Fred Orido
18 August 2007
Nairobi — Benga songbird Princess Jully will launch her 20th album in Switzerland on August 25. She will perform at a show organised by the Kenya Swiss Development Association in Basel.
The musician of the Dunia Mbaya hit song fame said she resolved to first launch the album away from home because her Switzerland tour coincided with the release of the album.
"I have been working on this album and coincidentally when I was through the Switzerland trip came calling and therefore I decided that I launch it there before availing it to my local fans, " said Princess Jully.
The album which is titled Wangni Wabiro will also be launched in Nairobi when she come back. Unlike her previous albums, this new album is endowed with political undertones with all the songs heaping praises to leading ODM Kenya heavyweights led by Langata MP Raila Odinga.
Produced by Ted Josiah at Blue Zebra Studios, the album has tracks like Wangni Wabiro, Caro Nyar Obama, Henry, Osiepe Mag Ahole, Mon Otan'gne Chwo ma Jombriambo and Neto Oyugi.
In the title song Wangni Wabiro Princess Jully praises the leadership of the Orange Democratic Movement while deliberately rubbishing off the all those who are opposing the movement.
According to Prince Jully, she resolved to do political album to cash on the prevailing electioneering period. "Every other artiste are working towards political campaign songs and I cant be left out and I hope the album will whip up adulation just like my previous ones," said Princess Jully.
While in Switzerland Princess Jully will also help in fundraising for two children homes which are based in Kisumu and Ugenya. She says she is jovial for the invitation which she says will hep her sell her music to Kenyans diaspora.
Though much of not been heard from Jully interms of music production, Jully says she has been busy with her Jully Productions, a production outfit which is helping in launching the musical careers of up coming artistes. One of such musicians who have successfully honed his skills through her is Atomy Sifa who is really causing a stir among Benga fans.
Princess Jully forayed into the music scene in 1994 as a back up singer for the Jolly Boys Band. Two years later she composed her debut song Jully Orito Ngimana (Jully has taken care of me well).
During those days, her late husband who headed the band was already well-known, but the scenario suddenly changed after the release of Dunia Mbaya.
Her fame surpassed that of the husband but she will never hesitate to give credit to her late husband. "He made me what I am now. The fame I now enjoy is because of his efforts." It was because of her legendary mastery of the solo guitar that Dunia Mbaya came out so well.
The widely acclaimed song won a contract with an international NGO and staged a series of live concerts around Nyanza to help educate people on the HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted diseases.
Unlike other musicians, Jully says she composes her music very fast. The only problem, she says is the cost of producing that music. She says piracy continues to hurt musicians yet the government seems too reluctant to curb the vice.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
