# Benji Cavalli

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. Cavalli was nominated for New Age Gbema Artist of the Year at the 2016 Liberia Music Awards, and won King of the Stage at the 2017 Liberian Golden Awards. His music is a mixture of Afrobeats, highlife and Gbema.

## 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
| Year | Title | Album |
| 2012 | "My Number One" | My Time |
| 2012 | "Come Together" | My Time |
| 2012 | "Cherish You" (featuring BabyEye) | Non-album single |
| 2013 | "Addicted To You" | My Time |
| 2015 | "Slow It Down" | Non-album single |
| 2015 | "New Tin" | The Bridge |
| 2016 | "One More Night" | The Bridge |
| 2017 | "Jolly Jolly" (featuring Eric Geso) | The Bridge |
| 2017 | "Enjoy It" (featuring D12) | Non-album single |
| 2018 | "Liberian Girl" | Non-album single |
| 2018 | "Feeling Ley Pekin" | Non-album single |
| 2019 | "Lazy" | The Bridge |
| 2019 | "Borku" | Non-album single |
| 2020 | "Bad" | Non-album single |
| 2021 | "Spoil Myself" | The Bridge |
| 2022 | "Ball" | The Bridge |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Event | Prize | Recipient | Result |
| 2016 | Liberia Music Awards | New Age Gbema Artist of the Year | Himself | Nominated |
| 2016 | Liberia Music Awards | New Age Gbema Song of the Year | "Slow It Down" | Nominated |
| 2016 | Liberia Music Awards | Video of the Year | "Slow It Down" | Nominated |
| 2016 | Liberian Entertainment Awards | Best Music Video | "Slow It Down" | Won |
| 2017 | Liberian Golden Awards | King of the Stage | Himself | Won |
| 2017 | Liberia Music Awards | New Age Gbema Artist of the Year | Himself | Nominated |
| 2017 | Liberia Music Awards | Gbema Song of the Year | "One More Night" | Nominated |
| 2017 | Liberia Music Awards | Gbema Song of the Year | "Jolly Jolly" (featuring Eric Geso) | Nominated |
| 2020 | Liberian Entertainment Awards | Best Music Video | "Lazy" | Nominated |