fun band that specializes in traditional folk music from the Yoruba and Ibo ethnic groups in Nigeria. They are playful, skilled, they sing in beautiful folk harmonies, and are so much fun to watch. Check them out @official_gathering on Instagram.

Website: www.lolademusic.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lolademusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lolademusic
Youtube: www.youtube.com/lolademusic