Kele Okereke: Bloc Party and beyond
Kele Okereke is best known as lead singer and guitarist of Bloc Party, the indie-rock band he founded with university friends
Since Bloc Party bludgeoned their way into the UK charts with their acclaimed debut album Silent Alarm in 2005, the band have gone on to record five further studio albums, whilst Okereke has gone on to record four solo albums of his own.
The third of those solo albums, Fatherland, was influenced by Okereke’s own experience of becoming a father with his long-term boyfriend, via a US surrogacy, and a reconnection with his Nigerian heritage.
It was whilst working on this album that Okereke joined us here at the Southbank Centre in 2016 as part of our Being A Man festival. The singer joined Alex Needham to discuss his life and work, the often limiting expectations placed on artists in the music industry, and fatherhood.
‘I really just want to be present and to be flexible… My life has always centred around what I want to do, it’s always been quite selfish, so I’m slightly nervous about what it’s going to feel like being responsible for someone else.’
Kele Okereke on becoming a father
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