Benjamin Kai (born April 17), who is better known as Benji Cavalli, is a Liberian singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and dancer from Monrovia. He started singing and dancing at the age of 9, and relocated to the New York City borough of Staten Island during the First Liberian Civil War. Between 2008 and 2010, he had a brief stint with La Jet Fami, a Philadelphia-based Coupé-décalé band. He embarked on a solo career after the group disbanded and released his debut extended play, My Time, in 2011. His debut studio album, The Bridge, was released on July 18, 2022.
Early life and music career Benjamin Kai was born on April 17, in Monrovia, Liberia. The eldest child of six, he started singing and dancing when he was 9 years old. He is the nephew of Zack Roberts, one of Liberia's well-known musicians and the lead singer of the 1980's band Zack & Geebah. In 1996, Cavalli and his family fled to Ivory Coast during the First Liberian Civil War. His father was killed prior to him and his family relocating to Ivory Coast. A year later, he and his family relocated to the Park Hill area of Clifton, Staten Island.
In 2008, Cavalli became a member of La Jet Fami, a Philadelphia-based Coupé-décalé band. He embarked on a solo career following the group's disbandment in 2010, and released his debut extended play, My Time, in 2011. In 2015, Cavalli released the single "Slow It Down", which was the first song Just Prince produced for him. It was nominated for New Age Gbema Song of the Year at the 2016 Liberia Music Awards. The song's music video won Best Music Video at the 2016 Liberian Entertainment Awards and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2016 Liberia Music Awards. Between 2015 and 2021, Cavalli released a number of singles produced by Just Prince, including "One More Night", "Lazy", and "Spoil Myself". In December 2017, he performed at the Liberian Golden Awards in Australia and won the King of the Stage award.
Cavalli's debut studio album, The Bridge, was released on July 18, 2022. It blends Afrobeats with Gbema, a traditional Liberian sound. The album's lyrical content explores themes of peace, love, celebration, and happiness. Cavalli toured eight U.S cities in support of the album, and has collaborated with Liberian artists such as Eric Geso, D12, and Tamba Hali.
Artistry Cavalli's music is a mixture of Afrobeats, highlife and Gbema. From a production standpoint, his music relies heavily on instruments such as bass, drums, congas and horns. He works closely with his frequent collaborator, Just Prince, to write songs from scratch and share creative ideas.
Discography Albums My Time (EP) (2011) The Bridge (2022)
Singles YearTitleAlbumRef2012"My Number One" My Time"Come Together""Cherish You" (featuring BabyEye)2013"Addicted To You"My Time2015"Slow It Down""New Tin"The Bridge2016"One More Night"2017"Jolly Jolly" (featuring Eric Geso)"Enjoy It" (featuring D12)rowspan="3" 2018"Liberian Girl""Feeling Ley Pekin"2019"Lazy"The Bridge"Borku"rowspan="2" 2020 "Bad"2021"Spoil Myself"The Bridge2022"Ball"
Awards and nominations YearEventPrizeRecipientResultRef2016Liberia Music AwardsNew Age Gbema Artist of the Year HimselfNew Age Gbema Song of the Year"Slow It Down"Video of the YearLiberian Entertainment AwardsBest Music Video2017Liberian Golden AwardsKing of the Stage HimselfLiberia Music AwardsNew Age Gbema Artist of the Year Gbema Song of the Year"One More Night""Jolly Jolly" (featuring Eric Geso) 2020Liberian Entertainment AwardsBest Music Video"Lazy"
See also List of Liberian musicians
References