There is so much great music coming out these days, and Dinachi is one of the artists who creates incredible music. The Nigerian singer-songwriter creates music that asks you to pause and remember simply. With a soulful voice and a gift for storytelling, she crafts songs that feel like sunlight filtering through the haze of memory, connecting deeply personal experiences with universal themes of heritage and home.
While her 2017 album Parables leaned into soul and gospel, Dinachi’s artistic journey has evolved into a deeply personal exploration of identity and faith. She leaned more into singing in her native language, experimenting with it, and showing that side of herself to her fans.
This artistic evolution is beautifully realized in her latest project, Wúrà The Prologue, a tender five-track EP. More than a collection of songs, it’s a bridge, connecting past and present, Lagos and London, a mother and her children.
The seed for the project was planted in a moment of quiet reflection, where her attention went to the fact that her children won’t experience the way she grew up in Lagos state. This desire to share a piece of her heritage with them led her back to the folk songs of her own childhood, and as a musician, the logical conclusion was to reimagine them for a new generation.
The result is a sonic time capsule, intimate yet collective. Tracks like Akwukwo Na Ato, Omode Meta Sere, and the Mother’s Day single Iya Ni Wura are delicately woven with threads of nostalgia. The sources of these memories are beautifully varied. Bata Mi A Run Koko Ka felt absorbed through the very air of a 90s Lagos childhood. Dinachi even discovered songs like Ojo n ro through her community, transforming the project into a shared act of remembrance.
The EP was mainly built around her soothing voice and acoustic guitar; its power lies in its simplicity, as she aimed to create something authentic. The message behind it is that our songs are treasures, not just the songs, but the culture around the songs, the language, our heritage as Yoruba people, as Igbo people, as Hausa, as Bini
This spirit of celebration couldn’t be contained to music alone. It blossomed into WÚRÀ: The Celebration, a family-centred cultural event at London’s Africa Centre during UK Black History Month. In collaboration with her sister, writer Dr. Chibundu Onuzo, Dinachi created a space for community through games like Ayo and Ludo, storytelling, and shared song.
She hopes that listeners across the diaspora will find warmth in the arrangements and a sense of pan-Nigerian identity in the blend of Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Bini songs, as her message is intended for everyone.
In the end, Dinachi’s journey is a powerful testament to art’s ability to connect and preserve. She has transformed personal nostalgia into a universal sanctuary, using her music not just to look back, but to build a bridge for the next generation. Her work stands as a beautiful, resonant reminder that our heritage, our songs, our languages, and our games are not relics of the past, but living, breathing treasures to be shared and celebrated.
