Siji Awoyinka

Siji Awoyinka

Biography

Siji Awoyinka is a multidisciplinary aural and visual storyteller. Born in the UK to Nigerian parents, he spent much of his early childhood in Lagos and London before coming to the US to further pursue his musical ambitions. His music fuses elements of Soul, Jazz, Highlife, Afrobeat and Gospel music with traditional Yoruba rhythms drawn from his rich ancestral background.
His critically acclaimed musical works, among them; God-given (BBE 2004), AdeSIJI (IVY 2008) and Home Grown (IVY 2014), have found appreciative audiences worldwide and continue to garner praise. Additionally, he has contributed songwriting and production talent to projects for the likes of Salif Keita, Cesaria Evora, Osunlade and Wunmi. In a bid to further broaden his creative vision, Siji took to directing and producing video’s and documentaries to help bring his musical compositions to life and to share part of his cultural history with a wider audience.
His bold and visually arresting videos; Yearning For Home, Morenike, Ijo, Lagos Lullabye, have appeared on a number of major networks including MTV, BBC, VH1, BET and many others. His award-winning documentary feature, ‘Elder’s Corner’(2020), premiered at Sheffield Docs, UK, DOC NYC (US Premiere), Blackstar Film Festival as well as the Trinidad & Tobago International Film Festival. It also won an Ethnomusicology Commendation award at the prestigious RAI Film Festival, 2021.