It is seldom any direction one travels is going to lead them toward an initially intended destination. Some of us may have aspirations to go one way, but then something else takes down a completely different path. A prime example of this is the musical project known as Black Hibiscus.
A relatively new endeavor, Black Hibiscus is the creation of the young and multi-talented John Ugbe. Ugbe, native to Lagos, Nigeria, but currently based out of Brooklyn, New York is anything but your average individual. Fresh out of Georgia Tech, John Ugbe studied industrial design, and with that has developed some interesting concepts for everyday use; such as lamps for guided meditation, plus air focused products (humidifiers, air conditions, fans) designed better to fit-in with furniture. Truly fascinating, amidst his education and experimentation, Ugbe still nurtured a love for music. In fact, he first picked up a guitar around thirteen, but it was only until more recent times he decided to stir his creativity toward songwriting.
Something unexpected, Black Hibiscus was born and thus it began to take shape. Solely Ugbe, he writes, performs and records all the instruments that make up the songs. Additionally, gifted with visual intuition, he has even co-directed some of his music videos. Truly very hands on, in four years under the name Black Hibiscus there has been a steady flow of music; starting with singles like “Deeper,” “Mr. Moonman,” and “Tangerine Days,” leading into the 2020 debut EP. This was followed by more singles, 2022’s debut full-length album The End of the World, early 2024’s Fast Love EP, jolting us forward to the brand-new single “TENSION.”
A substantial amount of material to dig into, Black Hibiscus is difficult to put a label on, but if anything, is nothing less than interesting. A major plus in today’s world of sanitized, overproduced music of all genres, Black Hibiscus unified R&B, Soul, Rock-n-Roll, but even some Blues, New Wave, and Hip Hop elements into something that is as much engaging as inviting to the ears. Mostly centralized around the guitar rhythms and melodies, Ugbe builds on each track from there with layer upon layer of delicately considered texture. From here, the music flows easily and creates a very atmospheric, progressive brand of Soul that would appeal to fans of Prince, Lenny Kravitz, among others.
However, if you start at the beginning with Black Hibiscus, and steadily move forward to the new material, you will find substantial progression in terms of the production, tempo shifts, and overall direction. A natural way for an artist who is taking from so many different styles, and is still relatively fresh to the entire songwriting process, it will be exciting to see where everything goes from here.
Looking at the latest single as a point of reference, “TENSION” marks his first through the solidly established MNRK Music Group. A great place to be, with “TENSION” Black Hibiscus teams with the NYC-born and raised Dachelle, and their voices play off one another marvelously. Offering a very smooth, seductive groove, it is accompanied by a visually enticing music video directed by Black Hibiscus. In this video you find a lovely designed theme which features both Black Hibiscus and Dachelle, but also a group of models acting out motions meant to symbolize the yearning the two singers are displacing for one another in the fabric of the song. Quite inventive, it is something well worth feasting your eyes on as a compliment to the music, as well as as a stand alone piece of work.
Overall, Black Hibiscus is certainly on the rise and there is no doubt that John Ugbe’s visual arts and design background play an intricate role in the soundscape that is the music. That is why if you are looking for something that has a human touch and exceptional artistry, Black Hibiscus is an artist to follow.
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