Michael Kiwanuka Shares His Love For All Things Music

When considering the great British singer-songwriter, Michael Kiwanuka, it’s easy to think of his phenomenal voice first. It’s oaken, textured. It’s probably one of the five best male singing voices on the planet today (along with Leon Bridges, Eric Burton, Orville Peck and one other). But Kiwanuka’s path to music didn’t start with his singing voice. Rather, it began with his guitar, an instrument the artist says he was “obsessed” with in secondary school (the equivalent to American high school). Kiwanuka was a musical sponge after he discovered the art form’s importance to his life. His is a deep affection and he brings that to each composition, from new song drafts to his early hits, “Love & Hate” and “Cold Little Heart,” and his 2019 release, Kiwanuka, which is a favorite to win a prestigious 2020 Mercury Prize.