Omar
City Winery Chicago Presents Omar on January 15th at 7:30 PM.
“When I grow up I wanna be like Omar” - Stevie Wonder
“Omar is one of my favourite artists ever” - Erykah Badu
“This cat's shit is banging” - Ol’ Dirty Bastard (Wu Tang Clan)
“The original nu-classic soul guvnor” - Trevor Nelson
“The reigning don of UK Soul” - The Face Magazine
“A songwriter who values true classic form, a singer whose phrases are instinctively seductive” - American GQ Magazine
“Distance is the only difference between Babyface, the reigning king of black pop, and Omar” - Rolling Stone Magazine
There are precious few, if any contemporary UK artists whose creative credentials and influence extend as far and so consistently wide as Freestyle Recording artist Omar. Since first breaking through to worldwide renown all the way back in 1991 with his first releases on Gilles Peterson's seminal Talkin' Loud label, and since going on to work with all manner of musical legends including a certain Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Angie Stone,Syreeta Wright, Common, and Carleen Anderson.
The musical history is renowned - the Lye-Fook family has musical talent embedded deep in its DNA. Omar’s father Byron worked as a studio musician and drummer for many years. Samia Lye-Fook (Omar’s sister) is a highly regarded vocalist in her own right, and a BRIT School alumni. Omar’s younger brother, the Grammy winning producer, remixer and DJ professionally known as Scratch Professer has been making jaws drop since, as a 13 year old, stunning the crowd at the 1988 DMC UK Finals with his turntablist skills - and of course - lets not forget their big brother... Omar. Following on from 2013’s album The Man, his first for London based independent label Freestyle Records, 2017 sees his new long player further cement his enviable reputation, as did receiving his MBE for services to music at Buckingham Palace, and featuring in Javon Prince’s comedy series on BBC 2 television. Love in Beats is Omar’s 8th studio album and may just be the most eclectic and varied to date. Somewhat more electronic in its conception and sound than its predecessor, Love in Beats incorporates soul, Caribbean rhythms, an undercurrent of funk, with touches of zouk, a jazzy waltz, spoken word and also features collaborations with US soul legend Leon Ware, Blue Note pianist Robert Glasper, rapper Ty, Guadeloupe born singer Jean Michele Rotin, and UK soulstress Natasha Watts, The Floacist and Mayra Andrade, the Cape Verdean born singer who lives and records in Paris.
Mainly recorded at his own Backayard Studio in South London, his unique voice, multi-instrumental and production skills, together Omar and Scratch Professer have brought forth a new collection that may just be the most beautifully formed and career defining album of all. Omar expands up on the inspiration, and the long running musical brotherhood which has forged this latest collection: “This is album is labour of love between myself and my Grammy award winning brother Scratch Professer. Powerful songs over mesmerising beats is the evolution - that is Omar Music and Brothers Sound, it is truly ‘Love in Beats’.”
