Michael Kiwanuka

Michael Kiwanuka is a British soul and rock singer-songwriter and guitarist born in London to Ugandan parents. He first drew wide attention with his 2012 debut album «Home Again», a warm, acoustic-leaning record that led the BBC to name him winner of its Sound of 2012 poll before the album even arrived in shops. His voice and phrasing invited immediate comparisons to soul greats like Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers and Otis Redding, as well as to Terry Callier and Van Morrison, though Kiwanuka quickly moved past retro pastiche toward a more personal sound.

With his self-titled third album «KIWANUKA» (2019), produced with Danger Mouse and Inflo, he fused psychedelic soul, gospel-tinged arrangements and social commentary, including on the widely praised track «Black Man in a White World». The record won the Mercury Prize and cemented his reputation as one of Britain's most distinctive voices in contemporary soul, blending vintage textures with modern production and searching, introspective songwriting about identity and belonging.

Songs like «Cold Little Heart», «Love & Hate» and «You Ain't the Problem» showcase his range, from slow-burning, string-laden epics to more direct, guitar-driven soul-pop. He is signed to Communion Records and continues to record and tour, respected both by critics and by peers across the soul, rock and hip-hop worlds who have sampled and referenced his work.