John Kariuki
31 December 2004
opinion
Nairobi — Kenyan music has still not made an international breakthrough, but 2004 appears to have moved us closer to the realisation of that dream, writes JOHN KARIUKI.
It is a dream that has eluded us ever since cover versions of Fadhili William's Malaika put Kenyan music on the global charts 41 years ago. And though over the years there have been flashes of brilliance, nothing truly solid has opened the doors to international recognition for us as it has for South African, Congolese or West African music.
Every year has its stars, though, and Suzzane Owiyo seems to have been it this time, covering new frontiers courtesy of her debut album, Kisumu 100, which launched her to fame two years ago.
Her latest podium was at the Nobel Peace Awards music concert in Oslo three weeks ago, and before that at the African Music Concert in Brazzaville.
Though almost three years old, Kisumu 100 continues to find new favour. It was released worldwide by ARC records of London in June this year, and for the benefit of the global audience, the record company re-titled the album Mama Africa. Critics have drawn comparisons between her and Benin diva Angelique Kidjo, which puts the Kenyan artiste in fairly good international standing.
Following a trend that favoured more roots Kenyan music, the Nairobi City Ensemble also made their mark with their second folk music-flavoured album, Kalapapla, which stayed a good three months on overseas African music charts compiled by Sterns Records of London, renowned as probably the biggest distributor of African music.
Before that there was the compilation album Kenya Dancemania, which features a collection of hits from the 1970s by Kenyan musicians, as well as Simba Wanyika and DO Misiani from Tanzania, to celebrate an era widely acclaimed as being probably the most vibrant for Kenyan music.
The CD re-entered the charts twice, spending a total of close to eight months, peaking at number four on this 25-song hit parade.
But Muungano Choir's mid-90s hit, Missa Lubba, which peaked at number two on the American Billboard charts' World Music Category, remains the biggest accomplishment in terms of international charts ratings for a Kenyan recording.
This year, two other compilations of Kenyan ethno music were also released internationally. The first was A Rough Guide To Kenya by Afropop Series in America in June, which carries a collection of largely roots music from Kenya. The only variation is Gidi Gidi Maji Maji's Ting Badi Malo which, though hip hop, has a strong ethno tinge, and Mombasa-based Nyota Ndogo, who brings a taarab flavour to the album.
The other CD of Kenyan music released internationally this year was African Voices 2004, which went on the market in July through Sterns Records, and is entirely original benga sang by musicians from various ethnic groups.
Also blazing the trail were Gidi Gidi Maji Maji with their Many Faces CD issued through Gallo Records. Though the album has not done too well, it has raised possibilities for Kenyan hip hop music at a global level. There were also new inroads made by US-based Kenyan group Jabali Afrika, which was signed on by ARC Music Publishers of America, a deal that now affords their music pitching for soundtracks and TV commercials at a global level.
There is already a precedent here from the 1970s recording, Kothbiro, originally by Black Savage and registered with Real Music of London. The song has been used on the soundtrack of the HBO movie Buffalo Soldiers and on the television commercials of Always, the London furniture chain.
With South Africa gaining in prominence as the centre for music in Africa, more young urban artistes are looking to it as a possible launch pad for global fame.
This is reflected in the interest in talent shows offering career opportunities in South Africa and also in the Kora awards because of the prospect of international exposure.
Indeed, the recent overseas sales success of the early 1980s album Giants Of East Africa by Kenyan-based Congolese group Super Mazembe is partly credited to its success at the inaugural Kora awards seven years ago, when it was voted the best from the region.
Re-issued in London two years ago, the album climbed to the number two slot on the Sterns music charts. But it has not quite worked the same way for Eric Wainaina or Henri Mutuku, who respectively won best pop and best gospel artiste for East Africa in 2002. Still, it has raised their profiles and Wainaina, especially, does show good promise as international material.
After a dismal showing at the Koras last year, this year brought recognition for Kenyans, with honours for DNG (Davidson Ngibuini), who was voted best gospel artiste in Africa, Achieng Abura, sharing award for best female artiste (East Africa), and Big Pin, voted best male artiste for the region.
But the awards needs to translate into sales if they are truly to promote creativity in this country. Local creativity this year has maintain a dual characteristic, offering two concurrent genres - one an urban-based form that is heavily influenced by American music, and the other an ethno mould tapping from the country's traditional community roots.
Traditionally, the roots form has been the more viable commercially and more promising for export, while the urban genre has tended to dominate radio and media coverage, with little commercial success locally or internationally.
The exception is Sweden-based Saint James (Jimmi Gicho) who had a hit in the Swedish charts early this year with the single For Your Love. Before him was Slim Ali's 1970s hit, You Can Do It, which did quite well. On the whole, though, American-influenced urban music remains mainly a media fascination, with very little success locally or internationally.
One has got to hand it to the urbanised artistes, though: they are better versed in publicity grabbing antics than their counterparts in ethno music. What could beat Prezzo's hiring of a chopper to a Carnivore gig, for instance, or the flashy images that many of his colleagues cut, complete with bodyguards to fence off rowdy fans?
With a year that saw hip hop artistes enjoy more media attention, the Kisima Awards provided the eventual platform for young performers inclined to US tastes. This year's event showed a major improvement in terms of organisation, but was tainted by the eventual selection of winners.
Mooted ago by producer Tedd Josiah as a platform to honour the best in Kenya music, Kisima has turned out to be largely an event for self-aggrandisement, with Josiah and his coop of artistes carrying the main awards.
True to norm, he took the Producer of the Year award this year, and his artistes walked away with main awards, as they have done previously.
By so doing, the golden rule that bars individuals and their relatives and friends from competing in events they have organised or in which they serve in official roles was broken, raising questions of credibility.
Looking at the activity in that realm of music this year, Nameless would seem the most logical choice for best artiste of the year in the pop category, having contributed greatly to extending awareness of that class of music, an overriding criteria in any selection for best artiste.
Then there was the Coca Cola Pop Stars talent search, which resulted in the formation of Sema. Though the contest had all the benefits of that renowned soft drink company's financial backing, the results are a mixed bag. On one hand the winning trio do show good promise - they can sing and are charismatic - but they need to be handled by more musically competent producers rather then DJs.
Still, the promise that they, Nameless, Kayamba and a host of other Kenyan musicians show gives us hopes of moving even closer to international recognition with the coming year.
Goof of the Year
None beats Kayamba Afrika's blunder at this year's Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium. Instead of singing "live", the originally acapella group chose to mime, but poor coordination between the group and their sound technician let the cat out of bag and the crowd at the stadium, plus thousands of other people watching the events on television, got to know something they were not meant to know.
The group was were still getting ready to mime when the CD began running, complete with vocals, and it was clear that the singing was not from the group standing in the field.
Incidentally, this is how Milli Vanilli scandal was unearthed. But the difference is that Kayamba can sing, and their shamefully act was unwarranted. They are not alone, though, as most of our hip hop artistes are masters of mime, though they have somehow managed to escape detection. But after the Kayamba fiasco, be warned!
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