Tief emotionale Texte sowie ein traumhaftes Gespür für die spannendsten Stil- und Spielarten der schwarzen Musik prägen den Sound von Justina Lee Brown. Ende September wird die in Nigeria geborene Sängerin im Nordportal Baden ihr neues Album ”Lost Child” vorstellen. JAZZ’N’MORE hatte die Gelegenheit, eine erste Kostprobe der Aufnahmen zu hören und Fragen zu stellen. Von Marco Piazzalonga

JAZZ’N’MORE: Im Herbst 2019 erschien dein aufsehenerregendes Album ”Black & White Feeling”. Nun steht die Veröffentlichung des Nachfolgers ”Lost Child” an. Wie hast du die vier dazwischenliegenden Jahre erlebt?
Justina Lee Brown: Das Album ”Black & White Feeling” war für mich wie eine Erlösung, ein Geschenk, eine Heilung. Ich war unsicher, ob ich fähig sein würde, nicht nur auf der Bühne, sondern auch auf einem Album meine Schmerzen und meine Gefühle ausdrücken zu können. Ich war glücklich über die Reaktion der Leute, denn es war mein erstes offizielles Soloalbum. Will heissen: komplett mit eigenen Songs.
Musikalisch in jene Richtung weisend, in die ich schon immer gehen wollte – Soul, Blues, Funk, Afro! Ich war ein wenig nervös, machte mir Sorgen. Was würden wohl meine Bluesfans, was meine Afro-Community davon halten? Würden sie meine Musik akzeptieren? Rückblickend weiss ich, ich habe es richtig gemacht, das Album hat mir Selbstvertrauen gegeben. Wir waren begeistert über den Erfolg – die Konzertanfragen purzelten nur so herein. Und dann, von einem Moment auf den anderen: Corona. Dies raubte uns für mehr als anderthalb Jahre die Möglichkeit, mit unserer Musik auf die Bühne zu gehen.

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/lost-child-on-jazznmore/

Lost Child Album Release

Award-winning Justina Lee Brown is set to release her new album LOST CHILD with a live concert at Nordportal Baden, Switzerland on 28 September this year.

For the past three years, Justina and her band have been on the road to present their album BLACK & WHITE FEELING. Now they’re ready to kick off their upcoming tour with the CD release party of the new album LOST CHILD.

Justina Lee Brown (born Justina Ogunlolu) is an award-winning Nigerian Afro, Funk, Soul and Blues artist, songwriter and entertainer.

As a child, she struggled to survive on the streets of Lagos with her teenage mother. Music gave her the strength to overcome poverty.

She rose to fame in Africa and the young pop star won the ‘WOMEN IN ENTERTAINMENT AWARD’ in London as ‘BEST AFRICAN VOICE’ in 2009, before touring Europe and Nigeria for years with various projects, leaving the audience speechless but immensely happy and euphoric with her powerful voice and energetic show.

Together with her great band, Justina Lee Brown won the Swiss Blues Challenge in 2019, made it to the semi-finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA in 2020 and won the second place for Switzerland at the 2022 European Blues Challenge in Malmö, Sweden.

She was also nominated for the the 2022 Swiss Blues Awards and finally was the opening act with her band for ZUCCHERO at the Sierre Blues Festival the same year.

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/lost-child-album-release

“Baden is the only place for me where I’m not homesick”

The expert jury nominated two musicians with close ties to Baden for the nationally important award. This is awarded annually to people or institutions in Switzerland who have made outstanding contributions to the blues scene as artists or sponsors.

Aargauerzeitung Article

From today there’s something on your ears. Today and tomorrow, blues greats will be performing at the “Blues im Madlen” festival in the Madlen cinema theater. There are still tickets!

The time has come. Today, Friday, and tomorrow, Saturday, the bass guitars are pounding again in the Madlen cinema theater, the drums set the rhythm, the guitars howl and great voices can be heard. Blues is hip. And all friends of this down-to-earth music genre will make a pilgrimage to Madlen in Heerbrugg to attend the Blues im Madlen festival .

Afro fusion with a touch of blues, soul and funk

First act tonight will be Justina Lee Brown and Band. A fantastic artist and a power singer.

Justina Lee Brown faced the hard fight for survival as a street child in Lagos/Nigeria and made it onto the stages of Europe with her extraordinary voice. As a performer a true power house, as a musician a mercilessly talented singer with a phenomenal voice! Their concerts leave no one untouched. You have to experience their explosive performances with their Afro-funky soul!

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/two-days-of-blues-in-madlen/

A unforgettable experience

The 9th final of the Swiss Blues Challenge took place for the 5th time as part of the Summerblues Festival in Basel, on June 28, 2019.

The winner of the Swiss Blues Challenge 2019 is Justina Lee Brown and her band ( Nic Niedermann, Angelo Signore, Thom Wettstein und Robert Mark).

The singer and songwriter from Nigeria, who has now lived in Switzerland for several years, won her place among the 3 other finalists, who also deserve congratulations:  David Minster, Steve Hophead and  Enrique Parra & Max Dega Band.

Justina Lee Brown and her group will represent Switzerland at the European Blues Challenge which will take place in Malmö, Sweden on June 3 and 4, 2022, and if they wish at the International Blues Challenge , in Memphis from January 28 to February 1, 2020.

We extend our sincere thanks to the members of the Jury under the direction of Rolf Winter: Robert Amsler, Martine Henriod, Dylan Karlen, Thomas Slavicek and Tanja Wirz.

And thank you also to the whole team of the Summerblues Festival , who every year organize the Swiss Blues Challenge in a perfect way!

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/justina-lee-brown-wins-the-swiss-blues-challenge-2/

Pata Pata was danced on Saturday in the Engelscheune, where the famous innkeeper and freedom fighter Josef Weißhaar once kept the horses. Justina Lee Brown opened a top-class concert series with a brilliant concert, which Helena Günther is offering in her newly opened Café-Bar Baileyni.

Numerous visitors quickly filled the restaurant and realized that the amiable Justina has music and rhythm in her blood. The Blues Queen also expressed visual elegance in the black mini shiny overalls, fishnet stockings and high heels. In her performance, every movement fit the beat and she quickly created a great atmosphere. Every visitor somehow kept up with the beat, even the nimble service staff danced and rocked behind the counter to the rhythms of funk, soul and blues.

“No Woman no Cry” or “The Lion sleeps tonight” were just a few of the numerous musical highlights. With “Pata Pata” the African joie de vivre spilled over onto the “pale faces”, who were completely over the moon. “She has a tsunami voice,” shouted a compatriot of the singer into the microphone, who came from Zurich and gave a spontaneous singing performance himself. “That’s my music, I’ve never heard anything better in Lottstetten,” enthused Fredi Nussbaum from Lottstetten.

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/concert-series-in-the-lottstetter-engelscheune/

Who is Justina?

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Justina Lee Brown struggled to survive as a child living in the ghetto of Ajegunle and Kirikiri. As heartbreaking as her childhood may be, to this day it makes her the daring and creative woman she is. Justina did not let her past slow her down, on the contrary, it inspired and encouraged her to succeed.

The singing started off as a way to kill time on the street as a child while helping her mother sell “ice water” in the Udo market in Lagos. People rapidly started to notice her and gave out tips to encourage Justina to continue. Knowing her voice brought happiness to passing strangers filled her with joy. A sense of purpose appeared in Justina, she saw an escape out of her misery into a new and alluring world. Through thick and thin, music kept her company whether it was a small melody playing in her head or her emotions taking control of the lyrics like ink flowing on paper. When admiring her ascension onto the stage from Nigeria to Europe, you may ask yourself what the key to her success is. The answer from Justina herself: “Honesty, Truthfulness, and Kindness are the food every human soul needs.”. These inspiring words show not only the kind-hearted person she is, but they are also to be taken as advice to follow your dreams through selflessness and creativity.

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/meet-justina-lee-brown

When it comes to the blues, Switzerland is at the top of the European class – thanks to Justina Lee Brown

Even in the hour of success, Justina Lee Brown, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and grew up in poor conditions, remains humble: “I am incredibly happy with what we have achieved. Happy and grateful to the people who have welcomed us and our music so well. I’m in no way disappointed that I didn’t take the first place.”

The requirements were not easy. Each band was only given 20 minutes to convince the international jury of musicians, radio broadcasters, journalists, and bookers of their skills. Among 23 formations from just as many countries, the Swiss sextet stood out with its exciting mix of blues, funk, soul, and African influences. Only the young Dutch Harlem Lake Band managed to outperform our Swiss participants.

Switzerland is at the top of the European class

In conversation with Justina Lee Brown

Cristina Elena Helfer from the Bluesfestival Baden marketing team had the opportunity to have an exciting conversation with Justina Lee Brown for you . But we would like to start this article with a little reference to one of our location partners, the ClubJoy in Baden.

Even if the jam session of the blues festival weren’t taking place there – by the way, that’s always on Thursday during the festival week – there is also a direct connection to Justina Lee Brown at this location.

Nic Niedermann and his band “Rotosphere” have been there since the first festival. They were probably the most flexible and largest band of the festival because they were the hosts for the jam sessions. At first they performed with their/our guests in the casino and heated it up so much that a fire broke out in the second year, the casino had to be cleared – and Montreux says hello…

For a few years now, the jam sessions have been at home at Joy. Nic Niedermann also organizes concerts in different styles every Thursday throughout the year. And this is where Justina Lee Brown met Nic – and so the circle closes again on the topic of today’s contribution to the virtual Blues Festival Baden 2020.

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/blues-festival-baden-2/

Q&A with West Africa singer/songwriter Justina Lee Brown – living her life and telling her real story through her music

“Activism is an act we all should carry every day until every human is in peace with love in this beautiful world of ours. When I have a chance to change something to become better, I take the chance and that is my inspiration. (Doing and not just complain about anything.)”

Her sound is interpreted with funky soul blues and a fusion of her Afroroots. On stage Justina is a power house and a force of greatness that is truly authentic. During her performances she brings the real magic of music to life, packed with her identity and uniqueness. Justina Lee Brown released her new album “Black and White Feeling” (2019) which focuses on her truth, Passion and her Life as it is now. All composition, lyrics and arrangement of all songs on this album is by Justina Lee Brown together with Nic Niedermann, guitarist, composer and producer from Switzerland. Justina Lee Brown has been Touring the world over a decade now, discovering and finding her true purpose in life with her MUSIC. Justina lives for ” Love, Unity in Equal Rights for all Humans “. Her passion to help children and less privilege survive is unstoppable.

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/justina-lee-brown-music-love-unity

Taking place in Malmö, Sweden, the 10^th European Blues Challenge will occur in June 2022 from the 2^nd to the 4^th. Created in the late 60s, it has grown and evolved to help keep blues music alive. In 2007, the USA showed its admiration towards blues music by instating the Memphis-based Blues Foundation. Later on, other countries, especially European, have contributed in helping the foundation grow.

Up to 24 European nations will be participating in this years challenge. Amongst them, Switzerland confirmed its presence, represented by Justina Lee Brown, a Nigerian Afro Funky /Soul Blues artist, Songwriter/Composer, and Entertainer. After winning the competition in Switzerland she was nominated to participate in the finale of the competition, her talent and creativity are what got her to the podium. The European Blues Challenge had been cancelled due to the covid-19 in March but has now been postponed to this June.

Justina had participated in the International Blues Challenge in 2020 where she finished as a semi-finalist with her band after having won the Swiss Blues Challenge in Basel in 2019. This amazing achievement helped her become a true sensation in the USA where she later on sold out every ticket to her shows in 2020. Her accomplishments do not stop there, after having been awarded the “The Women in Entertainment Award” for “Best African Female voice” in London.

If you wish to learn more on Justina Lee Brown and her musical accomplishments look her up on her CreativInn Showroom.

Keeping Blues alive in song and our hearts, over the years the International and European Blues Challenge.

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/european-blues-challenge-2/

Justina Lee Brown, a singer/songwriter from west Africa is a survival child from the ghetto streets of Lagos, Nigeria, living her life and telling her real story through her music. Justina is one of Nigeria’s most promising new talents. She started singing as a child (in church choirs amongst others). Her star qualities were first officially recognized when she emerged as the first runner-up at the Nokia First Chance music competition in Nigeria in 2007 this was fast followed with bold steps at the industry when she dropped her first ever single which formally brought her to limelight in 2008 A newcomer to many people, Justina is an old pro when it comes to being a live performer. Internationally, she has graced stages in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, UK and Kenya (in Switzerland she also fronts a cover band called The United Nations) and has developed into a charismatic, confident live performer who amazes audiences with her boundless energy and her creativity. Live and on record, her powerful and versatile voice perfectly complements her music, a modern and original mix of Soul and Rhythm & Blues, not forgetting a generous helping of her strong stage performance and presence.

READ MORE https://justinaleebrown.com/justina-lee-brown-interview-by-michael-limnios