Kele Okereke releases new song ‘Yemaya’
By Ross Semple
Kele Okereke has unveiled the first single from his new album.
‘Yemaya’ is the first song to be released by Kele under his full name, following two acclaimed solo records as Kele, The Boxer and Trick, and and five albums as the frontman of unparalleled British band Bloc Party.
“In the west African Yoruba religion, Yemaya is the mother goddess of the ocean, she is kinda the patron saint of pregnant women and fertility,” Kele explains. “According to myth, when her waters broke, it caused a great flood creating rivers and streams and the first mortal humans were created from her womb. When I knew we were having a baby she started to be appear in my thoughts and dreams a fair bit.”
Kele will embark on his first ever solo acoustic tour in May to promote the single and forthcoming album.
I’m excited to announce some special solo acoustic shows this May. I’ll be performing a mix of old and new songs and I hope you can join me. pic.twitter.com/e9Y1DRZnVW
— Kele Okereke (@keleokereke) April 3, 2017
Kele will play six dates around Europe, including at UK gig at London’s St Pancras Old Church, and has promised fans “a mix of old and new songs.”
The 35-year-old former Attitude cover star came out as gay in 2010 ahead of the release of his debut solo album The Boxer, which spawned singles ‘Tenderoni’ and ‘Everything You Wanted’.
He released solo follow-up Trick in 2014, and continues to record with Bloc Party, whose last album Hymns was released in 2016.
Speaking to Attitude in 2010, Kele revealed that he had faced pressure not to speak about his sexuality in public following the band’s rise to fame following the release of their 2005 debut album Silent Alarm.
“One of the band members told me he didn’t think I should talk about it right now. Which I found surprising,” he recalled at the it time.
“I never really forgave him for it, to be honest.”
Tickets for the tour are on sale now here.
Watch the video for ‘Yemaya’ below: