WHAT: Afrobeats

WHERE: Regina, SK

VISIT: www.iamrooky.com

Oghenerukevwe Jegede-Ikpen, popularly known by his stage name Rooky, started out listening to a wide range of music from by his parents, ranging from Afro high life, ‘70s and ‘80s pop music, and soul. Rooky says that singing in his church choir as a young boy helped shape his sound dexterity. He uses his music to describe how you can bounce between exhilaration, euphoria, and increased energy during the summer and the embodiment of positivity. As an indie artist, Rooky records and produces his own music. He performs live regularly at festivals and events in Saskatchewan with his band, the BAD HVBITS.

Rooky’s newest release is a three-track project titled Summer 22. The three cuts combine rhythmic summer energy with thoughts and emotions expressed melodiously. The project is essentially a collection of Rooky’s thoughts and feelings about events chronicling the summer, and was born from Rooky’s pondering of the nostalgia of summer in pre-Covid times and how nobody is sure when we’ll get those relaxed summer vibes again.

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