Benji Cavalli
{{short description|Liberian singer and songwriter}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = person
| name = Benji Cavalli
| image = Benji Cavalli (cropped).jpg
| landscape =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Benjamin Kai
| alias =
| birth_date = April 17
| birth_place = Monrovia, Liberia
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Singer
- songwriter
- instrumentalist
- dancer
}}
| instrument = Vocals
| years_active = 2008–present
| past_member_of = La Jet Fami
}}
Benjamin Kai (born April 17), who is better known as Benji Cavalli, is a Liberian singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and dancer from Monrovia. He started singing and dancing at the age of 9, and relocated to the New York City borough of Staten Island during the First Liberian Civil War. Between 2008 and 2010, he had a brief stint with La Jet Fami, a Philadelphia-based Coupé-décalé band. He embarked on a solo career after the group disbanded and released his debut extended play, My Time, in 2011. His debut studio album, The Bridge, was released on July 18, 2022. Cavalli was nominated for New Age Gbema Artist of the Year at the 2016 Liberia Music Awards, and won King of the Stage at the 2017 Liberian Golden Awards. His music is a mixture of Afrobeats, highlife and Gbema.
Early life and music career
Benjamin Kai was born on April 17, in Monrovia, Liberia.{{cite web |title=Profile: Liberian Afro Pop Artist, Benji Cavalli, Breaking the Odds in the Industry |url=https://frontpageafricaonline.com/entertainment/profile-liberian-afro-pop-artist-benji-cavalli-breaking-the-odds-in-the-industry/ |website=Front Page Africa |access-date=16 January 2023 |date=January 11, 2023 |archive-date=15 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115104511/https://frontpageafricaonline.com/entertainment/profile-liberian-afro-pop-artist-benji-cavalli-breaking-the-odds-in-the-industry/ |url-status=live }} The eldest child of six, he started singing and dancing when he was 9 years old.{{cite web |author1=Priya Shahi |title=War put his dreams on hold; now rising Staten Island musician bridges the gap between Liberia, the Western world |url=https://www.silive.com/news/2023/01/war-put-his-dreams-on-hold-now-rising-staten-island-musician-bridges-the-gap-between-liberia-the-western-world.html |website=Staten Island Advance |access-date=16 January 2023 |date=January 5, 2023 |archive-date=13 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113152721/https://www.silive.com/news/2023/01/war-put-his-dreams-on-hold-now-rising-staten-island-musician-bridges-the-gap-between-liberia-the-western-world.html |url-status=live }} He is the nephew of Zack Roberts, one of Liberia's well-known musicians and the lead singer of the 1980's band Zack & Geebah. In 1996, Cavalli and his family fled to Ivory Coast during the First Liberian Civil War. His father was killed prior to him and his family relocating to Ivory Coast. A year later, he and his family relocated to the Park Hill area of Clifton, Staten Island.
In 2008, Cavalli became a member of La Jet Fami, a Philadelphia-based Coupé-décalé band. He embarked on a solo career following the group's disbandment in 2010, and released his debut extended play, My Time, in 2011. In 2015, Cavalli released the single "Slow It Down", which was the first song Just Prince produced for him. It was nominated for New Age Gbema Song of the Year at the 2016 Liberia Music Awards. The song's music video won Best Music Video at the 2016 Liberian Entertainment Awards and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2016 Liberia Music Awards.{{cite web |title=Liberian Entertainment Awards 2K16 Winners |url=https://liberianstarsviews.com/entertainment/liberian-entertainment-awards-2k16-winners/ |access-date=16 January 2023 |date=March 17, 2016 |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925112713/https://liberianstarsviews.com/entertainment/liberian-entertainment-awards-2k16-winners/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Nominations of the 2016 Liberia Music Awards |url=https://liberianstarsviews.com/entertainment/nominations-of-the-2016-liberia-music-awards/ |website=Liberia Stars View |access-date=16 January 2023 |date=March 21, 2016 |archive-date=16 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816184657/https://liberianstarsviews.com/entertainment/nominations-of-the-2016-liberia-music-awards/ |url-status=live }} Between 2015 and 2021, Cavalli released a number of singles produced by Just Prince, including "One More Night", "Lazy", and "Spoil Myself". In December 2017, he performed at the Liberian Golden Awards in Australia and won the King of the Stage award.
Cavalli's debut studio album, The Bridge, was released on July 18, 2022.{{cite web |title=The Bridge by Benji Cavalli |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-bridge/1635019208 |website=Apple Music |access-date=16 January 2023 |date=July 18, 2022 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117011820/https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-bridge/1635019208 |url-status=live }} It blends Afrobeats with Gbema, a traditional Liberian sound. The album's lyrical content explores themes of peace, love, celebration, and happiness. Cavalli toured eight U.S cities in support of the album, and has collaborated with Liberian artists such as Eric Geso, D12, and Tamba Hali.
Artistry
Discography
Albums
- My Time (EP) (2011)
- The Bridge (2022)
Singles
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
!Title !Album !Ref |
|---|
| rowspan="3"|2012
|"My Number One" |rowspan="2"|My Time |
| "Come Together" |
| "Cherish You" (featuring BabyEye)
|{{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| 2013
|"Addicted To You" |My Time |
| rowspan="2"|2015
|"Slow It Down" |{{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| "New Tin"
|rowspan="3"|The Bridge |
| 2016
|"One More Night" |
| rowspan="2"|2017
|"Jolly Jolly" (featuring Eric Geso) |
| "Enjoy It" (featuring D12)
|rowspan="3" {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| rowspan="2"|2018
|"Liberian Girl" |
| "Feeling Ley Pekin" |
| rowspan="2"|2019
|"Lazy" |The Bridge |
| "Borku"
|rowspan="2" {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| 2020
|"Bad" |
| 2021
|"Spoil Myself" |rowspan="2"|The Bridge |
| 2022
|"Ball" |
Awards and nominations
| class ="wikitable" |
| Year
!Event !Prize !Recipient !Result !Ref |
|---|
| rowspan="4"|2016
|rowspan="3"|Liberia Music Awards |New Age Gbema Artist of the Year |Himself |{{nom}} |
| New Age Gbema Song of the Year
|rowspan="3"|"Slow It Down" |{{nom}} |
| Video of the Year
|{{nom}} |
| Liberian Entertainment Awards
|Best Music Video |{{won}} |
| rowspan="4"|2017
|Liberian Golden Awards |King of the Stage |rowspan="2"|Himself |{{won}} |
| rowspan="3"|Liberia Music Awards
|New Age Gbema Artist of the Year |{{nom}} |
| rowspan="2"|Gbema Song of the Year
|"One More Night" |{{nom}} |
| "Jolly Jolly" (featuring Eric Geso)
|{{nom}} |
| 2020
|Liberian Entertainment Awards |Best Music Video |"Lazy" |{{nom}} |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cavalli, Benji}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)