Kele Okereke
| Kele Okereke | |
|---|---|
Kele Okereke in 2009
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|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kelechukwu Rowland Okereke |
| Born |
13 October 1981 Liverpool, England |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | iamkele |
| Notable instruments | |
Kelechukwu "Kele" Okereke (born 13 October 1981), also known by the mononym Kele, is a British musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party.
Okereke was born to Roman Catholic Igbo Nigerian parents in Liverpool, England on 13 October 1981. His mother was a midwife, and his father a molecular biologist. He grew up in London with his sister. As a child, he went to school at Ilford County High School (where he was known as Rowly), but switched to Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green for sixth form at age 16. He lived in Bethnal Green, and in 1998 he became friends with a student of nearby Bancroft's School, Russell Lissack, who would become Bloc Party's guitarist. A year later, while studying English Literature at King's College London, Okereke met Lissack again at Reading Festival, where the band was officially formed under the title of 'The Angel Range'. In 2001, Okereke moved out of his parents' home. He went on to meet Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong who became the band's permanent bass guitarist and drummer, respectively. In 2003, the band changed its name to Bloc Party after briefly being called Union.
In 2005, Bloc Party released their first studio album, titled Silent Alarm. The album reached number three in the UK charts, and propelled the band to fame. Despite this, Okereke continued to study English literature at university. Until the release of Silent Alarm, he had kept his musical activities secret from his parents.
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Wikipedia