Benji Cavalli

Benjamin Kai (born April 17), better known as Benji Cavalli, is a Liberian singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and dancer. Born in Monrovia, he started singing and dancing at the age of 9. Cavalli relocated to the New York City borough of Staten Island as a result of Liberia's first civil war. Between 2008 and 2010, he had a brief stint with the Philadelphia-based Coupé-décalé group, La Jet Fami. He embarked on a solo career after the group disbanded, and released his debut extended play My Time in 2011. His debut studio album, titled 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 Afrobeat, highlife and Gbema.

Benji Cavalli
Background information
Birth nameBenjamin Kai
BornApril 17
Monrovia, Liberia
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • instrumentalist
  • dancer
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2008–present
Formerly ofLa Jet Fami
Websitebenjicavalli.com

Early life and music career

Benjamin Kai was born on April 17, in Monrovia, Liberia.[1] The eldest child of six, he started singing and dancing when he was 9 years old.[2][1] He is the nephew of Zack Roberts, one of Liberia's famous musicians and the lead singer of the 1980's band Zack & Geebah.[2] In 1996, Cavalli and his family fled to Ivory Coast as a result of the First Liberian Civil War.[2] His father was killed prior to him and his family relocating to Ivory Coast.[1] A year later, in the winter of 1997, he and his family relocated to the Park Hill area of Clifton, Staten Island.[2]

In 2008, Cavalli became a member of La Jet Fami, a Philadelphia-based Coupé-décalé band.[1] He embarked on a solo career following the group's disbandment in 2010, and released his debut EP My Time in 2011.[1] In 2015, he released the single "Slow It Down"; it was produced by Just Prince and was the first collaboration between the two musicians.[1] The song was nominated for New Age Gbema Song of the Year at the 2016 Liberia Music Awards. The music video for "Slow It Down" won Best Music Video at the 2016 Liberian Entertainment Awards, and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2016 Liberia Music Awards.[3][4] 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.[1]

Cavalli released his debut studio album, titled The Bridge, on July 18, 2022.[5] It is a blend of Afrobeat and Gbema, the latter of which is a traditional Liberian sound.[2] The album's lyrical content explores themes of peace, love, celebration, and happiness.[2] Cavalli toured eight U.S cities in support of the album.[2] He has collaborated with Liberian artists such as Eric Geso, D12, and Tamba Hali.[1]

Artistry

Cavalli's music is a mixture of Afrobeat, highlife and Gbema.[2] From a production standpoint, his music relies heavily on instruments such as bass, drums, congas and horns.[2] He works closely with his frequent collaborator, Just Prince, to write songs from scratch and share creative ideas.[2]

Discography

Albums and EPs

  • My Time (EP) (2011)
  • The Bridge (2022)

Singles

Year Title Album Ref
2012 "My Number One" My Time [6]
"Come Together" [7]
"Cherish You" (featuring BabyEye) Non-album single [8]
2013 "Addicted To You" My Time [9]
2015 "Slow It Down" Non-album single [10]
"New Tin" The Bridge [11]
2016 "One More Night" [12]
2017 "Jolly Jolly" (featuring Eric Geso) [13]
"Enjoy It" (featuring D12) Non-album single [14]
2018 "Liberian Girl" [15]
"Feeling Ley Pekin" [16]
2019 "Lazy" The Bridge [17]
"Borku" Non-album single [18]
2020 "Bad" [19]
2021 "Spoil Myself" The Bridge [20]
2022 "Ball" [21]

Awards and nominations
Year Event Prize Recipient Result Ref
2016 Liberia Music Awards New Age Gbema Artist of the Year Himself Nominated [4]
New Age Gbema Song of the Year "Slow It Down" Nominated
Video of the Year Nominated
Liberian Entertainment Awards Best Music Video Won [3]
2017 Liberian Golden Awards King of the Stage Himself Won [1]
Liberia Music Awards New Age Gbema Artist of the Year Nominated [22]
Gbema Song of the Year "One More Night" Nominated
"Jolly Jolly" (featuring Eric Geso) Nominated
2020 Liberian Entertainment Awards Best Music Video "Lazy" Nominated [23]

See also

References
  1. "Profile: Liberian Afro Pop Artist, Benji Cavalli, Breaking the Odds in the Industry". Front Page Africa. January 11, 2023. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. Priya Shahi (January 5, 2023). "War put his dreams on hold; now rising Staten Island musician bridges the gap between Liberia, the Western world". Staten Island Advance. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  3. "Liberian Entertainment Awards 2K16 Winners". March 17, 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  4. "Nominations of the 2016 Liberia Music Awards". Liberia Stars View. March 21, 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  5. "The Bridge by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. July 18, 2022. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  6. "My Number One by Benji Cavalli". Amazon Music. May 14, 2012. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  7. "Benji Cavalli- Come Together - Official Music Video". YouTube. May 20, 2012. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  8. "Benji Cavalli Ft BabyEye - I Go Cherish You". YouTube. November 5, 2012. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  9. "Benji Cavalli - Addicted To You". YouTube. May 15, 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  10. "Slow It Down - Single by Benji Cavalli". January 24, 2015. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  11. "New Tin - Single by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. October 22, 2015. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  12. "One More Night - Single by Benji Cavalli". March 14, 2016. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  13. "Jolly-Jolly - Single by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. May 26, 2017. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  14. "Benji Cavalli Feat D12 - Enjoy It (New Liberian Music 2017)". YouTube. September 26, 2017. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  15. "Liberian Girl - Single by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  16. "Feeling Ley Pekin - Single by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. November 27, 2018. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  17. "Lazy - Single by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. February 8, 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  18. "Borku - Single by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. August 22, 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  19. "Bad - Single by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. February 1, 2020. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  20. "Spoil Myself - Single by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. January 1, 2021. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  21. "Ball - Single by Benji Cavalli". Apple Music. January 1, 2022. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  22. "Official Nominees list - Atlanta 2017". Constant Contact. November 19, 2017. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  23. "Liberian Entertainment Awards (LEA) 2020 Nominations". Plus Liberia. January 3, 2020. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
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