Aṣa

Aṣa (pronounced [/a∫a]) is a French songwriter and singer of Nigerian origin (born Bukola Elemide January 1st 1970, Paris, France). Nicknamed Aṣa (little hawk) because she often ran away and changed directions as a youngster, she returned to Lagos in Nigeria with her family at the age of two. Her mother was a shopkeeper and her father shot video reports for weddings. Settled in Paris in 2004, she worked with Manu Dibango and has been influenced by pop, reggae and African traditional sounds, more particularly by Bob Marley and Fela Kuti’s songs. Her manager Janet introduced her to Cobhams Asuquo in 2004, who in turn became her musical partner. Signed to the Naïve label, Aṣa recorded her debut album with producer Christophe Dupouy, which has been hailed as one of the best African albums of 2007.