Presenting OSINOBI in response to Sheba Arts “Still We Rise” 2026 artist commission.
Osinobi meaning “from the heart” in Igbo, is a compilation of original compositions written for strings, percussion and live electronics. The compositions tell the story of mother to daughter, student to teacher, intergenerational connectivity as a form of collective resistance and the constant echo of sacred messages from the past to the present…
Excerpt from Osinobi, movement 1 “The Call”:
Original compositions and arrangements by Ola Aliah Brewster
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GETpkpKoysd1i42vry0leTLp4dFDeTET/view?usp=share_link
Spoken word - “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
Supporting theme - Waidalal Waidalal by Khalifa Ould Eide and Dimi Mint Abba
Supporting theme - Lamma Saqani Saqi Al-Qawm by Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani
Excerpts from Osinobi, movement 2 “The Response”:
Original compositions by Ola Aliah Brewster
Osinobi in it’s entirety is 5 pieces dovetailed together into a full 30 minute work. It’s divided into two halves; The Call and The Response.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i1ktKQ1VLGZKbenpVSJ3JtnyZ-oc8Fec/view?usp=share_link
Artwork/Animation - Zineb Berrais
Violin - Jina Sou
Viola - Sophia Dignam
Cello - Reyan Murtadha
Daff - Aliah Brewster
Sheba Arts Festival Performance @ Longsight Art Space. Filmed by Estee Aqsa Stedman-Lynch
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IQDcy16nIrNYv--sZoly7gh7zCzuZQL9/view?usp=share_link
Guitar - Melanie Macharia
Violin - Nyra Jain
Viola - Alma Orr-Ewing
Cello - Reyan Murtadha
Viola/Loop Pedal - Aliah Brewster
Private listening session @ Levenshulme Old Library. Filmed by Zineb Berrais.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q6YI6MrzOG3Hup05gBRFM9JbgGosWKYr/view?usp=share_link
Violin - Raye Harvey-Holmes
Viola - Sophia Dignam
Cello - Lili Holland-Fricke
Djembe - Aliah Brewster
Rehearsal @ Altogteher Otherwise/Bothy. Filmed by Estee Aqsa Stedman-Lynch