Michael Kiwanuka
| Michael Samuel Kiwanuka | |
|---|---|
 Performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 3 May 1987 |
| Origin | Muswell Hill, North London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Soul, folk, acoustic |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Labels | Polydor, Communion |
| Website | michaelkiwanuka.com |
Michael Samuel Kiwanuka is a British soul musician who is signed to Communion Records.[1] He has been compared to Bill Withers, Randy Newman, Terry Callier, and Otis Redding,[2] as well as Van Morrison and the Temptations.[3] In January 2012 he won the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll.
Early life
Kiwanuka grew up in Muswell Hill, North London, the son of Ugandan parents who had escaped the Amin regime.[4][5] He attended Fortismere School, leaving there in 2005 after completing his A-Levels.[4] He was regarded as a very friendly and modest student with a huge circle of friends and a great appreciation for all different genres of music. He could regularly be seen in school concerts and recitals playing bass guitar and jazz guitar. He went on to study at the School of Media, Arts and Design at the University of Westminster.[6]
Musical style
Kiwanuka has acknowledged influences from musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Bill Withers,[4] Otis Redding,[4]Jack Johnson, Pops Staples, The Band, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Eric Bibb, Tommy Sims, Richie Havens,[7] and has played with James Gadson, who drummed for Bill Withers.[8]
While filming an episode for the 39th season of Austin City Limits at the Moody Theater at ACL Live on Monday, 10 June 2013, Michael and his band played a cover of the late Townes Van Zandt's song Waiting 'Round to Die, from Van Zandt's first album, 1968's For the Sake of the Song.
Career
Kiwanuka worked as a session guitarist, playing with Chipmunk and Bashy, before working as a solo artist;[4] his first proper gig was at The Oxford, Kentish Town. He came to the attention of Communion Records, which released his first two EPs,[4] including his debut Tell Me A Tale on 13 June 2011.[9]
Kiwanuka supported Adele on her Adele Live 2011 tour, as well at her iTunes Festival 2011 gig,[10] and played at the 2011 Hard Rock Calling.[11]
In 2011, he signed a deal with Polydor Records.[4] He was included in the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll and was named as the winner on 6 January 2012.[12] In June 2012, he was illustrated in a BBC article regarding Spain vis-à-vis Uganda during the Eurozone crisis; his putative counterpart was actress Penélope Cruz.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [13] |
AUT [14] |
BEL (VL) [15] |
BEL (WA) [16] |
CAN [17] |
DEN [18] |
IRE [19] |
NL [20] |
NOR [21] |
NZ [22] |
SCO [23] |
SWE [24] |
US [25] | |||
| Home Again |
|
4 | 13 | 2 | 26 | 35 | 23 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 117 | |
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Tell Me a Tale EP (Isle of Wight Sessions) |
|
| iTunes Festival: London 2011 |
|
| I'm Getting Ready EP |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | BEL (VL) [15] |
BEL (WA) [16] |
FR [34] |
NL [20] |
SCO [23] | |||
| 2012 | "Home Again"[35] | 29 | 3 | 61 | 21 | 59 | 34 | Home Again |
| "I'm Getting Ready"[36] | 187 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I'll Get Along"[37] | — | 54 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Bones"[38] | — | 67 | — | — | — | — | ||
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organisation | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | BBC Sound of 2012 | Sound of 2012[12] | N/A | Won |
| 2012 | Barclaycard | Mercury Prize[39] | Home Again | Nominated |
References
- ↑ "Artists – Communion". Communion. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ↑ Kev Geoghegan (16 June 2011). "Michael Kiwanuka: Singing with his soul on his sleeve". BBC News. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ↑ Paul Lester (24 May 2011). "New band of the day: Michael Kiwanuka". guardian.co.uk (Guardian News and Media). Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Doyle, Tom (2012) "The Soul Man", Mojo, February 2012, p. 68-9
- ↑ Charlotte Richardson Andrews (5 May 2011). "First sight: Michael Kiwanuka". guardian.co.uk (Guardian News and Media). Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ↑ "Alumnus tops BBC Sound of 2012 poll". Retrieved 12 January 2012.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka". Myspace. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka: Singing with his soul on his sleeve". BBC News. 16 June 2011.
- ↑ "Introducing: Michael Kiwanuka". TwentyFourBit. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ↑ "Agenda: Kat Maconie; Michael Kiwanuka; Limanation; Pan Am; Transform festival". The Independent. 29 May 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ↑ "Frankie And The Heartstrings, Michael Kiwanuka and Lissie added to Hard Rock Calling bill". NME.com. IPC Media. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Sound of - 2012 - Michael Kiwanuka". BBC Music. 22 November 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ↑ Peak positions for albums in the UK:
- For Home Again: "Home Again on the UK Albums Chart". The Official Charts Company. Chart Information Network. 24 March 2012.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka - Austrian Charts". austriancharts.at. Hung Medien.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Michael Kiwanuka - Belgium (Flanders) Charts". ultratop.be. Hung Medien.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Michael Kiwanuka - Belgium (Wallonia) Charts". ultratop.be. Hung Medien.
- ↑ ALBUMS : Top 100 JAM! Showbiz, Canoe
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka - Danish Charts". danishcharts.com. Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka - Irish Charts". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Michael Kiwanuka - Dutch Charts". dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka - Norwegian Charts". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka - New Zealand Charts". charts.org.nz/. Hung Medien.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Peak positions for albums in Scotland:
- For Home Again: "Heaven on Scottish Albums Chart". The Official Charts Company. Chart Information Network.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka - Swedish Charts". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien.
- ↑ Billboard.com
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka". Retrieved 10 February 2012.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Michael Kiwanuka – Home". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Home in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
- ↑ "Gouden plaat voor Michael Kiwanuka". 3FM. 25 November 2012. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka 'Tell Me a Tale: The Isle of Wight Sessions' - Digital EP". Amazon.co.uk. 18 December 2011.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka - Tell Me a Tale EP: Isle of Wight Sessions at Juno Records". Juno. 30 June 2011.
- ↑ "iTunes Festival: London 2011 – EP by Michael Kiwanuka". iTunes. Apple.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka 'I'm Getting Ready' - Digital EP". Amazon.co.uk. 20 December 2011.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka - I'm Getting Ready EP at Juno Records". Juno. 26 September 2011.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka - SNEP French Singles Charts". lescharts.com. Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Michael Kiwanuka 'Home Again' - Digital EP". Amazon.co.uk. 22 December 2011.
- ↑ "I'm Getting Ready - Single by Michael Kiwanuka". iTunes. Apple.
- ↑ "'I'll Get Along' Video Exclusive on Vevo". MichaelKiwanuka.com.
- ↑ "New Single 'Bones' To Be Released On 24th September". MichaelKiwanuka.com.
- ↑ Amy Phillips and Evan Minsker. (2012-09-12). "Mercury Prize Nominees Announced". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
External links
| Preceded by Jessie J |
Sound of... 2012 |
Succeeded by Haim |
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