Colby and Awu are an incredibly unique musical duo. Colby is an American rapper and lyricist based out of Phoenix, Arizona with a passion for peace and social justice. Awu is a vocalist and guitar player from Bamenda, Cameroon whose love for music is second to none. Their music is a blend of pop and hip-hop, mixed in with some African roots. They always provide a message that is socially and spiritually conscious. Their purpose for creating music is to uplift humanity and inspire action for positive change.
Their journey began in the summer of 2012 in Awu’s hometown of Bamenda, Cameroon. Colby had come as a pioneer international volunteer with a local Cameroonian NGO focused on environmentalism called “The Greens,” of which Awu is also a member. Throughout the summer, Colby and Awu served alongside each other, working to educate and empower young changemakers in Bamenda to help build a more peaceful and sustainable environment for all to enjoy. They soon learned of one another’s passion for using music to drive positive change, and decided to collaborate. During Colby’s stay in Cameroon, they created their first two songs, “Change the World” and “Paradigm.”
Upon Colby’s return to the United States, Colby and Awu continued to collaborate, despite their continental distance apart. With the assistance of digital technology, they were able to successfully produce 6 more songs to include on their debut album, “Change the World“, which was released in 2013.
Since the release of their album, they have continued to collaborate, but have also been working on other solo projects. In the summer of 2014, Awu released his hit song and music video, “If a Can, Can“, which was a theme song for the FIFA World Cup. The song went viral, and has amassed nearly 100,000 total views and plays online from countries all over the world. In early 2015, Colby released two tracks, titled “Education Is Not A Crime” and “Oh Yaran (7 Years)“, that highlight the social injustice faced by the members of the Baha’i Faith in the country of Iran. Colby, a Baha’i himself, felt compelled to shine a light on the human rights violations his brethren have been enduring for a number of years, but which have gone unnoticed by most of the world.
In June 2015, Colby and Awu released their first official music video as a duo, for their hit single “Change the World“. The video was shot in both Phoenix and Bamenda, and highlights many people from both communities singing along to the chorus, proclaiming “I can, you can, we can change the world!” The music video has received very positive feedback and has been highlighted in the local press for it’s praiseworthy message.
Colby and Awu have two additional music videos currently in the works, as well as a new single they plan to release in the coming months which aims to inspire the young people to stand up and and take action to build a better world for the coming generations!