Interviews & Features

Nadir Omowale’s recording studio and rehearsal space is nestled in a nondescript building on Grand Boulevard west of New Center. You wouldn’t know it from looking at it, but inside houses some of the most important techno artifacts and memorabilia in the world. Rare record pressings hang on the same wall as the original machines Detroit’s architects of techno used to create a whole new genre of music. There’s a by-appointment-only record store underground, too.

The fact that Nadir’s musical operation is based here may strike some as odd, seeing as Nadir – a songwriter, bassist, and bandleader among other things – describes his own music as a fusion of soul, funk, and rock. After all, what does electronic music and live music have in common?

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There’s an irony,or perhaps a simple contradiction, in the fact that the word “nadir” refers to the lowest point reached by a celestial body, and yet the man who bears that name (pronounced NAY-deer) is an incredibly positive, upbeat and enthusiastic soul. On the day of our interview, which takes place at MTtowers, Nadir bounds in like a puppy in a park, all smiles and overt warmth. It’s fucking freezing outside, so his naturally emitted merriment is particularly welcome.

That joy for life is nothing new, according to the man himself. At just 18 months old, Nadir Omowale was belting out the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” in the back yard, and that was only the beginning.

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Black Grooves is a music review site hosted by the Archives of African American Music & Culture (AAAMC) at Indiana University. Their goal is to promote black music by providing readers with monthly updates on interesting new releases and quality reissues in all genres?including gospel, blues, jazz, funk, soul, R&B, world music, and hip-hop—as well as classical music composed or performed by black artists. An extra effort is made to track down releases by indie, underground, foreign, and other small labels that don’t get covered in the mainstream media. They interviewed Nadir’s album, The Book of Jonah, for their November 2012 issue.

Originally Published at BlackGrooves.org
November 1, 2012

Nadir Omowale, an eleven-time Detroit Music Award winner, has also been garnering recognition outside of his hometown through recent tours across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.  His unique style reflects his upbringing: he was weaned in Tennessee on recordings by Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and James Cleveland; was immersed in his brother’s P-Funk, Kiss and Van Halen collection during adolescence; then moved to the Motor City where he soaked up the vibes of Motown and the Funk Brothers.  Blend these influences together and you get old-school funk and soul with a dash of jazz and blues on a solid foundation of rock ‘n’ roll.

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