biography
The list of Omar’s achievements is a long and storied one. Cast even a glance at the highlights of a career well into its fourth decade – a ‘signature’ hit tune that led on to eight solo albums of unique, evolving sound; collaborations with some of the biggest names in pop music history [Stevie Wonder, Lamont Dozier, Leon Ware, Erykah Badu & a host more]; a catalogue of side-projects more extensive than many artists’ entire working lifetimes; a one-man stage show; an MBE pinned to his chest by Prince Charles – and you could forgive the guy if at any time he showed signs of resting on those laurels. Far from it.
I have my own sound and I’m very proud of that. And I think, if you listen to The Anthology, you’re not only gonna hear that, but you can hear the evolution too. I still think I’m changing, still growing, still learning all these new and different things. My whole life goes into the music and it’s just a continued blessing.
2023 finds Omar emerging from one of his busiest and most productive periods ever. Right now, he’s close to completing work on a brand new studio album, tentatively titled Brighter The Days, that promises to be right up there with his very best. Around that, he’s still trying hard to maintain supplies of the constantly-selling-out vinyl version of his 2020 double-album Omar: The Anthology, having been discovered this pandemic by new generations of music lovers who clearly recognise class when they hear it.
Brighter The Days is already sounding amazing. Featuring a sumptuous set of string arrangements by Chris Cameron [George Michael, Stereophonics, Randy Crawford, Tina Turner], plus a trio of tracks recorded at Paul Weller’s Black Barn Studios in Surrey – including a fabulous, horn-blasted, sixties-style, hit duet with the Modfather himself, as well a deliciously funky Al Green-flavoured number – it combines that familiar and much-loved Omar soundscape with a range of exciting new musical tangents. And with collaborations from a clutch of other star names [Common, Q-Tip, India, Arie, Pharoahe Monch] either completed or in the pipeline, the buzz is already building ahead of release.
The man is moving ever forward and somehow getting better and better.
