Back to the top

Nadir

The Music of Nadir Omowale

Nadir Omowale doesn’t have time to stand still.  There is far too much life to be lived.

The fifteen-time Detroit Music Award winner and former MTV News correspondent is driven by an impassioned activism. All of his hats – performer, producer, creative strategist – are worn by a man who explores as he produces, teaches as he advises, and creates art that honors the fact that life is filled with extremes and in-betweens. The result is infectious, a creative electricity that is essential to who Nadir is.

Nadir will tell you that life is too important, not to be an activist. His impressions about life are the essence of his work. His lyrics can tug at heartstrings, tickle funny bones, or evoke an honest look at the world around us, and (possibly more importantly) the world within us.

His music is influenced by funk, but don’t call Nadir a funk revivalist. His understanding of rock, R&B, hip hop, and jazz takes funk to a most Nadir-centric next step; a Southern born, and Detroit raised sound that doesn’t fit in traditional boxes. His music reaches across genres and political aisles – sometimes with a gentle, outstretched hand, and occasionally with a clenched fist  – always challenging listeners with a funk inspired, Motor City sound that is as relevant today, as Holland-Dozier-Holland were in the sixties.

Jane Asher of Radio Sophie 103.7FM in San Diego writes of Nadir:

“If Motown had never moved to L.A.,
this is what it would sound like today.”

His live show is dynamic. Nadir works a stage comfortably, engaging with audiences, guiding them on an energetic, emotional experience. There will be time for laughter, and love, amid irresistible outbursts of dance, and the occasional plea to understand the challenges that we still face in our attempts to insure freedom for all.

When Nadir Omowale performs, you get more than music. You get all of the man, his humor, his passion, and the depth of a personality that embraces his responsibility to make this a better world, because of his love of life.

“To label Nadir as a neo-soul artist would be neglecting his rock roots; to call him a rock artist would be overlooking his hip-hop and jazz influences. Fully encompassing all the talents that Nadir possesses would be comparable to expanding the mathematical term Pi to its last digit.” 
The Michigan Chronicle, Detroit, Michigan

“It’s STONE COLD FUNK,
It makes you DANCE, it ROCKS your world,
It’s got GREAT LYRICS,
It’s got POWERHOUSE SOUL SINGING,
It’s got GREAT MUSICIANSHIP,
It makes you THINK about the world and it makes you SMILE.”
Bob Davis, Soul-Patrol.com

 “As usual your performances NEVER disappoint.
Sometimes I felt like I was seeing Sly and the Family Stone again.
Great show!”
Terri Koggenhopp – Executive Director, Detroit Music Awards and
Director of Artist Relations, Detroit International Jazz Festival

Metro Times: Nadir Omowale to perform free concert in Troy on Friday

Originally Published in the Metro Times

Two of the hottest names in modern media technology – Antelope Audio and GoPro personal video cameras – will join forces to offer a peek at the future of live music Friday night (Nov. 21) at a free concert in Troy.

“Nadir’s Electric Lounge: A Multimedia Funk Experience,” a Detroit R&B extravaganza starring bass guitar virtuoso, producer and 13-time Detroit Music Award winner Nadir Omowale, rolls out at 8 p.m. at NextWave Media Lab, 950 Stephenson Highway.

Nadir_wecare_crop_LindsayKing430 In addition to Nadir’s eight-piece ensemble, the show will feature guest appearances by emerging rocker Steffanie Christi’an and soul exciter Michael Turner. The Detroit rock emcee Volcano will host, and DJ Ray 7 of Underground Resistance will fill in the sonic gaps. Nadir and his band were invited to be the subjects of this showcase after executives at Antelope Audio were introduced to his high-energy performing style. Continue reading

Big & Bigger on CaveRadio with Nadir, Volcano, Chris Spooner, and DJ Ray 7

Friday, November 14 was a night full of surprises as Nadir, Christopher Spooner, DJ Ray 7, and Volcano visited the CaveRadio studios and appeared on the show Big and Bigger.

The fellas talked about Nadir’s Electric Lounge, discussed their favorite war movies, and played a few funky tunes including an unexpected and highly unorthodox rap battle between Volcano and some random dude from the bar next door. Hilarity ensues…

Click HERE to LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE SHOW ON PODCAST

Or check out a clip of the guys’ performance below.

Post by Alan Isaacson.<

LIVE RADIO PERFORMANCE: Nadir Live on WDET for Ann Delisi’s Essential Music, June 2013

In early June, Nadir and the band converged on the legendary Studio A at WDET radio in Detroit for a live recording and interview on Ann Delisi’s Essential Music. The band fired off smoking versions of “Daddy’s Cane” (from Nadir’s award-winning debut Distorted Soul 2.0) and “Go It Alone” (from 2012’s critically acclaimed disc The Book of Jonah). Click the player below to hear, share or download the performance and interview.

Players:
Nadir – vocals, guitar, interviewee
Tasha Lord – vocals
Steve Caldwell – guitar, vocals
Christopher Spooner – bass, vocals
Jeff Rebrovich – keyboards
Raphael Merriweathers, Jr. – percussion, vocals
Jason Bonaquist – drums

Ann Delisi – host
Alex Trajano – engineer
Nicole Fritz – 2nd engineer, editor

Detroit Free Press: Nadir sees life looking up

Nadir at Church_photo by Marc NaderRachel May: Nadir sees life looking up
Originally published October 4, 2012 in
The Detroit Free Press

His music is a harmonious blend of R&B, funk, jazz, hip-hop, rock and soul. On his latest album, “The Book of Jonah,” Nadir reveals a fantastic collection of songs with a positive message about everyday life.

” ‘Belly of the Whale‘ really sums up the record,” says Nadir. “It gives us the message that it may feel like the end of the world but it’s not. It’s just another day in the belly of the whale.”

“The Book of Jonah” is Nadir’s third full-length solo CD, and he’ll celebrate its release with a performance Friday at PJ’s Lager House.

“A lot of the songs are really inspired by some of the things we’ve been going through here in Detroit and Michigan,” says Nadir, whose full name is Jonah Nadir Omowale.

“It’s not as overtly political as my 2008 record when I was mad at George Bush and angry all the time. This one is a little more hopeful, and even with all of the turmoil that we and the rest of the nation — and the rest of the world, really — have been going through, I see a lot of positive signs and a lot of positive things happening.”

Click HERE to Read the Entire Article at Freep.com

VIDEO: Nadir & The Band Live on Fox 2 Detroit Morning Show – October 3, 2012

Nadir and the band lay down the early morning funk with this performance of “Go It Alone” on Detroit’s Fox 2 Morning Show. The incredible band is (left to right): Jeff Rebrovich on Keyboard, Steve Caldwell on guitar, Jason Bonaquist on drums, Tasha Valdez Lord on vocals, Nadir on vocals and guitar, Ray 7 on percussion, and Christopher Spooner on bass.

Special thanks to Taqqee Khabir for manning the mixing desk; to Steve Caldwell and Nextwave Media Lab for going above and beyond the call of duty with the audio assist; to Nancy Schoenheide-Phares for being the best publicist in Michigan; to the folks at Fox 2 for having us on, and for Toast Ferndale for the great post show victory breakfast.

Be sure to check out the full set at The Book of Jonah Album Release Party on Friday, October 5, at PJ’s Lager House.

Nadir and the Band at the Fox 2 Morning Show - Photo by Nancy Phares

WDET-FM Detroit: The Book of Jonah is Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music CD Pick of the Week

No one knows more about popular music and the magic of radio than Rob Reinhart. “Good radio is now one of the only media that isn’t designed to simply reflect the taste of the user. It’s still a community that brings together lots of different people.”

Rob Reinhart - WDET DetroitRob’s version of Essential Music on WDET FM in Detroit is a three-hour creative mix of old and new, rock and soul, folk and a bit of jazz, thematic elements, humor, exclusive/rare material, from local and national artists alike.

It’s quite a feat which Rob pulls off seamlessly.

On Saturday, September 29, Rob selected Nadir’s new album The Book of Jonah as his Essential Music CD Pick of the Week.

Big thanks to Rob and WDET for their unwavering support of the Detroit music scene!

 

Saving Commercial Radio From Itself

ATTENTION COMMERCIAL RADIO PROGRAMMERS AND MUSIC DIRECTORS:

If you’re looking for a surefire way to bolster your sagging ratings and stave off the full frontal assault on your medium by the Pandoras and Spotifys of the world, ADD MY NEW RECORD TO YOUR PLAYLISTS NOW!

No, I’m not arrogant enough to believe that my album alone could save us from commercial radio’s otherwise eminent demise. But it seems clear that a potent injection of fresh sounds would help lure back listeners who have turned to programming their own iPods or wandered down the dial to community radio in an effort to escape the monotonous repetition of mainstream terrestrial radio.

Two decades of mercurial technological advances are inspiring more great artists to create incredible music in their homes, on their laptops and (gasp!) on their cellphones. Still commercial radio playlists get shorter and shorter. Why?

Consider the tweet below as shared on Facebook by Steve Heath of Alma Artist Booking and Management:

And after the recent decision by US and EU regulators, we’re down to three major record labels. That means a shrinking number of corporate executives will exercise greater control over the music we’re force-fed by mainstream media outlets. As our information and entertainment pie grows, a few mega-companies are slicing up ever larger slices with the intent of stuffing consumer faces with more junk food media.

That’s bad news for those of us who turn on the news because we want to know what’s happening in the world, and who turn on the radio when we want to hear music that satisfies our souls.

Continue reading

Funk Gumbo Radio Video of the Day: Nadir – “95 Miles Down The Road” feat. Mayaeni

FUNK GUMBO RADIO is your ticket to great funk/rock music, playing all your favorites of today and yesterday: Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Betty Davis, TVOTR, Lenny Kravitz, Janelle Monae, and many others. Good luck finding this great collection of artists on PANDORA or anywhere else. It happens 24/7 only on FUNK GUMBO RADIO and the Live365 Network.

The good folks at Funk Gumbo named Nadir & Mayaeni’s95 Miles Down The Road” as their Video of the Day on Sept. 21, 2012.

By the way, have you picked up your copy of “95 Miles Down the Road” on vinyl? Get Yours NOW!

Nadir - 95 Miles Down The Road (feat. Mayaeni) 7-inch single cover

“95 Miles Down The Road”: The Sonic Soul Review in Deutsch

SonicSoulReviews.comJörg Michael Schmit of SonicSoulReviews.com is always in the forefront when introducing the best new soul and jazz music to Germany and the rest of Europe. Here’s what he had to say about “95 Miles Down The Road“, the blistering single by Nadir and Mayaeni:

Der Mann für den kräftigen Ton. Wieder da. Und er hat eine Frau an seine Saite gestellt. Die nennt sich Mayaeni und versteht sich ebenfalls mittels einer rauen Gitarre in Szene zu setzen. Jenseits jedweder Marketing-Strategie pustet das dynamische Duo allzu wohltönende Schwarz-Musikanten aus den Abspielgeräten und schafft Platz für schwerblütigen Rock´n´Soul. “95 Miles Down The Road” ist eine erste Ansage aus dem neuen Nadir Album “The Book Of Jonah”. Übrigens, ich mag´das so, wie es ist.

Click HERE to Read More at SonicSoulReviews.com

© Nadir Omowale