Àṣá: The One Who Roams The Sky
By Osuolale Oluwatomilayo
Asa by Lakin Ogunbanwo, 2019
Who started the rumor that only an eagle flies high? A hawk can fly as high as you can imagine. It moves, watching, waiting to strike. A majestic bird indeed.
On whose breath was it heard that a hawk is lesser to an eagle? A hawk is far likely to cause harm, if you ask a hen, you would hear the tale. Hawk or as the Yorubas would call it, Aṣa is a bird, one that preys on chicks. It could be further translated to mean Beautiful in Igbo. But for the sake of this, I will be telling the tale of a hawk, the tale of a bird that snatches chicks from its mother or rather, for this, consumes and romanticizes your soul with alluring music. Music that studies your soul, interprets your emotions and frees your mind.
In the sprawling, intricate web of Nigerian music, where rhythms are rich, genres interlace like ancestral threads, and stories spill from both cities and villages, there exists a voice unlike any other. One that doesn’t shout to be heard but rather whispers truths with such clarity that the world can’t help but listen. That voice belongs to Bukola Elemide, known to the world as Aṣa.
From Lagos streets to Parisian stages, Aṣa has emerged not just as a musician, but as a movement, blending jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and a pinch of pop into a sound that defies borders and timelines. Her music doesn’t simply entertain; it haunts, heals, and inspires. And in the mosaic of Nigerian sounds, from the thunderous drums of Apala to the lush synths of Afrobeats, Aṣa’s melody floats like incense: distinct, meditative, unforgettable.
BACKGROUND
She was born on September 17, 1982, in Paris to Nigerian parents. Aṣa’s early life was a dance between continents. She moved to Lagos at a young age, where she was raised in a multicultural home infused with music, stories, and the chaos of a city that never stops humming.
But the true spark came from her father, a documentary filmmaker with a vast collection of vinyl records. It was in those dusty sleeves that Aṣa first met her mentors: Marvin Gaye’s soul, Fela Kuti’s rebellion, Aretha Franklin’s power, Bob Marley’s poetry, King Sunny Adé’s groove, and Miriam Makeba’s grace. She didn’t just listen; she absorbed, studied, and eventually, found her own voice.
At 18, she returned to France. It was there, perhaps in the chilly stillness of Parisian nights, that her Lagos-born fire began to roar.
THE BEGINNINGS
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In 2007, the world heard what Nigeria already knew: Aṣa was something different. Her self-titled debut album featured the breakout single, “Fire on the Mountain”, a soul-stirring call to action wrapped in gentle vocals and rich instrumentation. It didn’t demand attention, it earned it.
With lyrics addressing war, social injustice, and environmental collapse, it was a protest song without fists, just feeling. The album catapulted her to international fame and earned her the Prix Constantin in France in 2008, placing her among Europe’s most promising new artists.
What stood out? Simplicity and sincerity. In an industry often driven by noise and notoriety, Aṣa was a whisper in a crowded room. And somehow, that whisper echoed louder than most screams.
HER JOURNEY
Album cover of the album “beautiful imperfection”
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Aṣa’s second album, Beautiful Imperfection (2010), cemented her evolution. With the hit single “Be My Man”, she embraced a more upbeat, playful side, proving that introspection and joy could coexist. The album was not just a critical success; it was a commercial one, charting across multiple countries and expanding her reach.
Album cover for bed of stone
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Then came Bed of Stone in 2014, a project soaked in vulnerability. If her earlier work hinted at emotional depth, Bed of Stone dug a well. Songs like “Dead Again” and “Eyo” revealed a woman navigating love, loss, and identity with raw honesty. It was clear: Aṣa was not afraid to evolve, but she would never compromise her essence.
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After a five-year silence following the introspective Bed of Stone (2014), Aṣa returned in October 2019 with her fourth album, Lucid, a project as gentle as a morning breeze and as emotionally sharp as a well-written letter.
In typical Aṣa fashion, Lucid doesn’t announce itself with loud production or trendy features. Instead, it invites the listener into her world, quiet, honest, and vulnerable. If her earlier albums were explorations of identity, pain, and purpose, Lucid feels like a long exhale, a moment of clarity born from heartbreak, healing, and self-discovery. Lucid leans heavily into soul, folk, and acoustic balladry, featuring sparse instrumentation that lets her vocals take center stage.
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In 2022, she returned with her fifth studio album, V, and this time, Aṣa stepped into unfamiliar waters, but didn’t drown. Teaming up with new-generation artists like Wizkid, The Cavemen, and Amaarae, she danced comfortably in the contemporary Afrobeats wave, yet kept her feet grounded in soul.
Songs like “Mayana” and “Ocean” were brighter, flirtier, even danceable, but still deeply Aṣa. Her willingness to adapt without losing her voice is rare and refreshing in a fast-paced industry that often demands reinvention at the cost of authenticity.
Then in 2024, after a brief pause, she returned with “ODO”, a track that felt like a homecoming. Rooted in Afrobeat rhythms, laced with heartfelt lyricism, it reminded fans why they fell in love with her in the first place. And as if to further showcase her boundless versatility, she followed it with “Little Darling”, a children’s lullaby so gentle, it could lull even the most restless spirit to sleep.
More than just a musician, Aṣa is a cultural ambassador. Through her artistry, she bridges Nigeria’s rich traditions with the global soundscape, embodying what it means to be both rooted and free. She is Nigerian, French, African, global, all at once. Her voice, husky and tender, has often been compared to greats like Nina Simone and Lauryn Hill, not just for its sonic quality, but for its emotional depth.
Her lyrics, frequently introspective, occasionally political, always poignant, resonate with those seeking meaning in melody. She doesn’t sing at you; she sings to you. And in a world increasingly obsessed with viral trends and short-lived fame, Aṣa’s music offers something more enduring: truth.
As new generations of Nigerian artists dominate global charts, Aṣa remains a north star, a reminder that music can be bold without being brash, deep without being inaccessible. Her impact isn’t measured just in streams or awards, but in hearts moved, souls stirred, and boundaries broken.
Young artists cite her as a blueprint, not for fame, but for integrity. In an era where authenticity is often just a marketing buzzword, Aṣa lives it. She chooses her silence as carefully as her sound, and when she speaks, through her music, it’s always worth hearing.
Her journey from Lagos to Paris, from Eyé Adaba to ODO is a testament to the power of music rooted in soul and carried by conviction. In Aṣa’s world, music isn’t just sound, it’s spirit. And that spirit continues to glide, softly but powerfully, through the hearts of listeners worldwide.
…That is the story of a hawk, the one who roams the sky.
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