By Mpho Nakana
It may not seem like much, but an Uber ride has the potential to create magic.
For Austin Chinemezu Nwamara from Nigeria it led to the establishment of one of the coolest choirs you’ll ever hear.
A member of the Kabusa Oriental Choir spoke to Scrolla.Africa.
While riding in an Uber, “He told his friend to imagine what the song Baba would sound like if the Catholic church choir sang it,” said the choir member.
“He then began to sing it while they all burst into laughter, including the Uber driver. His friend encouraged him to find a studio immediately and record the song because it would
be an instant hit.”
Austin found a studio, and recorded a choral mash-up of Yeba and Baba by singer-songwriter Kizz Daniel.
The tune soon went viral across several TV channels and social media platforms, and in 2019, the Kabusa Oriental Choir was born.
The choir changes popular Afrobeats hits into beautifully crafted choral covers, and some are even done in a comic way.
They’ve covered many songs including Omah Lay’s Soso and Soweto by Victony.
They’ve also put their spin on South African producer Master KG’s global hit Jerusalema.
Austin, the choir’s director, is in charge of transforming the original songs into choral masterpieces.
In 2023 they won the Best Music Comedy award at the second instalment of Nigeria’s Humour Awards.
“This award took us unawares because we did not expect to win it,” said a proud member of the choir.
“It meant that people were seeing our work enough to vote for us to win, and this has motivated us to do more and be more.”
The group has collaborated with music heavyweights like Kizz Daniel, Teni and BNXN, formerly known as Buju, and have ambitions of collaborating with other international artists in future.
Pictured above: The Kabusa Oriental Choir.
Image source: Supplied
