Freda Francis, popularly referred to as Emee Freda, will go back to the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos for Felabration 2026, 12 years after starting her adventure there as a dancer and backup singer for Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti.
This time, she returns as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a rising catalogue of song and a occupation spanning dance, appearing, modelling and model.
“I’m returning to the Afrikan Shrine as a matured artiste to honour Fela and Femi, no longer as a scholar anymore. I’m coming with such a lot love,” she mentioned.
Her go back resonates with this yr’s Felabration theme, “Who Are You?”, drawn from Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s 1971 album, Fela’s London Scenes. For Emee, the query provides a possibility to replicate on an inventive adventure outlined by means of versatility and reinvention.
Her musical basis used to be laid on the Appearing Arts, Entrepreneurship, Style and Generation Inventions (PEFTI) academy in Lagos, the place she studied Song Generation and Manufacturing. She therefore received live-performance enjoy as a backup singer and dancer on the Shrine and thru performances with the Robots Band.
Emee started liberating song formally in 2015 with the singles “Peace and Confession” and “God of Dangerous Boys and Women”. Her reggae and conscious-music sound earned her publicity on platforms together with Jamaica’s Reggae Revolution Display, Long run Atlas Radio in Florida and Kriss Radio in London. Different releases come with “Rise up”, “Babylon Town” and “Tragedy”.
Her newest unmarried, “Tale”, marks a shift in opposition to Afrobeat. Produced by means of Mr Dehniece Etukudo of Audio Manufacturing facility, the tune has won radio and membership rotation. Her previous unmarried, “Ekondo”, used to be produced by means of Lemmy Jackson.
Past making a song, Emee performs the guitar and has demonstrated skillability with the flute and saxophone. In 2018, she based Planet 9, a dwell band that has carried out at occasions together with the Nigerian Reggae Competition in Lagos, Trade Night time Lagos and Christmas Unplugged in Akwa Ibom.
Her ingenious interests additionally prolong to model and appearing. She contested within the Maximum Gorgeous Woman in Nigeria festival in 2012, used to be named Type of the 12 months in a fact tv festival organised by means of Deji Bakare in collaboration with Silverbird Tv the next yr, and later walked at Nigerian Style Week. She additionally featured in tv productions together with This Lifestyles and Tremendous Tale.
At Felabration, Emee is predicted to accomplish a few of her more moderen songs, bringing her adventure complete circle on the venue the place she started growing her craft.
For the artiste, the go back represents greater than a functionality. It is a chance to honour the enjoy that formed her whilst presenting the artist she has change into—one whose ingenious id continues to adapt past the jobs with which she first turned into identified.