The Bobbi Lewis Edition

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23 | THE VOICE JUNE 28 - JULY 4, 2012

SHE SAID WHAT?

CAREER CHANGE!

Kim K tweet sparks outrage

JLS star Marvin in new role

BOBII LEWIS Reggae gets a makeover

24 THE VOICE APRIL 4 - 10, 2013

EASTER BUNNIES Stars who celebrate their birthday this month

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MARVIN GAYE Soul singer April 2

LEONA LEWIS UK songstress April 3

EDDIE MURPHY Actor and comedian April 3

PHARRELL WILLIAMS Rapper and producer April 5

KEISHA KNIGHTPULLIAM Actress April 9

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AKON Singer, producer, businessman April 16

KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN Reality star April 18

CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER Comedian April 20

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MARTIN LAWRENCE Actor and comedian April 16

JOSS STONE British singer April 11

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QUEEN ELIZABETH II No explanation needed really!

April 21

TERRENCE J TV and radio presenter April 21

DJIMON HONSOU Actor April 24

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CHANNING TATUM Actor April 26

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MASTER P Actor, producer and entrepreneur April 29

TIONNE “T-BOZ” WATKINS Singer April 26

Zeni Sekabanja

ZENI SEKABANJA, an aspiring actress from Peckham, south London is preparing a final fundraising push to fulfill her dream of enlisting at a top drama school.

The 22-year-old beat more than 3,000 applicants to be offered one of 28 highly sought after places on the two-year acting course offered by the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

But the south Londoner was forced to defer last year because she could not afford the £9,000 course fees. Over the past six months, she has raised £6,360 but only has until July to gather the rest.

“I’ve always wanted to be an actress. Like most people I never thought about the financial aspect of it as I didn’t think that I would get in,” said Zeni, who moved to the UK as a refugee of the Rwandan civil war.

The ambitious drama student clearly has what it takes having played Cordelia in Shakespeare’s King Lear at the Young Vic Theatre in 2010, and appeared in the play Fit for Purpose at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2011.

“I want to show that someone like me from an area like Peckham can follow their dreams. As long as you are driven and determined anything can happen,” she said.

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MS DYNAMITE UK ‘rapstress’ April 26

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APRIL 4 - 10, 2013 THE VOICE 25

www.voice-online.co.uk/entertainment

UK singer Bobii Lewis talks to YV’s Dionne Grant about his love of reggae, rejecting Simon Cowell and why colour doesn’t matter

N

EVER JUDGE a book by its cover.

We’ve all heard the saying, but have, at one point in our lives, been guilty of it. Whether it’s assuming that people who wear glasses are smarter than the average or that all men like football.

Cue UK singer/songwriter Bobii Lewis, a flame-haired, reggae-loving 21-year-old from northeast London, whose story reads nothing like the cover it’s encased in.

“I grew up listening to reggae,” he starts.

“My parents just loved playing reggae around the house, I don’t know why. They also loved Motown. If I’m honest, you can play any song [from those two genres] made in the late 1980s or 1990s and I would probably know them.”

Although his music nowadays falls within the R&B/grime genre, as his new single Cut Me

Some Slack proves, Lewis, will continue to pay homage to the musical genre that shaped his sound wherever possible.

“Me and my guitarist Kenneth will go out at a show and perform a Buju Banton song or a Bob Marley song. It’s a real passion of mine to perform reggae and sing it.”

And although that isn’t the genre for which he is famed, he has built up quite a following on his travels. Fans across the board are eager to sample a Bobii Lewis reggae mash up. In February, the singer was invited to the Jamaica High Commission in Central London to perform for a number of high-profile guests at Bob Marley’s 68th birthday celebrations.

“That was amazing,” he says.

“They accepted me with open arms. I asked the audience to sing along, as I could see them itching to get involved, and when they did,

they came out with harmonies and all sorts. I think as long as we loved what we were doing, they were willing to appreciate it and show us love. From that event we got asked to do a reggae showcase, which we recorded recently.”

Bobii, an accomplished actor, has also moved into the Afrobeats genre, recently performing his hit Sweet Girl at Ghana Independence celebrations at London’s IndigO2.

“The producer that I work very closely with is Nigerian. We grew up together, went to the same schools and college and were pretty much listening to afrobeats ages ago, which was called highlife back then.

“Then I met my manager, who is Ghanaian, so I had both Ghanaian and Nigerian influences around me. The thing is, people might assume that I just jumped on it, but we made these tracks ages ago, we just didn’t put them out because it

wasn’t the right time to do it.”

Bobii started singing when he was 11. He joined the local choir, a ‘soulful’ group of singers who travelled around the UK performing at venues including the Royal Albert and Royal Festival Halls.

He asserts: “I’ve done really big gigs before I was Bobii Lewis the artist.”

In his later teens he started recording with some local rappers and musicians and honed in on his talents in singing, rapping, producing and songwriting and says “now it’s just pushing stuff and showing people what we’ve been creating.”

It wasn’t long before SB.TV, the UK’s leading online youth broadcaster, recognised his talents and asked him to feature in their A64 series, which gained over 30,000 views. The singer went onto receive ‘Record of the Week’ accolades and was hailed as ‘One to Watch’ by Radio 1 DJ’s including Reggie Yates. In fact, days after our interview, his manager called to tell me that Bobii’s single Cut Me Some Slack had been added to both Kiss TV and MTV Base.

The track’s hard-hitting bassline, produced by The Gahd, centres around the sacrifice and gratitude an aspiring artist experiences during their turbulent journey in both music and life, which Bobii admits has been “hard.”

“It’s a hard job, but I guess that’s the same with any career.

If I wanted to

be a doctor, I would have to study until I was 25.”

It makes one question why someone who was invited to appear on reality shows the X Factor and The Voice would turn down the opportunity to fast-track his career.

He laughs. “Me, my manager and the producer that I work with, we built this from the ground up and I just didn’t feel that it was right for me. It just goes against everything that we’ve built. It’s not anything against the shows, but in terms of what I wanted to do, it wouldn’t have worked.”

And his decision seems to have paid off. Earlier this year he supported US rapper Rick Ross in concert and his debut single Grenade independently received support from Choice FM, BBC 1Xtra and Radio 1.

However, when we discuss the highlight of his career thus

MARVIN HUMES:

The JLS star has landed a weekly radio show on Capital FM

far, none of these make the cut.

“Before I would’ve said it was opening up for Rick Ross in concert, that was huge, but performing at Ghana Independence was a great experience. It was like everyone was celebrating and I just felt the love and the energy in that place.

And if we were to talk in five years, what other highlights would have made the list?

“I would have established a number one single in the UK at least. I would want to be prominent in the scene, would like to be producing and writing for other artists worldwide and be able to give back to everyone that has been a part of this movement.”

Cut Me Some Slack is out now through Playtime Entertainment. For more information, visit: www.bobiilewis.com or follow @BobiiLewis on Twitter

CLEOPATRA:

The UK girl group have reunited and will try their chances on TV talent show, The Voice

OR BUSTED? F F U B

Dear Kat, My mum is dating some guy and I don't like him. It's not because he's not my dad, my dad is a wasteman. It's because I don't think he's with my mum for the right reasons.

My mum has a house that she owns, has a good job and takes care of her appearance. He lived with his mum before he started dating my mum and is still 'looking' for a job. And not to mention the bag load of kids he has with all these different women.

I told my mum that I didn't like him, but she just thinks it's gonna take some getting used to. I think he is using her.

How can I make her see sense?

Anon JODECI:

The legendary R&B group were booed off the stage at a recent concert in London’s Wembley Arena

Hi Anon, This is not an easy one as your mum is an adult and shouldn’t be dictated to by her child.

As much as it might burn, you’re going to have to let this relationship run its course. By you investing so much time in your dislike of him, you’re strengthening the relationship and making them want to prove you wrong. If he’s no good, let him slip up all by himself, that way you won’t be blamed.

Your mum, it seems, has her head screwed on to have got this far in life. Trust that she knows what she’s doing and believe that everything will work out for the best. Let down your guard a little bit and try and approach their relationship with a positive mindset. You might just find that you got him wrong. Support your mum, be respectful and be happy for her.

Everything happens for a reason. If it’s not meant to be, it won’t.

BUSTED

BUFF

KIM KARDASHIAN:

A tweet believed to be sent from the reality star’s Twitter account compared Nigerian women to ‘apes’

TWEET OF THE WEEK K-Ci and JoJo of R&B group Jodeci took to Twitter to blast ‘critics’ following their terrible performance at London’s Wembley Arena

KIM KARDA Unflattering,

SHIAN: fussy, mature

ROCHELLE H

UMES:

Cute, simple, pretty

K-Ci and JoJo

“Our critics we ask u read Matthews 7:3 Why do you look at the speck that is in ur brother's I, but dont notice the log that is n ur own eye”

BEYONCÉ

26 THE VOICE APRIL 4 - 10, 2013

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