El Mafrex
{{Short description|Nigerian musical artist (born 1984)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = el Mafrex
| image = El Mafrex at the Scottish New Music Awards.jpg
| caption = el Mafrex at the 2012 Scottish New Music Awards in Glasgow, Scotland.
| birth_name = Mfreke Obong Ibanga
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1984|05|14}}
| birth_place = Nigeria
| origin = Nigeria; Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| genre = Afrobeat, Christian hip hop, R&B, ragga, urban contemporary gospel
| occupation = Singer-songwriter
| instruments = Vocals, drums and keyboard
| years_active = Since {{start date and age|2004}}
| label = 316 Muzik Factory
| website = {{URL|elmafrex.com}}
}}
El Mafrex (born Mfreke Obong Ibanga; 14 May 1984) is a Nigerian-born, urban gospel singer-songwriter, based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
He was nominated for Best Gospel Act consecutively at the 2012 and 2013 editions of the (MOBO) Music of Black Origin Awards.{{cite web |url=http://mobo.com/news-blogs/mobo-awards-2012-nominees-shortlist-revealed |title=MOBO Awards 2012 – nominees shortlist revealed | MOBO Awards |website=Mobo.com |accessdate=10 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225065006/http://www.mobo.com/news-blogs/mobo-awards-2012-nominees-shortlist-revealed |archive-date=25 December 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.mobo.com/news-blogs/mobo-awards-2013-nominations-list-revealed |title=MOBO Awards 2013 – Nominations List Revealed! |website=Mobo.com |date=3 September 2013 |accessdate=5 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031147/http://www.mobo.com/news-blogs/mobo-awards-2013-nominations-list-revealed |archive-date=1 December 2017 |url-status=dead }} He won Artiste of the year and Urban Recording of the year{{cite web |author=Steve Alexander Smith |url=http://mobo.com/news-blogs/british-black-gospel-part-6-mobo-best-gospel-act-2012-nominees |title=Best Gospel 2012: Ram1 Rachel Kerr V9 Collective El Mafrex Ni-Cola profile | MOBO Awards |website=Mobo.com |date= |accessdate=10 February 2013 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205703/http://mobo.com/news-blogs/british-black-gospel-part-6-mobo-best-gospel-act-2012-nominees |url-status=dead }} at the 2012 Scottish New Music Awards, making him the first black man to win the SNMA.
His song, "Jehovah", which features Christian rock band Royal Foundlings had more than 500,000 hits in the first five months of its release on YouTube. He released "That Man from Galilee" in the first quarter of 2013, which debuted at no 49 on the iTunes UK Chart for Gospel and had over a million hits on YouTube in its first 6 months.{{cite web |url=http://www.music-chart.info/UK/archive/genre/22/Christian%20and%20Gospel/2013/03/21#49 |title=Archived copy |website=www.music-chart.info |access-date=14 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015110307/http://www.music-chart.info/UK/archive/genre/22/Christian%20and%20Gospel/2013/03/21#49 |archive-date=15 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|publisher=YouTube|title=el Mafrex – THAT MAN FROM GALILEE ft. Dave Brackenridge [HD]|date=12 March 2013|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3J8oB69_fY|accessdate=3 January 2018}}
On 30 September 2012, he was featured in the Sunday Mail.Sunday Mail – page 27. 30 September 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/music/music-news/rap-star-pays-tribute-to-new-1351994 |title=Rap star pays tribute to new homeland and says he'll make bagpipes hip again |publisher=Daily Record |date=30 September 2012 |accessdate=10 February 2013}}
He was nominated for the Season 8 of The Future Awards Africa on 10 July 2013.{{cite web
|url = http://thefutureafrica.com/awards/meet-the-class-of-2013-see-the-superstar-list-of-75-inspiring-young-nominees-for-the-future-awards-africa-season-8/
|title = Meet the class of 2013! See superstar list of 75 inspiring young nominees for the future awards Africa season 8
|publisher = The Future Awards Africa
|date = 10 July 2013
|accessdate = 25 July 2013
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130717004724/http://thefutureafrica.com/awards/meet-the-class-of-2013-see-the-superstar-list-of-75-inspiring-young-nominees-for-the-future-awards-africa-season-8/
|archivedate = 17 July 2013
|df = dmy
}}
Early life and education
He was born in Nigeria and educated at the Nigerian Military School in Zaria, Kaduna State.
He graduated in 2006 from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he studied physics and majored in electronics. In 2010, he obtained a master's degree in information-systems development from the Edinburgh Napier University.{{cite web |url=http://www.elmafrexonline.com/aboutelmafrex.htm |title=About el Mafrex |publisher=el Mafrex Online |date=7 January 2013 |accessdate=10 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018004303/http://www.elmafrexonline.com/aboutelmafrex.htm |archivedate=18 October 2012 }}
Career
File:El Mafrex ministering at Ibom International Stadium.jpg
In 2001, El Mafrex started a boy band, M.O.D. (Men of Destiny), and was the lead vocalist of the five-man group. The band toured and played shows in Nigeria, especially in its south-south region before later expanding from a boy band to a family project. The family project gave birth to the Destiny Kids and MOD dancers.
While in the University of Uyo, he formed another boy band, Da Grooves, made up of Louis and GeePee. Together they played gigs on campus and its environs.
At the end of 2004, he left the band to start his own solo career, which he called the "el MAFREX" project. He was voted Artiste of the year in 2005 by the SUG of University of Uyo, and his songs "Rhythm in the Air" and "Esio Mkpo" were played on radio and television stations in Nigeria. "Rhythm in the Air" won song of the month, on the then Cosmo FM Enugu."elmafrex.com" {{cite web|url=http://www.elmafrex.com/aboutelmafrex.htm |title= About el Mafrex |publisher=elmafrex.com |accessdate=13 September 2014}}
On 21 December 2013, el Mafrex headlined the Sixth edition of the Akwa Ibom State Government Christmas Carol (9999 Carol SIngers) night with other International gospel artists like Israel Houghton, South African gospel legend Lionel Peterson and Nigerian Gospel acts like Frank Edwards, Aity Dennis, Freke' and Nathaniel Bassey."PulseNg" {{cite web|author=Published on Monday 2|url=http://pulse.ng/incoming/akwa-ibom-state-shuts-down-uyo-with-9-999-carol-night-id2589950.html |title=Akwa Ibom State Shuts Down Uyo With 9,999 Carol Night – Latest news |publisher=pulse.ng |date=23 December 2013 |accessdate=13 September 2014}} He led a Reggae praise session in the Guinness book of world records listed event at the Uyo Township Stadium.{{cite web|url=http://9999carolsingers.com/index.php/el-mafrex |title=9999 Carol Singers |publisher=9999carolaingers.com |accessdate=13 September 2014}}
= STV interview =
In November 2012, he was interviewed by Scottish television news STV, where he talked about his music and recent MOBO Awards nomination.{{cite web|url=http://player.stv.tv/programmes/news-at-six-edinburgh-east/2012-11-01-1800 |title=STV News at Six – Edinburgh – Thursday, November 01 | STV Player |website=Player.stv.tv |date=1 November 2012 |accessdate=10 February 2013}}
= Business interest =
El Mafrex has other interests besides music as he prepares to launch his own line of designers eyeglasses.{{cite web|author=Published on Tuesday |url=http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/latest-news/edinburgh-gospel-singer-to-launch-range-of-eyewear-1-2616359 |title=Edinburgh gospel singer to launch range of eyewear – Latest news |publisher=Scotsman.com |date=6 November 2012 |accessdate=10 February 2013}} He told The Scotsman that he had his own personal sunglasses customized specially for himself and has since received compliments from many people who are interested in acquiring them, which has propelled him towards the direction of having a line for his sunglasses. The name of the line would be 3:16 derived from the Bible verse, John 3:16.
= Singles =
| class="wikitable sortable" | |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2006 | "Rhythm in the Air" |
| 2010 | "Ibagaba" |
| 2011 | "Thank You" |
| 2012 | "Jehovah" |
| 2012 | "No Denying" |
| 2012 | "Bounce" |
| 2012 | "Your Word" |
| 2013 | "Since I be Pikin" |
| 2013 | "Oh that men will praise the Lord" |
| 2013 | "That Man from Galilee" |
=Awards and nominations=
See also
{{portal|Biography|Nigeria|Scotland}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- List of Christian hip hop and rap artists
- List of Nigerian gospel musicians
- List of Edinburgh people
- List of gospel musicians
- List of Nigerians
- List of R&B musicians
- List of reggae musicians
- List of Scottish musicians
- List of singer-songwriters
- Music of Nigeria
- Music of Scotland
{{div col end}}
{{clear}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.elmafrex.com}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mafrex, El}}
Category:21st-century Black British male singers
Category:21st-century British male singers
Category:21st-century Nigerian male singers
Category:Alumni of Edinburgh Napier University
Category:British gospel singers
Category:Black British male rappers
Category:British performers of Christian hip-hop
Category:British reggae musicians
Category:British contemporary R&B singers
Category:Nigerian hip-hop singers
Category:Nigerian expatriates in Scotland
Category:Nigerian singer-songwriters
Category:Nigerian Military School alumni
Category:Scottish singer-songwriters
Category:Urban contemporary gospel musicians
Category:University of Uyo alumni