Osunlade

Osunlade (/ˌoʊsʊnˈlɑːdeɪ/; born March 13, 1969) is an American musician and music producer.

Osunlade
Background information
Born	(1969-03-13) 13 March 1969 (age 56) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Genres	World,[1] house
Occupation(s)	Musician, record producer
Instrument(s)	Piano, percussion, guitar, bass, vocals
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Yoruba Records
Website	https://yorubarecords.bandcamp.com/

Biography

Osunlade was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.^[2] He composed music for Sesame Street during the late 1980s and early 1990s.^[3] Afterward, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked with artists such as Patti LaBelle and Freddie Jackson. After a stint there, he moved to New York, where he founded Yoruba Records because of "the continued need to create the music I wanted".^[4] To date, he has worked with such artists as Roy Ayers, Nkemdi, Salif Keita, Poranguí, and Cesária Évora. In 2006, he released the album Aquarian Moon; in 2007, he released the album Elements Beyond on the revived Strictly Rhythm label, and in 2009, he released the album Passage. He is a priest of the Yoruba religion of Ifá.^[5]

Controversy

His performance at Irish festival All Together Now was cancelled in 2023, following complaints about public social media posts^[6] he made which were negative about transgender health care.^[7] Osunlade was dismissive of the cancellation, noting he would be paid regardless.^[8]

Discography

Albums

• 2000 Yoruba Records: El Primer Año
• 2001 Paradigm
• 2006 Aquarian Moon
• 2007 Elements Beyond
• 2010 Rebirth
• 2011 Pyrography
• 2013 A Man with No Past Originating the Future
• 2014 Peacock
• 2020 Basic Sketches for Beginners
• 2025 INvite ONly

Singles

• 1999 "Native Tongue"
• 2000 "Beats de los Muertos Vol. 1"
• 2000 "Power to Conquer/Aldeia de Ogum" (as Latina Café)
• 2001 "Cantos a Ochun et Oya"
• 2001 "Diamant"
• 2001 "Rader Du/Blackman" (with Wunmi)
• 2001 "The Deep"
• 2001 "Versatile Family Sampler"
• 2002 "Obatala Y Oduduwa"
• 2002 "Native Tongue Revisited" (with Jaffa)
• 2002 "Beloved"
• 2002 "Pride" (with Nadirah Shakoor)
• 2002 "New Day" (as Atelewo)
• 2003 "Chimes of Freedom" (as Atelewo)
• 2004 "The Year of the Monkey"
• 2004 "Pride (Remixes)" (with Nadirah Shakoor)
• 2004 "Same Thing" (with Maiya James)
• 2005 "The Fifth Dimension"
• 2005 "New Day/Macaco" (as Atelewo)
• 2006 "Flow/Sokinsikartep"
• 2006 "I Don't Know"
• 2006 "Everything in Its Right Place" (with Erro)
• 2007 "April"
• 2008 "Momma's Groove"
• 2008 "My Reflection" (with Divine Essence)
• 2012 "Envision" (Defected Records)

Mixed compilations

• 2002 Offering
• 2005 Re-Offering
• 2006 Soul Heaven (with DJ Spen)
• 2008 Passage
• 2009 Mix the Vibe: King Street Goes Yoruba
• 2012 Defected Presents Osunlade in the House
• 2014 Atonement

Productions for other artists

• 1991 Gerardo - "Rico Suave", "Fandango" (programming, composer, additional production)
• 1994 BlackGirl - "90's Girl" (original version), "Nubian Prince"
• 1994 Freddie Jackson - "Was It Something"
• 1994 Eric Gable - "Process of Elimination"
• 1996 Eric Benét - "Femininity"
• 1997 Martha Wash - "Come"
• 2000 Musiq Soulchild - "Mary Go Round"
• 2001 Eric Roberson - "Change for Me"
• 2002 DJ Jazzy Jeff feat. Erro - "Rock wit U"
• 2003 Vivian Green - "Emotional Rollercoaster"
• 2005 Nadirah Shakoor - "Just a Breath Away"
• 2006 Nadirah Shakoor - "Love Song"