Kunle Olorundare
An acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter, Kunle's folk and soul music bridges contemporary styles with roots in West African rhythms and stories. Nigerian-born and currently based in Toronto, Kunle brings together his rich vocals, unique guitar tapping, harmonica and talking drum to take audiences into what he terms 'music with no boundaries'. Grounded in traditions of oral history, Kunle's music often starts from a West African riddle or proverb and then pulls rhythms and sounds from different cultures to tell a story. In his song "But a Dream", Kunle puts the childhood nursery rhyme "Row Your Boat" to styles from the Mediterranean and finger-picking techniques. In "Ori Okere Lawo", he narrates a proverb about listening to advice and accompanies the story with an acoustic melody that is based in Yoruba folklore. The effect is a richly melodic and contemporary style of West African tradition and music.
Kunle is a Furch Guitar Czech Republic and Stonebridge Guitar Canada certified artist. He can be found performing in West Africa, Europe and across Canada. In October 2017, Kunle showcased the fusion of contemporary roots music with string instrumentation in a concert he directed and headlined alongside a five-piece band and string quartet at the Alliance Francaise d Accra Amphitheatre in Ghana. The performance was attended by a Canadian delegation and the High Commissioner of Canada to Ghana tweeted: "Great concert by Kunle @AFAccra. Thanks for bringing some new Canadian music to Accra! Looking forward to your next visit." Kunle has performed at Mariposa Folk Festival, Habari African Festival, Maawanji'iding: Festival Canadiana Owen Sound, Summer Folk: A Month Of Sundays Aboard MS Chi-Cheemaun, Ossfest Toronto, YYZ Live- Toronto Pearson, Asiko World Festival, Blue Skies Folk Festival, Peterborough Folk Festival, Africa Day Festival Hamburg and for the first time at the 42nd annual Summerfolk Festival 2018. Kunle's song "My Little Fingers" was awarded for best instrumental by Folk Music Ontario in 2015. He is currently producing an LP titled "Freedom" slated for release Spring 2019.
