About 2 weeks ago, I was watching CNN African Voices and their main feature was a man called Lekan Babalola. I didn’t pay much attention until I saw him perform on stage with popular masked musician Lagbaja and then the narrator mentioned that he had won not one Grammy award, but two!

My first thought was that CNN was lying. A Nigerian with two Grammy awards? When did it happen? And why is it that most people do not know about this? It’s not my fault that I was having these thoughts. When the Grammy’s are mentioned, most people begin to wonder whether Femi Kuti will win that year or if Sunny Ade will ever be recognized as the true performer he is. No one really gives much thought to it. Except those that occasionally remember that 9ice had promised to bring home one even though we are still waiting.

But after researching Lekan Babalola extensively, I found out that it is true that he has won two Grammys amongst other things. Here are some previously unknown facts about him:
1. His foray into music began in the church at the age of six. He started a band with his friends and he paid them with “sweets that he bought with the money his mother gave him.”
2. His instruments of choice are the Conga and Bongo Drums
3. He initially wanted to become a pilot and he even went on to study automobile engineering at Chelsea College of Automobile and Aeronautical Engineering, London.
4. He realized that music was his true passion so he dropped out from engineering school to study filmmaking at Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design where he studied filmmaking. He later proceeded to the Northern Film School where he completed his master’s degree
5. He won his first Grammy in 2006 for his work on the album In The Heart Of The Moon by legendary Malian guitarist, Ali Farka Toure. His second came in 2009 for his work on Cassandra Wilson‘s album Loverly.
6. He has worked with notable acts including Prince, Ernest Ranglin, Branford Marsalis, African Jazz All Stars, Roy Ayers, David Byrne, Damon Albarn, Tony Allen amongst others. He is also the founder of the Eko Brass band.
7. He is an ordained Ifa priest and is currently working on a tribute album for Ogun, the god of iron.
8. He is happily married to Kate Luxmoore a Jazz musician like himself and they are blessed with 3 children. The family is currently based in England.
Read more: https://www.naij.com/1029124-8-unknown-facts-lekan-babalola-nigerias-first-grammy-award-winner.html

Where lalasticlala?

INTROVERT:
Where lalasticlala?

just Google his name and check him on "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lekan_Babalola"