Kofi (musician)
| Birth name | Carol Simms |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, UK |
| Genres | Lovers Rock, Reggae, Soul, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter, Musician |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | Ariwa, Cousins, Koffe an Kreem |
| Website | EPK |
Carol Simms, better known as Kofi, is a British lovers rock singer who was a member of the group Brown Sugar prior to embarking on a solo career.
Early Life
Simms, who’s African name Kofi means ‘Fridays Child’, was born in Lambeth, South London the third youngest of six children. With her church of God upbringing, and with the sound of everything from Ska, Reggae, Jazz and Soul emanating from the family home, Simms natural love of music was enhanced, and after a brief flirtation with acting during which she attended drama school, her urge to make music began to dominate.
Musical Career
Simms first found success as a member of the lovers rock trio Brown Sugar (which also featured Caron Wheeler and Pauline Catlin). The trio enjoyed unprecedented success topping the UK reggae charts on three occasions. Brown Sugar's first chart topper in 1977, "I'm In Love With A Dreadlocks", was also the first release on the new 'Lovers Rock' record label formed by Dennis Harris, John Kpiaye and Dennis Bovell. The record label title became the adopted definition for the genre of music. Simms and Wheeler were re-united briefly in October 2005 at the Metropolitan Black Police Association's annual gala at The Barbican in London.
Following the demise of Brown Sugar in the mid-1980’s, Simms, under the moniker of Kofi, embarked on a solo career, initially with Mad Professor and releasing three albums on his Ariwa Sound label.[1] She had hits on the British reggae charts with the reworking of Brown Sugar songs "I Am So Proud", "I'm In Love With a Dreadlocks" and "Black Pride", with new songs such as "Didn't I" (on which Kofi also played bass guitar), "Looking Over Love", and with a version of Alton Ellis' "I'm Still in Love with You", a duet with John McLean.[1][2] "Proud of Mandela", a version of The Impressions' "I'm So Proud", a collaboration with Macka B, topped the British reggae charts in 1990.[3][4]
Kofi had been asked on many occasions to crossover into the Soul/RnB market and she began to pen some of her own work directly aimed at that genre of music. The opportunity arose through association with Jazzie B of the Soul II Soul phenomena. Motown Records had engaged Jazzie B to establish a subsidiary label ‘Funki Dred’ to which he was to find and sign artistes of the highest calibre in the UK - Kofi was signed to the new ‘Funki Dred’ label and featured on the 1992 “Soul II Soul Volume 3 – Just Right” album with the tracks “Move Me No Mountain” and “Future”. The only single release by Kofi during this period was in 1992 with the song "Step By Step".
During her time with ‘Motown’ Kofi was commissioned to work for a mammoth musical project put together by Disney/Buena Vista. The 'Simply Mad About the Mouse: A Musical Celebration of Imagination' project was a musical tribute to the company’s many successful movies over the years and as such they marked the occasion by featuring many top rated artistes to each take a very famous song from one of their beloved movies and perform it in their own unique style. This included LL Cool J, Gypsy Kings, Michael Bolton and Billy Joel, but to name a few. Kofi’s contribution to the project was her rendition of “Kiss The Girl” from the film ‘The Little Mermaid'.
In 2008 Kofi began working with producers Mafia & Fluxy, and this saw the release of the album ‘Rocking Eternally’ as well as inclusion of songs on a number of compilation albums. The 2011 album ‘Kofi & Friends’ showcased Kofi in a more roots reggae mood and sharing the album with established reggae artistes: Freddie McGregor, Luciano, Michael Rose, George Nooks, Morgan Heritage and Earl Sixteen. During 2011 the film 'The Story of Lovers Rock', directed by Menelik Shabazz, was publicly released and the film featured Kofi in conversation and music from Brown Sugar.
Kofi’s work has continued, and 2012 saw her not only working with new producers, but also the release of a new EP 'Sweetness & Thanks' and a number of singles in various genres. Midway through the year Kofi became joint owner/partner in her management and record label company, and the first release under the partnership will be the 6-track EP ‘The G Mixes’ which features tracks from both Kofi and label artiste IJ Chris. This EP introduces Kofi to the UK Garage genre through two remixes and a completely new rhythm track.
With renewed energy and drive Kofi is preparing a new album for release in 2013, which will reflect her various musical styles.
Album Discography
- Black...With Sugar (1989), Ariwa
- Wishing Well (1992), Ariwa
- Friday's Child (1994), Ariwa
- Rocking Eternally (2008), Cousins
- Kofi and Friends (2011), Cousins
Achievements
- 1988 BRIA award for reaching number 1 with “Didn’t I” and “Black Pride”
- 1988 BRIA award ‘Best Female Vocalist’
- 1989 BRIA award for reaching number 1 with “Dread A Who She Love” and “Proud Of Mandela”
- 1989 Jamaica Gleaner Awards ‘Best British Female Singer’
- 1990 Entertainments Enterprise Annual Celebrity Awards ‘Best Female Singer’ – for outstanding contribution to the entertainments industry
- 2009 BRIA ‘Reggae Achievement Award’
- 2011 HiCrEc Award ‘Best Female Vocalist’
References
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 158-9
- ^ Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn., Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-329-4, p. 398
- ^ Bush, John "Kofi Biography", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-04-22
- ^ Gilroy, Paul "Jewels Brought From Bondage: Black Music and the Politics of Authenticity" in Bennett, Andy; Shank, Barry; & Toynbee, Jason (2005) The Popular Music Studies Reader, 3rd edition, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-30710-9, p. 183