craft and aesthetics: Crunching Susumila's New Single ' Wewe'

The poster  for Susumila feat.Avril's new song 'Wewe'

He is taunted as the Mombasa's King of Afropop by those that follow the sound made in Mombasa.He is the most visible  and the most sought after neo-artiste from Mombasa,according to the claims of those those privy to the inside narrative of the music game in Kenya.

He has labelled his sound as Afro-Chakacha which true to his own perception of its making and delivery, is uniquely crafted around the popular coastal Chakacha rhythm which has been modified into a disco oriented uptempo beats  that are simple in structure but great in appeal.This, he fuses with other elements of the urban Afro-Pop and Afro-beat giving it a hybrid blend of the traditional and modern aspects that make his beat to be rich and complex in its package while maintaining quite beautifully unique and unadulterated appeal.

The man in question is Susumila.

True to his belief in his art,the one man who delivered hits such as Ihale,Hidaya(Feat.Chikuzee) and Acha Ngoma Itambae(Feat.Chikuzee-another great artiste from Mombasa),Susumila has released yet another hot single-WEWE- featuring the sassy and talented hinterland singer, Avril.

"Wewe" is a seamless blend of coastal musical nuances such as Chakacha beats and tempo(though a little faster) that dominates the whole sound track and a bit of Taraab in its launching.Making the rhythm richer are the  fused elements from popular Africa's musical sounds such as Congolese Rhumba in terms of the smooth and clean- toned solo guitar tune fused in the melody and which is rendered by the single finger picking groove in the climax and the anticlimax of the song.Within the same sound track is the superimposed electric guitar tune still played  by means of the uniquely African finger style that gives the song a smooth rock feel that weaves effortlessly through the song.These ingenious fusion of the unique solo guitar and electrical rock guitar  sound have worked powerfully in other musical renditions in other genres thus becoming the hallmark of artistic ingenuity in Afro-beat and AfroPop and the identity basis of Africa's sound and which have equally made 'Wewe' a fine song.

The song is a powerful rendition of the poetry of  the complexities of love and man-woman relationship characterized by accusations of pretense and betrayal by the men.This message is  delivered in the duo/bi-rendition dialogue or antiphonic approach pitting the man against the woman(Susumila vs Avril) as the man expresses his love and great desire to have the woman as his ('Kila npokuona,moyo wangu unadundadunda/Nakupenda, wewe/Endapo utapata mwingine,moyo itaniuma') yet the wary woman is cautious to easily fall into the man's 'trap' since for her "women have been victims of men who feign love but to whom the women are like bones to the hyenas which are discarded after use"('Kaka tulia,usije kwa pupa utaumia/Wanaume kwenu sisi ni mifupa kwa fisi/Mkishiba mwisho wanatumuagia matusi/Nisije nikawa wako,ukaniumiza moyo{sic}').

The duo antiphonic performance in the song that facilitates its dialogue rendition style gives the song a sense of immediacy on the matters of social justice it wants its listeners to think and talk about, the key ones being the need for a woman and man to be together in a loving and fulfilling relationship yet which can only be true in an ideal situation since anxieties of mistrust and imminent betrayal make realization of such just a dream.The solemn tone and mood of the song delivers efficacy of well executed intention of commenting on human relationships that has taken catastrophic turn in recent times with deaths,grave bodily harm and deep psychological trauma  in complex love triangles and violent relations in the context of GBV(gender based violence) in men-women relationships.

Having Avril grace the song with her amazing voice and powerful presence in the video has made this one of yet another great songs of 2016 .The song has grounded further the assertions that Susumila is truly the King of the Coast of Kenya.

To bring the highly sought after Nairobi based musician,Avril, to work with him in this project tells you of the recognition and respect Susumila enjoys due to the now undoubtable fact that he is talented,assertive and an energetic artiste.Going out of Mombasa to collaborate with a Nairobi based star also communicates his bold attempt to break the coastal jinx of people believing that coastal artistes are not easily sellable to music lovers outside the coastal region and they can only be small time kings and queens within the peripheries of their coast margins.

This song is great considering the powerful and talented minds behind it apart from the natural and smooth way in which Susumila and Avril weave their story of love and adoration of the beauty of the singer's love and doubt about relationships really working out.This song has been produced by Totti and the video done by Big Dreams under the directorship of Ricky Bekko who also directed the Hidaya hit.These guys are not new to music production and delivery of masterpieces.They have made Susumila great even as they themselves claim a niche of glory and honour in the music crafting scene within the Kenyan and East African arts space.

If you love the coastal Chakacha sound blended with modern urban pop music elements ,then this song is a definite listen for you.It is called "Wewe".
To watch the video,follow thelink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWc2DzaACsM

The King Coast,SUSUMILA,featuring AVRIL, drops a new studio single "Wewe":Another hot one of Susumila's AfroCHAKACHA flavour

The Poster for "Wewe" by Avril and Susumila

He is taunted as the Mombasa's King of Afro-pop by those that follow the sound made in Mombasa.He is the most visible  and the most sought after neo-artiste from Mombasa,according to the claims of those those privy to the inside narrative of the music game in Kenya.

He has labelled his sound as Afro-Chakacha which true to his own perception of its making and delivery, is uniquely crafted around the popular coastal Chakacha rhythm which has been modified into a disco oriented uptempo beats  that are simple in structure but great in appeal.This, he fuses with other elements of the urban Afro-Pop and Afro-beat giving it a hybrid blend of the traditional and modern aspects that make his beat to be rich and complex in its package while maintaining quite beautifully unique and unadulterated appeal.

The man in question is Susumila.

True to his belief in his art,the one man who delivered hits such as Ihale,Hidaya(Feat.Chikuzee) and Acha Ngoma Itambae(Feat.Chikuzee-another great artiste from Mombasa),Susumila has released yet another hot single-WEWE- featuring the sassy and talented hinterland singer, Avril.

"Wewe" is a seamless blend of coastal musical nuances such as Chakacha beats and tempo(though a little faster) that dominates the whole sound track and a bit of Taraab in its launching.Making the rhythm richer are the  fused elements from popular Africa's musical sounds such as Congolese Rhumba in terms of the smooth and clean- toned solo guitar tune fused in the melody and which is rendered by the single finger picking groove in the climax and the anticlimax of the song.Within the same sound track is the superimposed electric guitar tune still played  by means of the uniquely African finger style that gives the song a smooth rock feel that weaves effortlessly through the song.These ingenious fusion of the unique solo guitar and electrical rock guitar  sound have worked powerfully in other musical renditions in other genres thus becoming the hallmark of artistic ingenuity in Afro-beat and AfroPop and the identity basis of Africa's sound and which have equally made 'Wewe' a fine song.

The song is a powerful rendition of the poetry of  the complexities of love and man-woman relationship characterized by accusations of pretense and betrayal by the men.This message is  delivered in the duo/bi-rendition dialogue or antiphonic approach pitting the man against the woman(Susumila vs Avril) as the man expresses his love and great desire to have the woman as his ('Kila npokuona,moyo wangu unadundadunda/Nakupenda, wewe/Endapo utapata mwingine,moyo itaniuma') yet the wary woman is cautious to easily fall into the man's 'trap' since for her "women have been victims of men who feign love but to whom the women are like bones to the hyenas which are discarded after use"('Kaka tulia,usije kwa pupa utaumia/Wanaume kwenu sisi ni mifupa kwa fisi/Mkishiba mwisho wanatumuagia matusi/Nisije nikawa wako,ukaniumiza moyo{sic}').

The duo antiphonic performance in the song that facilitates its dialogue rendition style gives the song a sense of immediacy on the matters of social justice it wants its listeners to think and talk about, the key ones being the need for a woman and man to be together in a loving and fulfilling relationship yet which can only be true in an ideal situation since anxieties of mistrust and imminent betrayal make realization of such just a dream.The solemn tone and mood of the song delivers efficacy of well executed intention of commenting on human relationships that has taken catastrophic turn in recent times with deaths,grave bodily harm and deep psychological trauma  in complex love triangles and violent relations in the context of GBV(gender based violence) in men-women relationships.

Having Avril grace the song with her amazing voice and powerful presence in the video has made this one of yet another great songs of 2016 .The song has grounded further the assertions that Susumila is truly the King of the Coast of Kenya.

To bring the highly sought after Nairobi based musician,Avril, to work with him in this project tells you of the recognition and respect Susumila enjoys due to the now undoubtable fact that he is talented,assertive and an energetic artiste.Going out of Mombasa to collaborate with a Nairobi based star also communicates his bold attempt to break the coastal jinx of people believing that coastal artistes are not easily sellable to music lovers outside the coastal region and they can only be small time kings and queens within the peripheries of their coast margins.

This song is great considering the powerful and talented minds behind it apart from the natural and smooth way in which Susumila and Avril weave their story of love and adoration of the beauty of the singer's love and doubt about relationships really working out.This song has been produced by Totti and the video done by Big Dreams under the directorship of Ricky Bekko who also directed the Hidaya hit.These guys are not new to music production and delivery of masterpieces.They have made Susumila great even as they themselves claim a niche of glory and honour in the music crafting scene within the Kenyan and East African arts space.

If you love the coastal Chakacha sound blended with modern urban pop music elements ,then this song is a definite listen for you.It is called "Wewe".
To watch the video,follow the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWc2DzaACsM

Crafts &Aesthetics:Sheikha takes to fame with her big hit "Bahati|

The song begins with the techno sound minus the beats and vocals for about six seconds which misleads you to think it is Chris Brown’s ‘Forever’ cover of some kind. Then it quickly transitions out of the Eurodance effect that dominated Chris Brown’s hit song to a moderated up tempo smooth and exotic Afro beat that gives it the distinct quick signature of an African tune made in Africa though with incorporated elements from other pop genres from the US and Europe.

Before you absorb the rich dance nature of the song, a mellow voice seamlessly begins to ride on the rich rhythm and the mellow mood created by the techno and trance sound incorporated in the melody of the song. Before beginning to sing, a soft and sure female voice lets you know it is Mercy Wangari aka Sheikha.There is light hook in the beats which then transitions to the song itself  which is  a regular danceable fast tempo mixed Afro beat with now vocals fully rooled out that renders Sheikha’s poetry of love.

 

The lyrics are concise and precise, blooming into the deeply heartfelt render of one in love and wants nothing than to keep the love and the  loved due the realization of how difficult getting  love is which for her has been sheer luck thus the need to keep it by her side without letting go. The song which has been rendered in easy and memorable Swahili poetic style goes: ‘Kukupata bahati/Kukuacha sitaki tena/Sitaki tena/Nataka nitulie nawe(Getting you was luck/I don’t want to leave you/Ever/I want to stay with you..”.The song also acknowledges and celebrates the unique features of the loved one described as having eyes like the flowers and a love so sweet that become the magnetic force that binds the voice in the song in reverence, acceptance and submnission to the love he/she feels for the one being celebrated in the song, that is, ‘Macho yako kama maua/sura yako yaniua/mapenzi yako tamu kama halua”.The voice affirms her commitment in the relationship with a promise of ever being just and fair in their love without anxiety of betraying their union. This is captured in the lines: ‘Si unajua navokuepnda/si unajua sitokutenda/Si unajua/Si unajua”These lines have been delivered in a regular repetitive structure that emphasizes the persona urgent need to instill confidence, assurance and security in the loved on and the relationship as a whole for stability, satisfaction and harmony. The inconspicuous antiphonal feature of the male voice that weaves into the song providing a short response at unique points in the entire stretch of the song adds to its unique flavor and immediate resolution to the  song’s outstanding message as it provides assurance that the loved one is in agreement with the stated needs in the song.

The song is a piece worth betting every dime on due to its beauty and smoothness from the firm balance of its fused elements  that entail the moderate up-beat tempo of its Afro beat and the inclusion of the techno and trance qualities of its melodies that is common of the Euro Disco dance hall music. Its lyrics that are easy to grasp the gist of the proclamation and are short and measured to enhance rhythm in the song add to the general artistic construct of the song thus one get Afro-fusion delivery of a superb soft and quite interesting dance hall piece that one cannot resist dancing to and/or listening to.

The composition of the soundtrack has been done by Tribe Records which simply tells a promising tale of how diverse, talented and deep is the appreciation of our local music makers for amazing sounds. It is an inter-continental phenomenon with deep cross cultural bias creatively put together that is easy to  fail to notice since they have been  recrafted into a unique East African melody.

The video done  byPanorama Pictures is another piece of its. In as much as the dance scenes have not been given a heavy choreography investment in harmony and uniqueness of the dance styles and moves(like the beach scene), and that Sheikha is not much of a super dancer as such, compensations have been made. The scenes are simple telling the story of a girl taken over by true love and the need to keep and preserve and the a little wild dance scenes gives it a feel of unsophistication which is the essence of the call of the song, a simple love devoid of many entanglements. The village setting of the song away from glamour of the exotic creates aura of the simple just as the song’s voice wants it to be. The setting also authenticates the song a s a local East African song despite bearing elements that may make it sound a little foreign and extracted from the confines of the East African cultural influences.

The song and the video are quite interesting but there is a distraction that can easily take you away from enjoying the richness of composition the song. It is Sheikha.The songstress is a beauty. With an amazing voice. And singing talented. She fills all the other spaces in the song and its video that were beyond the reach of its makers and captivating voice and singing. Her attractiveness and soft spoken demeanor in the song takes the song to a new dimension. And the girl spits Swahili too!

The manner the song has been crafted makes it to be misleadingly a Bongo tune till you Google and you find that this is a Kenyan production by a Kenyan artist though with a heavy coastal bias. I had never had of Sheikha till I bumped onto the song on Youtube and skeptically listened to it.Sheikha or Mercy Wangari,a Qatar based Kenyan artist ,is not a stranger in the Kenya’s music scene but why her songs are yet to receive a wide airplay beyond the confines of Youtube and the small circle of her fans that love her music is a little disconcerting. It has been a matter of hours since I got to know her and already I have taken my hat off for Tribe Records, Panorama Pictures and this talented sassy diva how is ours to adore and celebrate.

Sheikha is undoubtedly one of the biggest East African and Kenyan music queens whose tenure in stardom has just started.I look forward to enjoy her Sheikha-reign and more culture-diverse productions from Tribe Records.

 It’s a 4 stars.
Follow the Youtube link below for you share of Sheikha's magic
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftXFXtsQFV0

Haina Budi,Eko Dydda

This song is poignant.Subtly subduing.It is about brokenness and remorse for having destroyed a beautiful  and superior relationship and upon this realization ,the urgent need to resolutely come back to that love and union walked away from but so powerful to draw  the gone away party back.Its scent is an acute feeling of that love that makes you weak and meek.

It is that pervading knowledge of helplessness to that object of longing that holds you in its spell you have nothing to do but submit to the immense power it has over you because it is the source of the ultimate  energy that powers and propels your whole existence. It is total submission to that one mighty force that forms the center of gravity to ones desires, longings and that sublime happiness that is always so fragile and so  consuming it borders on the edge of dark sadness if the link between the beholder and the beholden is severed, only that in this case the connection is with the higher power.God.The object of worship and reverence and adoration is God;the desire to love and worship being one that is irrevocable and overriding all other needs,the need to come to the devoted worship of GOD.

The opening lines to this powerful song goes:“Haina budi/Inabidi kurudi/I wanna do this/Ushaipenda mungu  design design yenye haina budi/so inabidi kurudi/I wana do this."

The song is Eko Dydda’s “ Haina budi” .The song of surrender of a prodigal child in whose loneliness discovers that no love is stronger and better than the one he/she severed links with and no matter where he/she runs to, that love is so strong and so sweet he/she has to go back to it.

Putting the message aside for a minute, this song and its video is a tale of the great artistic journey that  Dydda is on, the spiritual one not forgotten. It is a coming of age in maturity, calm and sophisticated with a heavy investment in subtle poetry of an all encompassing transcendental love and submission to worship that has been reworked in a composed and assure measured tempo of play and the smooth fusion of elctronica and house sound elements that have created the perfect feel of loneliness of a forlorn soul that run’s away from the master and embodiment of true love and has to come back to that love because none is better that it.

Eko Dydda’s signature stuttering rap style is not forceful in this creation but it is still present though much softened and refined than in the earlier works. The song on the whole has retained Dydda’s artistic signature that makes his sound uniquely his own with the characteristic hip hop foundation biased towards the crunk  effect that has been refined in his own artistic style that has set his musical sound from the rest of other artist around the world in the Gospel and secular music alike.

This song is also an acknowledgement of the greatness of God that that inspires the prodigal child to want to submit to that very power“Hello/Your Highness/we ndo King of Kings definition of Highness/Zingine ziko chini kama trao ya high waist”.

The forlornness of the prodigal child in the video is underscored by the unique setting of the song’s video shooting that enhances the mood of loneliness and the song’s speaker’s  distance from the love that he/she is supposed to be subsumed into for it is what is supposed to matter most.As Brian Cliff of Daily Nation  puts it: “That lonely and vast, arid plain where the sun sets against a golden horizon was a beautiful background choice for the video.”

The song and its message, style of rendition and the musical packaging has been excellently done.It is a true work of a well inspired art.

Watching it is so inspiring considering that every time Eko Dydda keeps getting stronger and better in his business of administering the Gospel through music and general musical art, commendation for his musical talent undoubted all the time.

To watch the video on Youtube,follow the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Xk9xnZbQo

Haina Budi,Eko Dydda

This song is poignant.Subtly subduing.It is about brokenness and remorse for having destroyed a beautiful  relationship and upon this realization ,the urgent need to resolutely come back to a love and union walked away from but so powerful to draw  the gone away party back.Its scent is an acute feeling of that love that makes you weak and meek. 

It is that pervading knowledge of helplessness to that object of longing that holds you in its spell you have nothing to do but submit to the immense power it has over you because it is the source of all the energies that power and propel your whole existence. It is total submission to that one mighty force that forms the center of gravity to ones desires, longings and that sublime happiness that is always so fragile and so  consuming it borders on the edge of dark sadness if the link between the beholder and the beholden is severed, only that in this case the connection is with the higher power.God.The object of worship and reverence and adoration is God;the desire to love and worship being one that is irrevocable and overriding all other needs.

The opening lines to this powerful song goes:“Haina budi/Inabidi kurudi/I wanna do this/Ushai penda mungu  design design yenye haina budi/so inabidi kurudi/I wana do this."

The song is Eko Dydda’s “ Hauna budi” .The song of surrender of a prodigal child in whose loneliness discovers that no love is stronger and better than the one he/she severed links with and no matter where he/she runs to that love is so strong and so sweet he/she has to go back to it.

Putting the message aside for a minute, this song and its video is a tale of the great artistic journey that  Dydda is on, the spiritual one not forgotten. It is a coming of age in maturity, calm and sophisticated with a heavy investment in subtle poetry of an all encompassing transcendental love and submission that has been reworked in a composed and assure measured tempo of play and the smooth fusion of elctronica and house sound elements works the perfect feel of loneliness of a forlorn soul that run’s away from the master and embodiment of true love and has to come back to that love because none is better that it.

Eko Dydda’s signature stuttering rap style is not conspicuous in this release but it is still present though much softened than in the earlier works. The song on the whole has retained Dydda’s artistic signature that makes his sound uniquely his own with the characteristic hip hop foundation biased towards the crunk  effect that has been refined in Eko Dydda’s own artistic style that has set his musical sound from the rest of other artist around the world in the Gospel and secular music alike.

This song is also an acknowledgement of the greatness of God that that inspires the prodigal child to want to submit to that very power“Hello/Your Highness/we ndo King of Kings definition of Highness/Zingine ziko chini kama trao ya high waiste”.

The forlornness of the prodigal child in the video is underscored by the unique setting of the song’s video shooting that enhances the mood of loneliness and the song’s speaker’s  distance from the love that he/she is supposed to be subsumed into for it is what is supposed to matter most.As Brian Cliff of Daily Nation  puts it: “That lonely and vast, arid plain where the sun sets against a golden horizon was a beautiful background choice for the video.”

The song and its message, style of rendition and the musical packaging has been excellently done.It is a true work of a well inspired art.

Watching it is so inspiring considering that every time Eko Dydda keeps getting stronger and better in his business of administering the Gospel through music and general musical art, commendation for his musical talent undoubted all the time.

To watch the video on youtube,follow the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Xk9xnZbQo

craft and aesthetics:Thinking about YONDO SISTER

Feeling naughty and artistic:Yondo Sister

My playlist is one thing that is so close to my heart.It always works miracles on the state of my heart and stirs intellectual waters in my mind that always grows into pursuit for a better understanding of the world,the phenomenon of life,human character, the outcomes of perception of life and intellectual inclinations that shape what life is and turns out to be every hour of human existence.
Amongst the many great names I have listened to include,amongst others the likes of Yvonne Chaka Chaka,Nimon Toki Lala,Sam Fan Thomas,Alain Kounkou,Dr.Sakis and Kanda Bongoman and above all ,my all time favourite of  the Congolese female artists,Yondo Sister, who happens to have also been one of my father's favourite artists.

art never ages,so is Yondo Sister

One of the first musicians I listened to consciously when a child was this most flexible dancer,Yondo Sister.Dad loved Yondo and I grew to love her too.The effect of her hits such as Perdue de Vue,Mbuta mutu,Madi (Africa),Mwana Kento amongst others and the spirited and vigorous full of life and seductive dance that accompanied her beauty of person,melody,voice and generally her signature artistic expression took possession of my heart and many years today I still hold a very strong impression of her as a remarkable artist.The first time I saw a music video I did see Yondo's and so her work alongside other visual arts including Sylvester Stallone's Rambo movie series remain the most memorable arts that defined my entry into and the crawling-before-walking phase in my visual arts awareness(of course visual arts go beyond music videos and movies only)

She-Yondo-lives(of course  a myriad of both local and international artist have left a lasting impression in my life and I adore them too) as an artistic icon and what passion and shere determination can lead to having grown from being a dancer to an established singer of her own kind.

She thus takes her place on the list of my selected few from whose stories never misses a thing or two to learn.She is one of my childhood's sweetest memories.This is so owing to the fact that during Xmass and New year celebrations back in the days ,most DJs played nothing less than her music and then others-the mid and late 90s.Xmass was no xmass in Bar-Ober,my village town,and I bet then no other town without playing Yondo Sister.I miss those days when Xmass was such a mystery that kept us spinning wild in our childhood.And hearing Yondo's music would crown the memory of those precious moments.

Craft and aesthetics:TIM MCGRAW and FAITH HILL's "Meanwhile back at mama's"

Tim and Faith Hill performing the song to their fans

Any of the self proclaimed defenders of the African culture and its forms of artistic expressions never hesitate to harshly judge and throw jabs at those that openly appreciate western arts-music,movies;name them-with their bitter criticism fired at the lot as alienated culprits that need serious societal monitoring and rehabilitation.

Their displeasure bears truth to a certain extent as many of us have totally crossed the oceans and seas and won't even entertain a single local song in their playlist but it is not entirely true.

The world,maybe,at one time,millennia past,was a small place with limited interaction between all the human races scattered all the habitable places on the earth's surface.However,this never existed forever.The curious nature of men for adventure,business,conquests-amongst other vanities of life,opened the world as people learned to navigate the seas to far flung places and others traveled the land in long distance trade.With the advent of cutting edge technologies in transport  and communication,the world has shrunk  into one tiny place where expressions from different cultures around the world no longer remain the preserve of its creators but become the property of the whole world  once they are  disseminated to the rest of the world that care to appreciate them.

Like many of the 21st century citezens,I've come to appreciate many cultures that I've come to interact with; music included as one of such cultures' expression.As such, I listen to all sorts of music right from my own people's Benga to Country Music from the far West.

The beautfil Faith Hill

Tim McGraw

One of the outstanding Country music artist whose art has always held my heart is Tim McGraw.I first listened to one of his latest release,the song "Meanwhile back at mama's" on 98.4 capitalfm from his second studio album "Sundown Heaven Town" featuring his wife Faith Hill and I stopped whatever I was doing to listen to it.Tim's powerful voice is good as ever and teaming up with his wife Faith Hill does gives the song an elegant,cosy and powerful statemnt.The arrangement of its easy beats and the skillfull strumming of the guitar and the narrative lyrics fill you with nostalgia you end up searching your own heart for those memories you haven't checked for a long time and the realities of life it is fast to engrave in the mind than the attention you pay the beautiful melody of the song itself.

The song is a product of experience thus rich in style and rhythm.It is beautiful.You gotta listen to it.Find it on mp3skull.com.