Michael Kiwanuka | Artist
Michael Samuel Kiwanuka is a British singer-songwriter and record producer born 1987 in Muswell Hill, London. With his acoustic sound and timelessly soulful voice, Kiwanuka combines folk, indie rock, and R&B with traditions borrowed from his Ugandan heritage, drawing favorable comparisons to Curtis Mayfield, Terry Callier, and Van Morrison. He has been nominated for numerous honours, including the Brit Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, BBC Music Awards, and The Grammy Awards. In January 2012, he won the BBC's Sound of 2012; and, in September 2020, he won the Mercury Prize. Born and raised in London's Muswell Hill, Kiwanuka is the son of Michael and Deborah, Ugandan parents who escaped the deadly Idi Amin regime. He attended Fortismere School, leaving there in 2005 after completing his A-Levels. He then went on to study at the School of Media, Arts and Design at the University of Westminster. Kiwanuka worked as a session guitarist, playing with Chipmunk and Bashy before working as a solo artist. His first proper gig was at The Oxford in Kentish Town at age 22. His 2012 debut album Home Again went gold in the United Kingdom and his second album, Love & Hate, debuted in 2016 at number one. his third album, Kiwanuka, which was released in November 2019, again to further critical and commercial success, spread Kiwanuka's reputation worldwide. The album placed at number 2 in the UK charts, has been gold certified for over 100,000 sales and won the UK Mercury Music Prize for 2020. The album has attracted universal critical praise, prompting glowing reviews such as the following from RYM: "It’s an assemblage of brains and vitality, an unexpected gift where Danger Mouse’s polished mouse ears and Kiwanuka’s upliftingly explosive vocals amalgamate into a bowl of hot soup for the spirit, each spoonful maintaining an impossibly high standard of passionate hooks, ensuring that, even by the second serving, you’re already recognising the entire record like an old friend saying hello. It's an instant soul classic." Musically, Kiwanuka pays homage to the psychedelic soul and folky soul sounds of the early '70s, with echoes of artists such as Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield, and Terry Callier. As well as his studio albums, two live sets can be recommended: Spotify Sessions from 2016, and the 2018 EP Out Loud!. Michael Kiwanuka is a Christian and has grown up within the church. He and his wife Charlotte, a Christian musician, married in 2016. He is also a lifelong fan of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Artist Website: michaelkiwanuka.com
Featured Albums: Michael Kiwanuka
Collections: Movers Shakers
