The soul of Stevie Wonder. The lyricism of Tori Amos. A sound all his own.

5 MP3 Songs
URBAN/R&B: Soul, URBAN/R&B: Contemporary urban



Details:
"A pure, soulful voice that immediately resonated in my ears."
-- Lior Shamir, Managing Director, We Are Listening


Through his idiosyncratic piano playing and his uniquely soulful voice, singer/songwriter Anam Owili-Eger (uh-NAHM oh-WEE-lee ee-GAIR) defies genres by weaving a colorful fabric of soul, jazz, funk, folk and rock. With influences as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Sting, Tori Amos and McCoy Tyner, Anam captivates audiences not only through his playing, but also through his introspective--and sometimes dark or political--lyrics of love, loneliness, madness and mortality.

"It's important to me that each song tell a story," says Anam, a native of Philadelphia, PA. "Whether it tells a whole one from beginning to end, or just offers a quick glimpse into someone's life, I think the best songs not only take you somewhere musically, but also to another place and time."

Anam's song, "The Moment," was one of nine finalists in the 2005 Singer/Songwriter Awards. "The Coin," was a semifinalist in the 2005 UK Songwriting Contest.

An in-demand sideman, Anam frequently appears on keyboards accompanying such well-known Philadelphia musicians as multi-instrumentalist/poet Elliott Levin (mem. of Animus and Calvin Weston's Big Tree), singer/songwriter Bruce Torres and singer/cellist Monica McIntyre. An accomplished jazz pianist, Anam appears on Just When I Thought, the recent release from the Puzzlebox Experiment. He has also written and co-written original music for three plays.

Backed up by the dexterous James "Super Duper" Cooper on bass and the intuitive Peter Gaudioso on drums, Anam captivates audiences of all shades and ages. But occasionally, Anam plays solo shows to his fansâ delight--and his own.

"Some musicians find performing alone frightening, but I love it," says Anam. "It gives me the opportunity to rework songs and change them on the fly, based upon my mood."