“Soulful voice of Eki Shola swirls around playful drum machines and catchy bass hooks” - Corey Mwamba
“Her music, including the song ``Dreaming,'' which she composed when she decided to ``pursue music,'' incorporates jazz, electronica, and R&B, and is warm and soulful. As I listened to her, I felt like I was surrounded by her gentle personality. As if to remind us that music can sometimes convey kindness more than words.” - Miki Kobayashi
— Elle
“One of the joys of discovering and delving into Bay Area talent is that you become a part of their journey, a witness to their growth, and an engaged listener who remains invested in their success...The selection “Kaeru” is presented in an unhurried, languid style that invites repeated listens, melding jazz and soul together seamlessly.” - John-Paul Shiver
— 48hills
“… a qualified physician, Eki Shola has poured just as much of herself into her music as evidenced on current release, '還 (Kaeru)', which credits the artist's boundless talents throughout the album to vocals, cello, keyboard, piano, synth bass, electronics, composition, production, mixing and mastering. It's a project that builds masterfully upon past successes with Eki Shola's explorations taking not just a creative leap for this release but a geographic one as well. Recorded in Japan alongside musicians Hidenori Tsugita (drums), Tatsuya Okabayashi (Mongolian Morin Khuur) and Uma Ebina (shamisen and shakuhachi), the combination of cultural styles breeds sensational results and provides an incredible new aesthetic to anything we've heard Eki Shola bless previously.” - Imran Mirza
“What or where is home when you’re born in one place but, still a child, move to another place? What or where is home when the house where you grew up burns to the ground? What or where is home when your life is world travel, constantly moving from London to Hiroshima to Lisbon to Addis Ababa to Berkeley and beyond?” - Ronny Kerr
“"Bay Area artists La Misa Negra, Eki Shola and Sol Development opened for last year's winner, Naia Izumi, off the strength of their contest submissions. ” - Nastia Voynovskaya
— KQED
PRESS
Santa Rosa musician Eki Shola takes a global stage, from Japan to the UK
Announcing Our 2025 North Bay Music Awards Winners
Pacific Sun: Where Is Home for Musician Eki Shola?
The 2024 North Bay Music Awards, Best of the Best
Bohemian: North Bay Music Awards Announced
Elle: 新感覚の絶景フェス「KYOTOPHONIE 2023 天橋立」が刺激的！ 現地レポート｜エディターズOKINI
White Crate: Wild and Free, Yet Rooted
Press Democrat: Santa Rosa’s Eki Shola records, tours in Japan
48 Hills: Under the Stars: Eki Shola heals with soulful jazz, via Japan
Press Democrat: 23 Sonoma County people to watch in 2023 celebrated at Petaluma event
Press Democrat: How Sonoma County artists transform their work, themselves after isolation
Press Democrat: Powersoul brings hip-hop, spoken word, jazz to Sebastopol
48 Hills: ‘Powersoul’ raises the vibrations in Sebastopol
Hip-hop Showcase Manifests at Big Easy
Afrofuturism takes center stage in the Institute of the Arts and Sciences’ Surge series
Hear Here 2021: A mixtape of the year’s excellent local tracks
48 Hills: Bring the noise: Fall’s best albums, part one
Railroad Square Music Festival Captures Local Talent on New Album
Innova Recordings Announces Bay Area Pilot Projects
48 Hills: With live shows poised to return, musicians open up about opening up
North Bay Musicians Support Sonoma County Permaculture Farm in Concert
Bay Area Artists on Challenges, Unexpected Victories in the Pandemic
Girls on the Run: Eki Shola #shesremarkable
Creative Sonoma News Brief: Awards and Announcements Summer 2020- Winter 2021
48 Hills: New Music: 13 terrific-sounding releases on our list right now
48 Hills – Don’t forget the beats: A mixtape-homage to the Bay’s 2020 sounds
KQED Forum: The Music That Got Us Through 2020
Argus Courier: Out and About in Petaluma
NorBays Applaud Local Musicians
Resident Advisor: Half-time electronic soul for the mind.
Café Marvin groove con Eki Shola and Yehu Salah – Revista …
Eki Shola: 48 Hills Best of the Bay 2020 Editors’ Pick
Struggling SF Nightclubs Hold Virtual Revive the Night
NorBays Celebrate an Unprecedented Year of Music
Press Democrat’s second virtual Women in Conversation event centers on the beauty in small choices
WDR 3 Jazz & World: Giant Steps in Jazz series
48 Hills – New Music: Big Joanie, Eki Shola, Osees, Clipping., more deliver fall-ready tunes
KQED: What Music is Getting You Through 2020?
Pacific Sun: Eki Shola finds power in her voice
Cornell University: Dr. Eki Shola Abrams ’99 is following her dream
Fusicology: New Music Featured Releases
DJ Mag: These are this week’s Bandcamp essentials (7th August)
Healing Sounds: Eki Shola finds power in her voice
6 Favorite Online Diversions for Beating the Coronavirus Blues
Eki Shola Completes Album Trilogy with ‘Essential’ LP
New Creative Sonoma online calendar offers ways to find virtual performances
Featured Lyricist – Change the System
Eki Shola’s Latest Video Pulls Community Together
Best Of 2019: Derek’s favorite Wine Country releases (The Bay Bridged)
The California Report: How You Are Feeling About Climate Change (and Tips on Overcoming Fear, Grief)
2019 NorBay Music Awards: Take a Bow
Eki Shola – Music is Good Medicine
Rebuilding Sonoma County: Dr Eki Shola turned to the healing power of music
Heads Up, Bay Area: Submissions for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest Are Open
New Beginnings: Eki Shola dreams of possibilities on new album
Nightbeats: Jazz artist Eki Shola debuts album in Sebastopol
Sonoma County musicians create ‘Out of the Fire’ CD to benefit victims of 2017 wildfires
Nightbeats: Rivertown Revival brings Burning Man vibe to Petaluma
Prairie Sun Recordings Releases “Out Of The Fire” Compilation Album
Railroad Square Music Festival draws thousands in fourth year
Tiny Desk Contest On The Road: Petaluma Showcase with KRCB and KQED at Lagunitas Petaluma TapRoom
‘Pop-up’ expo seeks to support Santa Rosa arts, music
North Bay Women in Music Collective aims to honor and aid women musicians
Interviews
Eki Shola interview on North Beats podcast
Sound Meets Sound Episode 20: Eki'Shola
Blue-in-Green Sessions · Blue-in-Green:PODCAST_#130_Eki Shola
Ah World Music: Eki Shola – Essential
Musical Notes in Sonoma County: Eki Makes it Possible! Interview by Shekeyna Black 1/2019
Stacking The Deck with Eki Shola 7/2018
Grab ‘Em By The Songs audio podcast 5/2018
Interview by entertainment journalist, Adam Bernard 12/2017
Musical Notes in Sonoma County (page 19): Interview by Shekeyna Black 3/2016
Television/Documentary
PBS The New Normal: Visions of Healing 10/8/2018
Heroes Among Us, The Another World Is Possible Community Engagement 7/2021
Discog
Eki Shola - Falling (SWING-O a.k.a. 45 Remix)
Eki Shola - Kaeru (Shin-Ski Remix)
“Madre” single - written for L.A. wildfire survivors 1/2025
Why I Came to California feat. Eki Shola & Denise M'Baye
還 (Kaeru) – album (10/6/23)
BHMEM – single (2022)
Talks of 21 – single (2021)
Believe – single (2021)
KRCB Northern California musicians Connections 6 compilation CD 11/2020
Garden of Light (Eki Shola & Ivano Bersini) – single (10/29/20)
Jubilee (Eki Shola & Yehu Salah) – single (10/14/2020)
Essential – album (8/8/2020)
Drift – album (11/11/2019)
Possible – album (2/22/2019)
Marching On – single (2019)
Dreaming – single (2018)
Final Beginning – album (8/20/2016)
Reviews
還 (Kaeru) 10/2023:
Kelley Sweitzer, BFF.fm, San Francisco: "Eki Shola's 2023 album Kaeru effortlessly blends grounding beats with ethereal instrumentation. In collaboration with local Japanese musicians, this album showcases shakuhachi flute, shamisen and Mongolian Morin khuur with jazz fusion percussion. Eki Shola's stunning vocals tie everything together in a well-balanced mix that brings one to center and evokes a sense of peace. The production and musicianship is amazing, but my favorite thing about this album are the lyrics. Eki Shola sings of injustices and our collective loss of humanity and musically challenges the listener to connect to self and feel through it all. Kaeru calls on us to look within, knowing that we already have all the answers, and inspires one to connect with love and hope instead of despair."
Paul Simpson, The Answer Is In The Beat, WCBN 88.3 FM: Eki Shola 還 (Kaeru) (self-released, 2023)
Imran Mirza, Blue in Green Radio, UK: 還 (Kaeru)' by Eki Shola
Essential album, 08/2020:
Paul Simpson, The Answer Is In The Beat, WCBN 88.3FM: Eki Shola: Essential (self-released, 2020)
Album Review (+ Interview): Eki Shola – Essential (2020) by Threads Radio
John-Paul Shiver, Resident Advisor: Half-time electronic soul for the mind
Charlie Swanson, North Bay Bohemian: Healing Sounds: Eki Shola finds power in her voice
Drift album, 11/2019:
Paul Simpson, The Answer Is In The Beat, WCBN 88.3FM: Eki Shola: Drift (self-released, 2019)
Possible album, 2/2019:
Paul Simpson, The Answer Is In The Beat, WCBN 88.3FM: Eki Shola: Possible (self-released, 2019)
I can’t really convey how magical this music is. The track review only provides signposts. It’s an amazing fusion of electronics, hip-hop, jazz, & ethnic rhythms with deep soul. Jump in – the water’s fine! If You Like: Tomita, Portishead, Stevie Wonder, Weather Report ~ Tom McCarter, KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM
Final Beginning album, 8/2016:
“Exclusively focusing on creating original music, Eki Shola’s niche is comprised of ethereal pieces that take the listener on a journey.” ~ Shekeyna Black, Upbeat Times
“… a wide assortment of moods, visions, and expressions that are completely original, well crafted … reflects an original and comfortable spirit with a fresh vision.” ~ Karlton Hester, Musical Director of Hesterian Musicism
“Fascinating solo artist with her own sound. Sounds Like: Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno, Moby, Juana Molina.” ~ Tom McCarter, KZSU 90.1 FM Stanford University
“Eki Shola introduces her album explaining music as her language of love and of inspiration. A language that could contain the past, present, and future simultaneously. With piano and keyboard her music takes on experimental turns and noises within a jazz-inspired keyboard performance, at times the music is very haunting and other times resembles a more classical female vocalist sound, the kind where, as you listen, you can imagine the singer looking out a rain-streaked window (track 6 – Midweek Blues). The more experimental tracks can have you picturing yourself on a groovy space ship with the local alien band playing covers of earth classics with a foreign, sci-fi psychedelic twist ( track 1, track 3, and track 11 ).
Being an almost completely instrumental album, it feeds the mind in a way that would be great for working on homework or projects, crafts and such, much less suitable for working out as the album intrigues a contemplative mood. She is asking her listeners to contemplate, to feel, to inquire this paradoxical way we perceive time, combining memories and plans, the past and future into one being, you. She shows this through her title for the album as well, final beginnings, an oxymoron in itself, showing her work as not entirely just music, but sound art to be used to trigger thought and encourage love and beauty through rhythm and unique composition. Resembles The Motet but with electronic elements similar to Red Martian. Sounds Like: The Motet, Gold Panda.” ~ Ellery Page, KAMP 1570 AM radio