Thursday 18 August 2011

Asa - Beautiful Imperfection


Internationally acclaimed, French-Nigerian singer Asa gave the first taste of her new album, Beautiful Imperfection, with the sunny, reggae-tinged single “Why Can’t We”. Asa’s second album, Beautiful Imperfection, has already gotten rave reviews in other countries across the globe, and will be release in the US on September 6th through Naïve Records. As oppose to the political theme of her first release, Asa’s new music carries more of a celebratory and joyous feeling, embracing the listener with the warmth of her smoky vocals.

Three of the twelve songs on Beautiful Imperfection are in Asa’s native Yoruba language, and the remaining songs in English display the unmistakable and infectious lilt of her French-Nigerian background. Born in Paris, Asa returned to her family’s home in Lagos, Nigeria at the age of two. As the only girl in a family of four, living in an African city that was both vibrant and turbulent, young Asa sought solace in her thoughts. Music was a prominent aspect of her childhood life with Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, Fela Kuti and the music of her homeland all playing a part in shaping Asa’s inimitable sound. With a vivid imagination and dreams of musical stardom, she would often take to an imaginary stage with her imaginary microphone and perform to her imaginary audience. Talking about “Dreamer Girl,” she notes, “When you catch yourself dreaming, you can sometimes sense that people nearby could hear you, and suddenly, you might feel like it’s a crime. But I’m actually the dreamer girl in the song.”



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