With an inimitable velvety voice, Nigerian-born Italian songwriter, singer and actress Sonia Aimiuwu Aimy is the quintessential virtuoso of world music. Her new CD "Mother" juts out brilliance unrestrained evoking the sound of highlife, afrobeat, jazz, and call-and-response traditional African griot styles. Sonia’s style, however, is still effortlessly "afrojazz".

Touching hearts and souls have always been her passion since she started singing at the age of 11 in her native Benin City in Nigeria where she received early education from her mother in traditional folklore. Now in Canada from Italy, Sonia is currently working with her newly formed band of Toronto-based African musicians comprising of guitarist Pa Joe, basist Ebenezer Agyekum, keyboardist Suleiman Juma and drummer Kwame. Sonia is being promoted by Batuki Music Society's Nadine McNulty. With several gigs under her belt since she came to Canada, Sonia is fast turning out to be a fantastic addition to the multicultural sophistication that North America engenders.

Writing new songs based on her experiences in Western capitals and different immigrant populations to which she has become enamoured, Sonia’s background as first an African artist runs deep; and the likes of the legendary Fela Kuti and Miriam Makeba will thank her for her Pan-Africanism in some of the songs plucked from her Mother CD and her commitment to themes of motherhood and fairplay, respectively.

Sonia’s experience in the arts gave her deserving work as an actress playing lead roles with the national theatre of Turin, Rome, Alma Theatre (with Paolo Rossi) as well as RAI Radio Television Italia where she excelled in various drama series. She has performed at numerous concerts throughout Europe and often accompanied by artists from Africa.

The multi-talented Sonia has also starred in several Italian films. Sonia’s work in the media includes writing, directing and presenting multicultural programmes for radio. Sonia’s music career started when she was in her teens, singing at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Benin City, Nigeria. 

She developed interest in folk, traditional music and storytelling. She later enrolled in the Esigie Cultural Group to pursue further education in traditional music and dance. When she came to Italy she studied jazz music and interpretation as well as theatre arts.

This extra music education as well as practice through performances has allowed Aimy to craft a sound solely her own which is a beautiful amalgam of folk, afropop and jazz. 

Unencumbered by challenges, Sonia says she sings because she has a story to tell and that her songs dwell on pain, travails, joy and laughter of the human condition, noting she feels she has been ordained to sing to the world.