It is a long journey from the Niger Delta to the concert halls of the United States, but it is one that Nneka is taking in her stride.
Nneka is a Nigerian singer songwriter who is making her name on the world stage and earlier this year released her debut album and tour in the U.S.

At 28, Nneka is a relative newcomer to music. She has only been singing for around five years, but has wasted no time in winning over both fans and critics.

Last year, she won a prestigious MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award in the UK for Best African Act.

Her work combines soul, hip hop, reggae and African music, but the lyrics have an unashamedly Nigerian tone, covering -- among her themes -- injustice in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

If you speak about corruption or hypocrisy of religious leaders, people don't want to hear that.

"My music is very versatile, very mixed. I have different influences: afro beats, hip hop, reggae, raga, soul, hip hop, a little bit of rock, and of course the indigenous African or Nigerian influence," she told CNN.

Nneka grew up in the city of Warri in the Niger Delta with a Nigerian father and German mother. She went to university in the German city of Hamburg and it was there that her singing career took off.

She told CNN, "When I went to Germany and being in a place where you have no connection, you are confronted in a totally different culture, tradition, mentality.

"You're here on your own, you need to function and that's where music came in," she continued.

It didn't take long for her voice to make an impression in Germany, and she began touring Europe and releasing albums while still at university.
In an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper last year, Nneka said: "In Nigeria, if you say you're a singer, people say, 'So what? Everyone sings.' In Germany, my voice stood out more."

This year, Nneka is touring the United States for the first time, playing venues such as the Los Angeles Troubadour, a West Hollywood club played by Elton John and James Taylor early in their careers.

She has been chosen by American rapper Nas and Jamaican reggae star Damian Marley to join them on their Distant Relatives tour.

"It's not just a tour about entertainment or music alone but about connecting people around the world and making us understand that we're all part of that one entity, which is love," Nneka told CNN. "And I'm happy that I'm the person they chose to represent Africa, which is a big opportunity."

While Nneka is captivating audiences around the world, it is playing in her native Nigeria which is most rewarding -- but also risky -- for her because of the political content of her lyrics.

She said: "I must say I feel responsible for my people. People who might not have the courage to stand up or the opportunity to stand up and speak about things that are very delicate and that people do not want to hear.

"People can identify," she explained, "But at the same time, there are a lot of people, especially the government, who have problems with my speaking my mind or the mind of many.

"If you speak about the exploitation in the Delta, nobody wants to hear that," she continued. "If you speak about corruption or hypocrisy of religious leaders, people don't want to hear those things."

Nneka gives some hint of the background to her passionate lyrics when she describes her upbringing in Warri.

"You can imagine what kind of condition that may be, growing up around pipelines, growing up around people who are very agitated and fighting for their rights, human and civil rights," she told CNN.

"But you know, despite that chaos and the agitation, people still are able to feel comfort and peace within the madness," she continued. "That is actually what has triggered me into going into music and doing music the way I do it."

She does, however, feel hope for the future in her country.

"I noticed that many people are becoming more conscious of their surroundings and more conscious of investing their money in proper institutions and infrastructure," she said.

"So it's like we're getting there, but it's taking time. It will take generations to make the people of Nigeria also understand that it is not just the leaders alone that have to take responsibility, but we ourselves."

4 Play:

Not the same Nneka who defrauded Inspired?

4 Play:

Not the same Nneka who defrauded Inspired?

~Bluetooth:

not again

4 Play:

Not the same Nneka who defrauded Inspired?

4 Play:

Not the same Nneka who defrauded Inspired?

Obo Boco:

no she is not the same one.

4 Play:

I heard she used Inspired's money to launch her music career. How are you sure it's not the same person?

mdsocks:

Chai!, you guyz will soil a new thread with all your uninformed ranting,

Must you always post?

4 Play:

Are you one of Nneka's agents? Please tell her to pay back the money and end this her rubbish music career, she can't even sing.

mdsocks:

If you are so dumb not to understand that not just one person bears Nneka then i will leave you to continue languishing in your self impose stupidity,   


Or maybe i should help a poor fella who has reading problems,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nneka_(singer)

http://www.nnekaworld.com/

mdsocks:

If you are so dumb not to understand that not just one person bears Nneka then i will leave you to continue languishing in your self impose stupidity,   
Or maybe i should help a poor fella who has reading problems,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nneka_(singer)

http://www.nnekaworld.com/

Aloy_Emeka:

You guys need to chill and have a little sense of humor.

jennykadry:

Who is taking 4play serious here

mdsocks:

Chai!, you guyz will soil a new thread with all your uninformed ranting,

Must you always post?

mdsocks:

I do understand 4 Play, i understand he knows who this Nneka is,,, but to feign[b] ignorance is such a disgusting [/b] thing for me,


A beautiful thread such like this and adults playing pranks dosent make sense at all,

If he needs to make some noise, the games and jokes board are full of this ,

Mobinga:

"I noticed that many people are becoming more conscious of their surroundings and more conscious of investing their money in proper institutions and infrastructure," she said.

"So it's like we're getting there, but it's taking time. It will take generations to make the people of Nigeria also understand that it is not just the leaders alone that have to take responsibility, but we ourselves."

gestapo:




defending an unrepentant thief by deeming Inspired-men the victim's story as uninformed ranting, yet is disgusted and bursting a vein over 4play's

ignorance By the words of their mouth and their utterances, ye shall know them beautiful thread my lard a.r.s.e    

Ajike:

4 Play      Are you one of Nneka's agents? Please tell her to pay back the money and end this her rubbish music career, she can't even sing.

she has said it before, Nigerians will never appreciate musician like that. thank God she did not started her career her

mdsocks:

I do understand 4 Play, i understand he knows who this Nneka is,,, but to feign ignorance is such a disgusting thing for me,


A beautiful thread such like this and adults playing pranks dosent make sense at all,

If he needs to make some noise, the games and jokes board are full of this ,

Redman44:

It is painful that a thread about the giant strides of Nneka Egbuna, the first Nigerian artist to collaborate with American Rapper, Nas, has been turned into an avenue to display ignorance and crass jealousy. This is not about the Nneka that defrauded a nairalander. Nneka Egbuna is getting popular everyday. Her music is great and she is a good example of what an average Nigerian youth should be. I have written some stories about Nneka on my blog and have taken the time to conduct a proper research on her. Nneka Egbuna keeps her website and Myspace page updated daily. This is what many Nigerian artists fail to do.  It is not important that you should like her music, but it is very difficult no to . The reason why I like Nneka Egbuna is because she chose to identify with Nigeria when she had 1000 reasons to stay away from the country. This is a mixed race lady who has chosen to highlight the problems of the Niger Delta through her music. How many musicians with Nigerian heritage are doing this? We have the likes of Sade Adu, Tunde Baiyewu, Seal, Lemar Obika etc who are not doing much to identify with Nigeria. Yet a lady who has a lot of opportunities in Germany comes along to inspire us to be concerned about our country's destiny and we laugh at her

Nneka speaks intelligently and she has made good use of the opportunities she came across in Europe to launch her career. Let us learn from her to start doing positive things wherever we are located. Nneka Egbuna is on the way to greater things and she might just get that Grammy Award in the near future. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

Redman44:

It is painful that a thread about the giant strides of Nneka Egbuna, the first Nigerian artist to collaborate with American Rapper, Nas, has been turned into an avenue to display ignorance and crass jealousy. This is not about the Nneka that defrauded a nairalander. Nneka Egbuna is getting popular everyday. Her music is great and she is a good example of what an average Nigerian youth should be. I have written some stories about Nneka on my blog and have taken the time to conduct a proper research on her. Nneka Egbuna keeps her website and Myspace page updated daily. This is what many Nigerian artists fail to do.  It is not important that you should like her music, but it is very difficult no to . The reason why I like Nneka Egbuna is because she chose to identify with Nigeria when she had 1000 reasons to stay away from the country. This is a mixed race lady who has chosen to highlight the problems of the Niger Delta through her music. How many musicians with Nigerian heritage are doing this? We have the likes of Sade Adu, Tunde Baiyewu, Seal, Lemar Obika etc who are not doing much to identify with Nigeria. Yet a lady who has a lot of opportunities in Germany comes along to inspire us to be concerned about our country's destiny and we laugh at her

Nneka speaks intelligently and she has made good use of the opportunities she came across in Europe to launch her career. Let us learn from her to start doing positive things wherever we are located. Nneka Egbuna is on the way to greater things and she might just get that Grammy Award in the near future. Cheers.


www.vibes-extra..com

texazzpete:

You really need to grow a sense of humour ASAP!

Since when did collaborating with Nas become 'giant strides'?
The same CNN did a piece on Child torture in Nigeria. How many of you even bothered to respond. Only three! And this is for people who are suffering and dying in your own country.
Now that someone collaborates with Nas, you pop out of the woodwork. Nigerians and their misplaced priorities!