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Blessing Offor Embraces Brighter Days at Tour Stop in Nashville

by Rich and Laura Lynch

What a blessing it was to see musician Blessing Offor at the City Winery in Nashville, Tennessee on August 23, 2023. Blessing Offor melds pop, rock, soul and world to craft a sound that he calls "the genre of humanity." He writes about the relatable experiences of life, love, struggles and triumph. Offor was born in Nigeria, raised in Connecticut, lived in NYC for a spell and is now a Nashville-based singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist.

Blessing Offor Embraces Brighter Days at Tour Stop in Nashville

Blessing Offor doing his thing in Nashville.

As Blessing took his place at the keyboards he asked us "how you feeling out there?" before diving into an insightful tune asking how do you know that she is the one? Offor often encouraged folks to join in and the popular "Believe" was engaging. Afterwards, he shared that since losing his sister Mercy that song has become harder to sing but in a sense that much more of an affirmation of faith. Later, Blessing stated that he is trying to avoid the label of a Christian artist. Yes, he grew up in the church, loves Jesus but he wants his music to be for all.

Offor talked about his childhood in Nigeria that included a shout out to Chris Tomlin who helped make "Tin Roof" a success. Blessing mentioned living in New York where he made the mistake of falling asleep on the subway and was robbed. Even the sweet-spirited Blessing said "people suck". So, he used that bad situation to pen a song to remind himself to focus on brighter things. He professed that he loved Paul Simon and "Let Them Dance" was a nod to Paul's Graceland album as well as Offor's heritage. Blessing also paid tribute to John Mayer with an innovative version of "Gravity".

Blessing affirmed that he has found a real community among the songwriters in Nashville. He is collaborating with plenty of people including Christian singer TobyMac. The two put out the hit single "The Goodness" in 2023 and they performed it at the K-Love Fan Award Concert earlier this year in Music City.

The City Winery has one of the best views of the city in Nashville.

At the City Winery, Blessing had a full band along with two female vocalists who added even more soul to "Rollin'" and "Brighter Days" which he dedicated to a friend who was in critical care at Vanderbilt Hospital. He also closed the set with that song to end the show on a bright note. It was truly a blessing to see Offor as he is a passionate, personable artist. His music is versatile and vibrant so check him out on-line or even better in person.

Opening for Blessing was Twinnie an English actress and musician. In 2021, she founded I Know A Woman whose primary mission is to standardize mental health therapy across the music industry. At the City Winery, Twinnie presented a compelling set of originals and covers including an impressive version of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". Her own songs reflected some sadness spiked with hope thus turning pain into powerful prose.

The City Winery was founded in New York City in 2008 by Michael Dorf who wanted to combine culinary and cultural experiences. Currently, it has a number of locations including the one in Music City which operates as a restaurant, venue and wine bar. The City Winery can be booked for private events and it hosts a wide range of artists such as Blessing Offor throughout their calendar year.