Lara George (born 23 June 1979), known professionally as a US-based Nigerian gospel singer, songwriter and producer.[1] She started her music career at the University of Lagos and was a member of the disbanded musical group Kush.[2][3] Her debut album Forever In My Heart was released in 2008 and included the hit single "Ijoba Orun," which earned her several awards and nominations. She has performed at notable events and appeared on BET International as one of the first Nigerian artists to be aired on that show. She is married with two children and lives in Alpharetta, Georgia in the United States. Additionally, she is the Vice President of SoForte Entertainment Distribution Ltd., the first home-grown structured entertainment distribution company in Nigeria.[4]
| Lara George | |
|---|---|
 Lara George in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Genres | Gospel |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1997-present |
| Labels | Soforte Entertainment |
Early life and education
editLara George was born on 23 June 1978 into the family of Oluwole Bajomo in Lagos State, the administrative division of Nigeria.[5][6] She attended Queen's College, Lagos before proceeding to the University of Lagos, where she obtained a master's degree in architecture.[7]
Career
editGeorge began her music career at the University of Lagos, where she joined the campus fellowship choir.[8] She was a member of the disbanded musical group Kush. Her debut album, titled Forever In My Heart, included the hit single "Ijoba Orun" which was released in 2008.[9] The album earned her several awards and nominations.[10] In 2008, she won Voice of the Year at the Nigeria Music Awards. In 2010, she was awarded Best Vocals Performance (Female) in the industry-wide 'Headies' awards, now renamed 'Hip-Hop World Awards' in Nigeria. She emerged the winner of the Best African Female Gospel Artiste category at the 2011 Africa Gospel Music Awards held in London, UK. George has also been named Trailblazer of the Year, Africa Gospel Music Awards, nominated in the 2016 edition of the prestigious pan-African Kora Awards as Best Female Artiste West Africa, and also Gospel Artiste of the Year, Ben TV Awards UK, amongst many other awards.[11][12]
George has performed in various notable events including the GreenBelt Festival UK (as part of KUSH), one of Africa's largest musical concerts with attendance of over 500,000 people- The Experience- alongside notable gospel artistes such as Ron Kenoly, Bebe, Cece Winans, Micah Stampley, Don Moen and Mary Mary. Other performances include the Calabar Festival, MTN Music Festival, Festival of Life UK, Festival of Life Canada, amongst many others.
George appeared on BET International as one of the first artistes from Nigeria to be aired on that show. She was a member of the BET Voting Academy for two years in a row. She served as a judge on the music TV show Airtel TRACE MUSIC Star.
Personal life
editShe is married to Gbenga George, a legal practitioner and music entrepreneur. She has two children: a boy named Adeoba and a girl named Tiaraoluwa and lives in Alpharetta, Georgia in the United States.[13]
She is Vice President of SoForte Entertainment Distribution Ltd. , the first home-grown structured entertainment distribution company in Nigeria, partnering with IAS/TNT courier, as well as fast food outlets Mr. Biggs and Sweet Sensation, resulting in over 250 outlets across Nigeria for physical distribution of musical products.
Discography
editAlbums
edit- Forever In My Heart (2008)
- Lara George (2009)
- Higher - The Dansaki Album (2012)
- Love Nwantintin (2014)
- The Medley Album (2014)
- A Slice of Heaven (2017)
- Daddy's Girl (2021)
Singles
edit- You Alone Oluwa Medley (2014)
- Total Surrender (2016)
- Lara George Praise Medley (2016)
- Kolebaje Medley (2016)
- Eyin L'oba (2016)
- Nobody Greater (2016)
Covers
edit- "Hello" (Adele cover) (2015)[14]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Event | Prize | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | KORA Awards | Best Gospel Artiste | Nominated | [15] |
| 2014 | BEN TV UK Award | Won | ||
| Crystal Awards | Best Female Vocalist | Won | ||
| 2013 | Africa Gospel Music Awards | Trailblazer of the Year | Won | |
| 2012 | Gospel Music Awards | Best African Female Gospel Artiste | Won | [16] |
| 2011 | Nigeria Entertainment Awards | Best Gospel Artist | Won | |
| 2010 | Won | |||
| The Headies | Best Vocal Performance (Female) | Won | ||
| Nigeria Music Awards | Best Female Vocalist | Won | ||
| 2008 | The Headies | Best Vocal Performance (Female) | Nominated | [17] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ OVWE MEDEME. "What I miss most about kush – Gospel singer Lara George". The Nation.
- ^ BP-Pub-1 (2016-10-11). "Biography Of Lara George". Believers Portal. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Babalola, Popoola (August 17, 2014). "Real reason we broke up KUSH – Lara George". The Eagle online. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ admin (2019-03-21). "Lara George Biography & Net Worth". Busy Tape. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
- ^ "Happy Birthday Lara George! See the Gospel Artist's New Photos". BellaNaija. 2017-06-23. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ "Lara George Still Strong – More Than A Decade After Kush". Xclusive Gospel, Nigerian Gospel Music Online Magazine. April 10, 2017.
- ^ "Real reason we broke up KUSH — Lara George". Vanguard News. 17 August 2014.
- ^ "I put off having a baby for six years because of my career- Lara George". Vanguard News. 29 November 2014.
- ^ "Lara George gets baby girl, Terry G is a father". The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
- ^ "Lara George, Kefee and Sinach for African Gospel Music awards - Gistmania". gistmania.com.
- ^ "Lara George is African queen of gospel music". Vanguard News. 19 October 2012.
- ^ "The Sun News — - Voice of the Nation". Archived from the original on 2015-03-14. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
- ^ "Why I keep my husband as my manager — Lara George". Vanguard News. 24 October 2014.
- ^ "Hello (Adele Cover)". Pulse.ng. Joey Akan. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ "BIOGRAPHY LARA GEORGES - KORA". KORA. 2016-01-03. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
- ^ "Lara George is African queen of gospel music - Vanguard News". Vanguard News. 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
- ^ Greg (2008-03-31). "Lara George songs". World Hip Hop Market. Retrieved 2014-05-17.