MusicBreak: Sauti Sol release self-titled EP.
The following is lifted off thisiscreme.com, with no attempts whatsoever made at editing the passage.
Kenya’s award winning band Sauti Sol have released their self titled EP produced by South African Rapper/Producer Spoek Mathambo. With two extremely successful albums, Mwanzo (2008) and Sol Filosofia (2011), Sauti Sol has embarked on an exciting mission–to embrace their artistic versatility and blend their signature harmonies with the futuristic sounds of avant-garde South African rapper/producer Spoek Mathambo.
For months in between Johannesburg and Nairobi, in studios and through emails / Skype, Sauti Sol worked tirelessly with Spoek and his team. The end result is the much-anticipated edgy EP, whose diverse sounds / up-beat tempo reflects on the band’s mission to break musical stereotypes and borders.
Starting today, you can listen/download ‘Sauti Sol’ via http://penya.bandcamp.com/. In preparation for the big launch in Nairobi, Sauti Sol is also organizing a special trial EP launch at the MC theatre in Amsterdam.
Sauti Sol, always making Kenya proud.
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Sidebar: My favourite off this EP thus far would have to be “Slow”. The track features Dela and Spoek Mathambo.
Then again, I’ve always had a soft spot for Dela.
What’s there not to love about her? She’s gorgeous, she has a voice to behold, and a mind to match. Image via her Facebook page.
Overall: Easily the best 26min 27sec of my life this week.
About the copy-paste earlier on? Oy, at least I credited it.
Breaking New Music: The Muffinz, “Ghetto.”
[Shumi Madima, I love you.]
So this is a story about this place where we come from
In South Africa we call it eKasi
The rest of the world calls it the ghetto
Some places just call it the hood…
Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you… The Muffinz.
Image via their Facebook page: The Muffinz Live.
The Muffinz only just released their debut album, Have You Heard, last month (30th May, to be precise - Yep, just 2 days old/new).
“Ghetto” is the first video off that project, and my my, aren’t they captivating.
Image via their Facebook page: The Muffinz Live.
The 5 gentlemen…
- Simphiwe ‘Simz’ Kulla - G-Clef
- Mthabisi ‘Mthae’ Sibanda - G-Clef
- Gregory ‘Keke’ Mabusela - Drummer
- Karabo ‘Skabz’ Moeketsi - Bass Guitarist
- Sifiso ‘Atomza’ Buthelezi - Guitarist
…have this as why they called themselves The Muffinz:
“We wanted a name that would be remembered, something catchy but a name that people would want to find out more about. Plus, we all come from different backgrounds musically and so we all bring different ingredients - as in the ingredients in a muffin.”
Image via their Facebook page: The Muffinz Live.
Gentlemen, well done. Gold star.
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Sidebar:
This track calls back a classic from Sauti Sol’s debut album, Mwanzo: “Nairobi” ft. Stan.
And on that note: I’d like to see The Muffinz and Sauti Sol share a stage. Actually, a line-up of these two, plus Elani and Fena.
Now that would be fun. Yes indeed.
Breaking New Music: Daddy Owen, “Mbona” (ft. Denno).
Less than 24 hours after he premièred the video across all Kenyan TV networks - 12.15 pm, May 27, 2012 - it’s already at 4,000+ hits on YouTube.
[And fast racing towards the 5,000 mark as at the time of this post.]
He ruled himself out of the contests for the respective awards at Groove 2012, but with this release, are we looking at a potential “Song of The Year” at the 2013 edition? You decide.
Said Daddy Owen of the video: “It’s longer than a music video, but shorter than a documentary.”
Featuring:
- Anne Ngugi
- Denno (blind gospel artiste that also plays the keys - which is where we ask ourselves what we’re doing with our lives)
- World renown marathoner Henry Wanyoike
- Actress Ruth Mueni
- Dancer Betty Mwendi
- Mary Warigia, mother to a child living with cerebral palsy
- Singer Emmy Kosgei
- DJ Pinye
This much I’ll admit: I had to watch it in bits.
Gold star, Mr. Mwatia. Gold star.
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Sidebar:
In the video description:
“I choose to not place “dis” in my ability” - @daddyowenmusic
“Disability is NOT inability” - Denno
Breaking New Music: Jimmy Gait, “Ole” (ft. Holy Dave, Chuchu).
Now that Kambua is off the market, we have found ourselves a new obsession.
Meet Chuchu.
But first, the video.
Shot by the now well known Clarence Peters, we have for a while wondered why they did not drop the video at the same time they released the audio to the single. That little question sets the tone for the context of the launch.
Which was yesterday.
Which is the very day Daddy Owen set loose his equally new one, “Mbona.”
*pause*
Moving right along.
There seems to have been a minimum standard for appearing on this video, going by the eye candy we’re exposed to.
Eye Candy 1.
Eye Candy 2.
But really, I won’t even pretend to be objective in this review. This post is all about Chuchu.
Who, it turns out, is quite the tease.
She gives me the wink…. [Classic hint.]
…leans in real close as I close my eyes…
…and she walks away. Well done.
Gerrability Index = 0.88.
[But why doesn’t she sing as much as I’d have liked. Why?]
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Sidebar:
Hi Kambua.
Xtatic: “The Prep Track.”
There’s something undeniably attractive about a woman swinging a bat your way.
Sexy even.
And would you look at her.
Image/Xtatic’s Facebook page.
Seeing such classic beauty in a hoodie swinging a baseball bat you way, c’mon, it has to have an effect on you. C’mon.
Image/Xtatic’s Facebook page.
That small matter aside: Yes, she’s Kenyan. True story.
And I like her. I really do. She could give Toya DeLazy and Keko a run for their money. In fact, she just might blow them clear out of the water.
In case you were just about to call that one “fluke”, listen to her on this one, “Venom.”
I need more from Xtatic. I like her. I really do.
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Sidebar:
I look at this video, and for some reason, a letter writes itself in my mind:
Dear George Zimmerman,
Stay away from my Xtatic.
Yours,
Carrying a packet of Skittles.
Breaking New Music: Naeto C, “Tony Montana.”
As once mentioned, it could just be a Naija thing, this ability to get you singing along even when you haven’t the slightest clue what they are talking about.
Nonetheless, Naeto C has released a new track [It’s just HOURS old at this point], although one may wonder whether there could be other factors behind the timing of this release.
To be precise: This release is right on the back of Wizkid’s “Baddest Boy.”
Tied to that is the fact that both tracks play on “bad boy” element.
Too much of the reading between the lines? Maybe.
Still: Tune!
