If angels sing in heaven when a child is born as they say, then surely they winged to earth upon Kalil’s birth to mentor and sing with him, one of their ilk. Born Olumese Ehinon Omoaghe in Benin in August 1974, Kalil, 31, is an atypical African treasure given to the world by his loving parents and family. The Omoaghes have been a musical people for several generations. He is the third of three siblings. His oldest brother Kris, 36, is currently a top notch reggae and hip hop producer in Lagos and his other brother Frank is actively pursuing his music career as a singer in New York City. The trio recorded their first demo in 1994 and it was met with success in Benin. Their music was largely influenced by the sounds of groups like New Edition and Boyz II Men. As a solo artist Kalil was further influenced by the sounds of Dawkins and Dawkins, Commissioned, Men of Standard and artists like John P. Kee, Fred Hammond and Stevie Wonder. Kalil has lived in Nigeria all his life, but now the world is ready for him to come to their city to take away their teary-eyed pain and to replace it with tears of inspirational joy.

In August 1994 Kalil found a new meaning to life as he dedicated his life to Christ whole-heartedly. He got in where he fit, finally, at the end of a spiritual journey that lasted several years which catalyzed his creative energy to write and sing about his creator. For Kalil, obtaining the faith was the beginning of the fulfillment of his destiny. It was around that time that the transformation from Olumese to Kalil took place. Kalil is Hebrew meaning “Perfect”, a word that is used to describe the quality of sacrifices that were being offered to God. For Kalil the name was very fitting for the intensifying startup singer. He believed that only in the hands of his creator will the meaning of the name be a reality and so he offered himself – not just his talents but also his desires, his pain, his trials and his triumphs. Stepping out on faith, striving to live be a faultless life surrendered to God, he set aside all hindrances and embraced his calling unconditionally.

A singer and a player of instrument too, he is a crackerjack guitar plucker and proficient in tickling black and white keys as well. His song writing skills have been haled for years in Benin because his lyrics are a reflection of the meditations of his heart—which sounds good to his maker. Kalil was a youth praise leader at the Church of God Mission in his hometown and sung in the choir as a soloist in House On the Rock Church in Lagos. His musical wizardry and his stronger-by-the-day vocals reflect his professional and personal spiritual growth. His phrasing and intonation are precise, his range is fantastic
“It was always interesting when people would hear me sing,” Kalil said, “Everyone thought I should be out in public singing but I knew it wasn’t time, I knew that I still had a lot to learn both as an artist and as a person before making a debut. The key was to be, like my name implies, perfect not by human standards but in the eyes of my creator. A big part of that had to do with just waiting until HE told me it was time to move.”

Kalil signed with Malachi in the summer of 2005. Company chief Patrick Chike said of Kalil “He exemplifies the persona of the entire company.” Adding “In this company we believe that if you can’t do a job excellently, then don’t even bother doing it. Kalil’s work ethic is a very accurate representation of that saying as he remains excellent on every single task he handles.”

Listening to the Malachi Project debut CD Introducing Malachi Records which can be purchased at www.malachirecordz.com, Kalil’s sizzling singles shine brighter than the North Star on a November Nigerian night. Serena, a song that goes out to every young woman that has been through a struggle and understands what it feels like to be severely down and out like a hobo without a family who has learned to be helpless when you have the worst cards in your hand in this game of life. The song empathizes with Serena and reminds her of God’s promises to her – that “He will never leave you lonely” and “He is determined to get glory from your story.” The lyrics and the vocals of this song make it a hit and the song is destined to escalate to the top of the charts. Blessed with the always wonderful productions from the E-Trax production studios, this is a song to reckon with.
His other single on the project, Change is a hard driving masterpiece. The song explores the phenomenon of chaos that occurs when people around you have lost their heads and blamed you. He probes into teenage pregnancy, drug addiction, woman-beating, and human tragedy issues—all which can be overcome with the LOVE of God, a love that we as God’s vessels on earth must never stop showing to people from every walk of life.
Change is definitely going to be playing for years to come, both on radio airwaves and in the hearts of everyone that hears it. His message is simple but sincere and on point, displaying the insight overflowing in his artistry.
“If we learn to love properly, the world will definitely be a better place.”
He performs on a duet with E-Trax president and producer Victor on Good 2 Me, yet another sizzling track. This track taps into the message of gratitude, and he’s just ushering up thanks to God because he’s been “Good 2 Me.” As always, Kalil is brilliant in his performance in this old school display.

Commissioned, John P Kee