Born in London to Nigerian parents, Ola spent part of his childhood in Niger dreaming of becoming an artist. He returned to England to study law, but, drawn to music, gravitated instead to the arts. With his soft and warm voice, Onabule was a regular on the London music circuit, performing as a chorus member for pop stars such as George Michael, Simply Red and k.d. lang. In 1994, he launched his own label to develop personal projects. Radio success soon followed, and the singer has since released a handful of soul albums, which he backs up with about 100 performances a year.