Three top artists will this weekend bring their diverse talents on one stage in a unique concert that pushes a classic Kenyan music genre to the boundaries of contemporary music.
Benga Connect is a mash-up of sounds that brings together classic benga melodies, with cutting-edge electronic music performed by a highly acclaimed crooner, a multitalented guitarist and producer who is a member of Kenya’s most successful pop group and a much sought-after DJ/producer whose forte is the fusion of traditional rhythms with electronic beats.
The project at the Alliance Francaise, Nairobi, is the brainchild of singer, songwriter and guitarist Winyo (Shipton Onyango) and his producer, founder of the Ketebul Music label, Tabu Osusa, to transform attitudes towards benga from an old fashioned, regimented genre to a trendy sound that embraces diverse contemporary influences.
‘We owe a debt of gratitude to the founding fathers of the genre like D.O. Misiani, who put Kenya on the music map in the 1960s and 70s with benga, but the music has changed and we are moving on,” says Winyo.
“The music is still rooted to the infectious guitar melodies and distinct vocal patterns, but benga is not static; every day we are incorporating fresh elements that show growth.”
“Many contemporary artists keep asking me ‘must we do benga?’ and I want to show them that even I am not doing benga in the traditional style,” explains Winyo. “We use the most distinctive elements of the benga melodies and arrangements and then give it a whole new twist with modern instrumentation.”
His collaborators for the performance are producer and guitarist Polycarp Otieno (Fancy Fingers) who is also a member of the group Sauti Sol and the reputed electronic dance music producer DJ Suraj.
“Benga Connect will be a regular Kenyan music showcase with different acts, whether they are hip-hop, fusion to illustrate that benga is not static,” says Winyo.
“Polycarp and I got together to record some songs and before we realised, we had an entire EP,” says Winyo as he reaches to play one of the songs on his mobile phone. There are strong traces of the South African groove, amapiano, flavouring Winyo’s soulful vocals on Usiniharakishe.
“We have a very contemporary edge, fused with the familiar guitar rhythms, but that does not take away from the benga sound,” he explains. The songs which have been produced for the as yet untitled EP will be performed for the first time at tomorrow’s concert.
“You might be hearing some amapiano there but the guitar, harmonies, melodies, choruses are all part of the benga identity,” explains Winyo.
“When we started recording, everything flowed so easily because Polycarp is also a very good producer and knows how to build a sound using a range of sounds, both classic and contemporary.”
In an age when DJs have evolved into producers and are now artists in their own right, DJ Suraj has been charting a path with a fusion of electronic dance music and traditional rhythms from around the country.
Suraj, was part of a trio, with Winyo and guitarist/producer Kato Change, that recorded an EP titled Sazile, released in 2021.
The songs which combine Winyo’s enchanting vocals with dance rhythms have been very popular on various streaming platforms and will also be on tomorrow’s setlist.
The concert will also be a showcase of Winyo’s long-awaited sophomore album Benga Blues 2, the sequel to the first edition released in 2009.
That solo debut earned the singer global exposure, notably the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative in 2012 which was an opportunity to work with Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil, a runner up position during the prestigious Radio France International Discoveries competition (2010) and performances at 2012 WIPO concert in Beijing China (where he was introduced on stage by Hollywood action star Jackie Chan).
He also toured widely around Africa taking his music to among others, the Moshito Festival in South Africa and Bushfire Festival in Swaziland, both in 2010, and the 2016 Bayimba Festival in Uganda.
“The new album continues on a path that was established on the first Benga Blues album, but there are 12 new songs with a twist on the guitars and harmonies,” he says.
“The basic structure of the music including vocals and drums was completed at Ketebul Music studios in Nairobi.”
The legendary Congolese guitarist/producer Fiston Lusambo who has been on a long sojourn in Nairobi played a leading role in the instrumentation of the music.
“He is working on the rhythm section from his base in London and will then send the music back to us for a review ahead of an official release in August,” Winyo reveals.
