Soundbender: The Many Lives of Beautiful Nubia

Born November 11, 1968, Segun Akinlolu didn’t start out desiring to be great. These days, however, as folk singer Beautiful Nubia, he believes he’s on Earth to touch people in different forms. His eyes are closed under the floodlights pouring over him, face tilted up in stillness as though awaiting a voice from heaven. His head begins to move—slowly, back and forth, and his long locs swing in response. He sings, we sing along. He jumps, he drums. All things pulsate to the beats, promp

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