kunlé

Dora Award-winning artist Kunlé (Adekunle Olorundare) is a Toronto-based singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer whose work draws from the deep well of West African storytelling. Born into a musical family in Nigeria, his music features a powerful interplay between rich vocals, traditional talking drums, piano and contemporary fingerstyle guitar.

Moving seamlessly between Yoruba, Pidgin and English, he balances cultural depth with a soulful, contemporary sensibility, bridging acoustic traditions and Yoruba proverbs to connect with a global audience.

His highly anticipated new album, Kunlé – The Journey, was released on June 26, 2026, following the March 6 release of the lead double single Ilé L’àbọ̀—accompanied by an official music video—and Cabana. Recorded between Kunlé's Toronto home studio and Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario, the seven-track album was produced by Kunlé with Will Crann (Blue Rodeo, Whitehorse, Feist, The Glorious Sons and more) as co-producer and recording engineer.

In recent years, Kunlé’s creative path has expanded. These experiences have shaped a new phase in his practice—one that blends music, memory and performance in ways that feel both intimate and cinematic.

Kunlé’s 2024 debut at Toronto’s Koerner Hall, performing alongside South African icon Thandiswa Mazwai, marked an important artistic moment, placing his sound on one of Canada’s most prestigious stages.

Theatre credits include the 2024 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, with a win for Outstanding Production and a nomination for Outstanding Sound Design and Composition for co-scoring Soulpepper Theatre’s Three Sisters; a 2022 Premier’s Awards nomination for his role as music director, composer and performer in Stratford Festival’s Death and the King’s Horseman; and performing as guitarist in the Canadian Opera Company’s 2024 opera Aportia Chryptych. His composition “My Little Fingers” also won the Folk Music Ontario Award for Best Instrumental in 2015, leading to endorsements from Furch Guitars and Stonebridge Guitars.

Reviewers often note Kunlé’s warmth and endearing presence onstage. Mike Hill, former Artistic Director of Mariposa Folk Festival, wrote, “Join Kunle as he leaves you basking with gentleness and optimism.”

After watching him perform at the 2015 Mariposa Folk Festival, the legendary Gordon Lightfoot exclaimed to Kunlé, “You are meant to do this. Don’t stop!”

The 2019 Just Music Concert Series, Accra Unplugged, in Accra, Ghana, described him simply as the “Afro-Folk Prince.”

“Kunlé, originally from Nigeria, was totally engaging.” — veteran promoter Richard Flohil, Artists You Should Look Out For, Stories from the Edge of Music, March 7, 2025.

“The reason those transitions hold is Kunlé’s voice: low, velvety, unhurried, with a warmth that makes each genre feel like a different room in the same house.” — Anita Floa, Indie Boulevard, June 19, 2026.

A celebrated live performer, Kunlé’s collaborations include working with JUNO Award-winning artist Töme, sharing stages with acclaimed artists including Julian Taylor and AHI, and touring internationally as guitarist for Canadian blues vocalist Shakura S’Aida. His performances have taken him to stages and festivals including Germany’s Africa Day Festival, Summerfolk, Mariposa Folk Festival, Peterborough Folk Festival, Theatre Collingwood’s Porchside Festival and the Southside Shuffle Blues & Jazz Festival. Following the June 2026 release of Kunlé – The Journey and its sold-out Toronto album release concert, Kunlé continues to bring the album to audiences through live concerts rooted in storytelling, musicianship and genuine audience connection.