By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
This Spring, the Westwood Public Library (WPL) is presenting a Spring Concert Series on select Sundays throughout the months of March through May. This series is hosted by the 21st Century Foundation and features an array of musicians performing a wide range of genres.
There have been two concerts so far, including performances by Brian Kane and Elijah Akindolie. Kane played jazz standards while Akindolie, a first generation Nigerian-American multi-faceted performer, was a part of a piano and guitar duo.
Akindolie, also known as King E, held his performance was accompanied by guitarist Caroline Castellone. Attendees flooded into the WPL Community Room, eager to listen and enjoy Akindolie’s beautiful performance.
According to his website, Akindolie's “musical journey began at the age of 7 in the church, where he showcased his versatility by playing multiple instruments. Fueling his passion, he taught himself the piano by ear and honed his skills through dedicated hours of watching YouTube tutorials.”
He sang hits from the 1950s and 60s, along with some more modern tunes ranging from Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, and John Legend. One iconic cover that he performed was Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning.” Throughout his set, Akindolie also mixed in some original works, including “If I Got You A Daisy” and “Slow.”
Before performing “Slow,” Akindolie explained to the crowd that this particular song took him two years to write. During the pandemic, Akindolie experienced loss and the depression that can come with that. He used these emotions and feelings to create this dark yet uplifting song that the crowd thoroughly enjoyed. It was easy to tell that all original songs that Akindolie performed truly came from the heart and ultimately captivated the audience throughout. For those who wanted to follow along with Akindolie’s musical journey, there was a sign depicting all his social media pages as well.
The next concerts lined up for the Spring Concert Series include Classical Guitarist Scott Ouellette on April 7th, Flaminco Guitarist Gladius on April 21st, and Harpist Áine Minogue on May 19th. For more information about this series, please visit the WPL’s website at www.westwoodlibrary.org.
