Femi Koya

BIO

Femi Koya is a Nigerian Afrobeat musician based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He is a composer, performer, versatile saxophonist and dynamic vocalist. Femi Koya is the new face of the African Renaissance, combining West African highlife and jazz as well as South African and Sofiatown-inspired sounds. His music is a rich blend of deep and sultry Afrobeat and contemporary groove. He is urban and urbane. His life’s journey - a story of migration from the West to the South - resonates in his music, which creates a conscious dialogue between West African and South African sounds. This musical fusion demonstrates the path to a new and culturally integrated Africa in which a common heritage is reinforced to meet the needs of today's world. His quest is for African unity at a time when he believes Africa should claim its rightful and proud place in the world.

Femi Koya’s debut album 'Just in Newtown' is evidence of the rich melodies that result from this fusion. Through his versatility on the saxophone, he breathes new life into African world music. 'Iba meaning 'homage' is the title of Femi Koya’s second album, which was released in August 2015. The 'Iba' album also calls for African unity and makes a plea for human rights to be respected. The album also celebrates Africa’s love of life with infectious dance numbers that bring fans to their feet. His latest album, 'Village Afrobeat', was released in April 2018 and its songs depict nature, fertility, rituals, change of seasons and traditions essential to village life. The album tells stories and tales of what happens in villages as well as fables. He revisited a few songs on his latest EP 'Ori Mi' and the single 'Iba' in 2019

His musical influences include Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Manu Dibango, Hugh Masekela, Baaba Maal and John Coltrane.
He has shared the stage with Youssou N’dour and Yvonne Chaka Chaka at the CAF Awards in Lagos and with John Legend during his first South African tour in Cape Town. He performed alongside the king of juju music, Sunny Ade, at the Glo launch in the Republic of Benin. Other colourful festivals have felt Femi Koya's acrobatic music, where he performed alongside Wynton Marsalis, Oliver Mtukudzi, Habib Koite, Salif Keita and Baaba Maal. He has recorded with Simphiwe Dana, Pops Mohamed, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, and worked with Baaba Maal, Angelique Kidjo and Wizkid, among many others.

Other events where Femi Koya has laid his mark include, Joy of Jazz festival Johannesburg, Jazz on the lake JHB, Arts Alive Johannesburg, Oppikopi Festival Northam, Mieliepop Festival Lothair, Bushfire Festival Swaziland, Park Acoustics Pretoria, Nubian Music Fest Rustenburg, Africa Day Festival Johannesburg, Zakifo Durban, Capital Craft Beer Festival Pretoria, Rum Festival Johannesburg, Rocking the Daises Cape Town, Smoking the Dragon Festival KZN, National Festival Grahamstown, Plettenburg Art Festival and Homecoming African Festival September.

Femi Koya sees himself as part of the new Africa on the move, where home is not just one place but a multiplicity of places and influences. He believes that Africa will have its true homecoming when people see themselves as first and foremost African. Until then he will continue to make music suggestive of this homecoming and what the future holds if Africans unite. It is, he says, our destiny.