“My ART is from the heART”

Thoughtful and heartfelt, Obenewa's ear-pleasing vocals and lyrical honesty allows listeners to empathise with the tales that unfold before their ears.

“I’m a very emotional person and with my songwriting, I guess it works in my favour. What you get out of me is the truth and my raw feelings. I love being so true but I hate it at the same time because it leaves me so vulnerable.”

Classically trained on piano from the age of four and picking up the guitar in her teens, Obenewa's musicality see’s no boundaries.

“I remember practicing the scales on the piano everyday, immersing myself in various classical pieces and going into a world only I was a part of. My uncle Michael is a musician, I wanted him to teach me to play the guitar and I eventually picked it up and taught myself. I’ve played around with the drums and it’s something I’d really love to explore in the future”.

Her talent has led her to share the stage with artists like Marsha Ambrosius and Anthony Hamilton.

“Raphael Saadiq is one of my biggest influences, so when he came to London I booked my ticket immediately. I remember, my sister and I stood right at the front and sang along. Raphael heard me and gave me the mic. The audience went CRAZY. It was such an amazing feeling. The following year he invited me to perform at his concert in London.”

After dropping her free mixtape "Therapy" at the tail end of 09 and gigging with The Truth moveMENT, Obenewa kicks off 2011 with the launch of her debut EP.

“My EP describes snapshots of my life. I called it ‘Once upon a time’ because I feel it’s the beginning of a new chapter on my musical journey.”

This EP is without a doubt one of the most honest works of recent years. ‘Once upon a time ...’ is out 27th of Feb 2011.