How do we even begin to describe Keziah Jones? It's almost impossible to box him in, as the Nigerian native is a genre of his own.
With his debut album, Blufunk is a Fact (1992), Keziah quickly established himself as a distinct musician. Described as a blend of raw blues, soul and funk, Keziah's musical style, aptly called "Blufunk", has set him apart from the rest. “The idea was to play everything at the same time. So bass, percussion, guitar; all at the same time. That’s the Blufunk technique,“ explained Keziah. Coupled with his Yoruba-inspired sound, unique guitar-playing and original percussive technique, Blufunk has turned Keziah into a pioneer in his own right, not unlike the people who have influenced him, namely Fela Kuti and Jimi Hendrix.
“The original Blufunk idea was, like, a way [to] keep myself on course as a Nigerian in Europe… with lyrics and with music. It was gonna be a nod to my Nigerian heritage,” Keziah said. “But also a nod to accept and incorporate all the music that I like. The Hendrix, the Zappa, the Miles Davis, the Coltrane, the Monk. I took all the great African-American music and I blended it with my Yoruba roots.“
On February 28, Keziah brought his inimitable sound all the way to Jakarta, where Java Jazz was held. One of the oldest jazz festivals in the world, Java Jazz has been held annually since 2005. This year's event featured a line-up of local and international talents, which include Keziah and some of our other favorites such as Church, Free Nationals, Barry Likumahuwa, Fariz RM and more.
An unstoppable creative, Keziah is also skilled in other forms of art besides music. He's an avid drawer, painter, poet and photographer; he has even produced short films. One of which is a musical silent movie, entitled BLACKSPEEDTEXT. Keziah stars in the short as his alter-ego, "Captain Rugged", an alter-ego that first appeared in his 2014 album of the same name.
An African superhero of Keziah’s own creation, Captain Rugged fights against the political and moral injustice faced by the poor in Lagos. Through his songs, Keziah’s Captain Rugged wants to inspire the people to stand up for themselves.
“What is ruggedness? I said to myself, ‘Well, you know what? Yeah I’m rugged!’ Rugged is like your boy, anywhere you find him in the world, he’s himself.“ he said. “And who’s the real Captain Rugged? Fela! So somebody who finds and does his own thing, and does it stylishly and does it with no apology, that’s ruggedness!”
Watch our conversation in the video above!
