Headspace clearance the old school way
When I’m feeling like my headspace is being crowded by mob issues – music does wonders. This last week I’ve been rewinding this playlist in the car and at home…for some reason it makes me happy.
1. Muzina by Tabu Ley Rochereau
I was surprised to find out that Muzina is actually a gospel song….good ol’ Tabu Ley. Couldn’t stand you when growing up but I guess my folks already knew you were the stuff of legend.
Now here’s an African Queen. Forget these wanna be celebs that think they’ve made it coz’ they’ve been on TV….Shiiit! I’ve been on TV too….And boy she was beautiful.
3. [ Adia by Oliver Ngoma
This is a good song to shikamana on the dance floor with….though I sometimes think Ikola is a more club friendly hit….
Now this is Kenyan authenticity at its best. There’s just something about Ja Mnasi that drives me nuts….maybe its the fact that they shamelessly ooze that authenticity as Kenyan, a character trait that we should do much more to embrace, or the insightful and reflective lyrics, or just the calmness in its delivery…..I love this song, so much so that its my ring tone….Yu should here folks who don’t understand it asking me “What is Supaa Supaa” when I sing along to the ring tone…I just tell them if you supaa supaa, utapata mwana si wako….
5. Umqombothi by Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Now here again is another African queen….Take’s me back to the days of “Yours for the asking” and the music time shows by the blackest man in black Africa – Mr. Fred Obachi Machoka – Come to think of it, in those times of tumaring salaams, there always seemed to be salaams sent to Agneta Machinga and Robbie Ruben Robbie…Kwani everyone knew these two folks?
I think this guy got a raw deal and didn’t get the credit he deserved….a bit like Kelly Brown….Damn, now that was a Kenyan celeb….him and his jerry curl – maybe I should look for his hit “My love keeps taking me higher”.
7. Cavalier Solitaire by JB Mpiana feat. Papa Wemba
Nice and easy by two lyrical Congolese legends. Apparently, Papa Wemba’s voice is so flexible and versatile coz’ he used to travel with and learn from his mother who was a professional “crier”. I don’t know that such people existed, but apparently, you can hire a crier to professionally wail and cry during a funeral. Well, as long as it creates jobs….
Now this one is a relic of the matatu funk days….the days it was cool to listen to Sidney Youngblood and Jamtronic, the days Gor Mahia was a force in Africa, effortlessly beating some of the great legends of Africa like Zamalek of Egypt and Esperance of Tunisia….Yeah! The days it ws cool to wear a box cut on your head and think it was the bomb….The days we used to take girls for dates during the day coz’ they had to be home by 5.45 pm before their parents got back home from work…..
Aaahhh! I feel better just by writing this post….
Tags: African music
