Douyé’s Jazz Mastery Shines in ‘The Golden Sékéré’

Douyé Youduba’s current work, ‘The Golden Sékéré,’ an embodiment of maturity and deep emotions expressed through distinctive harmonious notes, is rapidly gathering momentum within the jazz music space across many climes.

Douyé, who combines her warm voice with her enticing jazz phrasing, uplifts every song she sings, making each a classic with a touch of modernity. ‘The Golden Sékéré’ is filled with many welcome surprises, including a slower-than-usual rendition of ‘Cherokee,’ a waltz version of ‘Speak Low,’ the rollicking Latin big band on ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin,’ a romantic and haunting ‘I’m Confessin’,’ and a version of Duke Ellington’s ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing’ that has both swing and funk bent.

As usual, Douyé seeks the assistance of some of the best musicians, including pianist Benito Gonzalez, trumpeters Freddie Hendrix and Sean Jones, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Buster Williams, and top percussionists from Africa, who converge to deliver stirring and heartfelt music.

Born and raised in Nigeria, Douyé recollected her introduction to the jazz world by her father, who passed away when she was 11: “At a very early age, my Dad introduced me to jazz, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and the Beboppers, plus the greats of Gospel music.”

She continued: “I always sang, and it seemed very natural to me. As a young child, whenever I heard a tune with a beautiful melody, I would hum along, eventually learning the words. I was encouraged by my Godmother and my parents to join the church choir, which gave me my first opportunity to sing in front of people.”

While in school in the US, she met songwriter Terry Shaddick, who had composed Olivia Newton-John’s big hit, ‘Physical.’ They soon formed a musical partnership, writing the music together for her first two albums, ‘Journey’ and ‘So Much Love.’
“‘Journey’ was about coming from Africa and becoming a musician in the Western world. My second album, ‘So Much Love,’ was dedicated to the great African Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti.”

Now, with the release of ‘The Golden Sékéré,’ Douyé is consolidating her place as a major jazz singer.

Douyé noted: “Jazz fits very well with my spirit, and it speaks to life. It inspires me to put a lot of work and depth into what I do, and there is always so much more to learn. I relate each song to my own life, my story, and my journey,” she concluded.