Today – 21st April – Rising Afro-fusion singer-rapper Suté Iwar releases his highly anticipated debut 15-track album, ‘ULTRALIGHT’, alongside lead single ‘Meditate’ featuring Tay Iwar and Lex Amor. Produced by Suté, ‘Meditate’ is an instantly timeless future groove, propped up by fragile piano keys and seeing Suté profess a need for exercising continuing mindfulness. ‘Meditate’ is a message and reminder to slow down and breathe amidst the whirlwind of life. ‘ULTRALIGHT’ is set under the guise of a fictional Netflix documentary about his life, Suté explores space, sound, love, and lust, successfully mingling the exquisite with the sensual. Suté Iwar’s afro-infused intergalactic album has a star-studded lineup from West Africa and the UK, including WurlD, Tim Lyre, Lex Amor, kadiata, Raytheboffin, Tay Iwar, Shalom Dubas, Ogranya, Efe Oraka and Twelve XII.
In Suté’s words, ULTRALIGHT is “a journey that takes you through a range of emotions, from the high energy and excitement of life to the introspection and self-reflection that comes with it… my goal was to create music that speaks to the heart and soul, to evoke feelings of love, hope, and inspiration. Each track on the album tells a story and takes the listener on a journey through soundscapes that are both familiar and new.”
Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria Suté Iwar is one of three sons whose musical education started very early. Comparable to the Marley brothers, they remain close collaborators, often writing, producing and featuring on each others music. From 7 years old Suté attended classical music school and played multiple instruments, including the saxophone, which led to him performing in numerous bands and events as a teenager. His parents are music lovers with eclectic tastes introducing him to Jazz, Soul, and Pop music alongside traditional West African music, which has undoubtedly influenced the genre-fluid sound we witness today. His father remains his biggest critic and Suté emphasises that despite his diverse influences, Soul music is always at the heart of what he creates.. A multi-instrumentalist, singer, rapper and producer, Suté’s musical influences include the likes of Childish Gambino, Kendrick and Anderson Pak and, closer to home, the likes of Fela Kuti and Majek Fashek, whose music and stories have transfixed him and given him the confidence to experiment with sounds and expression.
Suté refuses to conform, blending elements of R&B, Rap, Alté, Afro, Funk and beyond. Suté’s voice sounds as unaffected and assured singing as it does, rapping with his second release, ‘Star Player’ featuring kadiata, creating waves beyond his native and receiving notable cosigns from COLORS, Notion, Dj Target, Rebecca Judd and Rinse FM, amongst others. The stylistic adventurousness of ‘ULTRALIGHT’ places him in the lineage of Afro-fusion artists that have successfully broken into the UK landscape. The album is half self-care, half immeasurable flex and you can catch his live headline show at The Grace on Friday 19th May.
Listen Here: https://africori.to/ultralight
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