So I spend a lot of time online as do many other folks, I spend majority of my time trying to find new websites that are either doing the same thing GetMziki is doing or trying to elevate what we started. I also spend a lot of time finding curators and writers who have deeper insights into Urban African music more than myself since evidently I have been living out of Africa for such a long time I am losing touch with the sound. My only source of insights is the Internet and the few producer friends that I frequently keep in touch with. The challenge with this is that there is a general bias based on what those/these producers are currently working on.
So I visit the AfricanUnsigned, the Musekes of this world and I will spend hours sampling, reading and understanding the music, the culture, the sound. For most part I can tell you most of the sound coming from Africa has been more of less the same. However in the last 5 years a significant shift in the direction of music has happened across the continent as a whole. A fusion of dance, house, rock, electronic and pop has taken over the African sound. I wish I was a good writer, I would educate you guys on a list of producers and artists trying to create something new and fresh that Africa and the world just need to pay attention to. However I am not a writer – I simply am a music enthusiast with good ears for good shit.
The dilemma is when stuff like the attached track produced by Wawesh and written and performed by Muthoni come to my circle of interest I am slightly out of the loop with where to bucket this sound. Everything I have read online seems difficult to describe Muthoni’s style. Break beat, Indie pop, Indie Rock, Afrop, Afro Pop, Afrock LOL… Wawesh would definitely have a name for this music but lately I think Wesh is just having fun with music which I admire about his creative process. I will post some of Bamzigis upcoming tracks and honestly you’ll either say the bhangi these guys are smoking is from Kijabe or basically these guys are onto something huge. A lot of musicians are scared to go off the grain because it challenges their norm, their formula for success. But when you have nothing to lose I think you basically allow yourself to express music in its purest form.
On this track its evident we are on that pre-school musical tip and playing around with songs we grew up with but yet finding ways to make them currently relevant. Its like selling a guy a cheese sandwich with caviar or foie gras on focaccia bread (google all these items if you cant identify any of them). Anyway Muthoni you know how I feel about you so it goes without saying I am just curious to sample the entire album to see where your head is at. Wesh, give up the blue pills come back to earth … coz truly we are writing new chapters that I am not sure if the market is ready for these sounds but if not I know you are coming hard… Let me find that BASHETE!!
ps. I love Muthonis tumi dimples.
listen and download the track here:
Muthoni the Drummer Queen – Welcome To The Disco by getmziki
watch the video here:
