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'Jawaya Jathum': Fancy Fingers and Winyo pay homage to traditional roots in new album
Songwriter producer Fancy Fingers (Polycarp Otieno) and singer- songwriter Winyo (Polycarp Shiphton Onyango). The duo have just released a joint album titled Jawaya Jathum.
Two multitalented Kenyan artistes have released an outstanding album that blends contemporary rhythms with diverse cultural elements, showcasing their strengths as songwriters, instrumentalists and vocalists.
Jawaya Jathum is a collaboration between singer-songwriter and guitarist Winyo (Shiphton Onyango) and Fancy Fingers (Polycarp Otieno), the multi-instrumentalist and producer, which dropped on streaming platforms last week.
The title of the album is a phrase in Dholuo that literally means “guitarist-musician”, a reference to both artistes’ affinity for the stringed instrumentation, from the traditional fiddle, orutu, to the guitars, that is at the heart of their songs.
The 13-songs, mainly written in Dholuo with the occasional Kiswahili and English lyrics, is a combination of masterful guitar work flavoured with percussions and traditional instrumentation.
This collaboration should not come as a surprise to the fans of the two musicians who have watched them perform together at concerts in the last few years and in the process dropped hints at a bigger project in the making.
Both musicians share an affinity for deep story telling through music and hence this album weaves together their talents for songwriting and creating sweet melodies that capture the ear even when you may not understand their lyrics.
Winyo, a unique vocalist if ever there was one, once again displays dexterity, adapting his voice to suit different tempos of music, from the soft and tender Maria to the up-tempo Pokunena. Fancy Fingers is the guitarist and producer of the highly successful Sauti Sol and during the group’s current hiatus, just like his bandmates, is working on individual projects.
“There is a cultural reawakening and a movement that has shifted towards music that is contemporary while retaining a strong cultural identity,” says Winyo.
“My career has been about tapping into benga, giving it a modern twist with blues, jazz, R&B, basically no genre is off the table, as long we can find a way of creating an appealing fusion.”
Pokunena (you haven’t seen me, yet), a bright, energetic tune written by both artistes during a songwriting camp in Kilifi and featuring an infectious orutu played by George Achieng from the famous Kenge Kenge group, sets the perfect mood for the album. It is one of two songs released ahead of the album and is currently the most streamed track on the album on Spotify.
Winyo explains the song is about discovering the potential that lies within each of us. “We both come from a place of discovering each other and life itself,” he says.
“The song captures what the album is all about because when you are doing something that is unique, you sometimes have to overcome a period that is very dark because only you understand the vision,” adds Fancy Fingers.
Maria was the first song they wrote during their songwriting camp when Fancy Fingers laid down the track with producer Kobby Worldwide, and Winyo then created the melody. “Those verses are some of my best in my history of writing music,” gushes Fancy Fingers.
“The song is very seductive and the melody hypnotic.”
He developed the arrangement while exploring how to combine Eastern rhythms like bhangra into benga, and in the process incorporated the Indian tabla hand drums into the song.
The guitar riffs on Duog Dala are stunning while Winyo’s high pitched vocals tell the story of a woman who marries a foreigner and abandons her relatives, only to return home long after her parents died and were buried.
Jowo with its brilliant opening of the traditional orutu strings and lyrics adroitly switching between Dholuo and English is another spark on the collection. Incidentally, it was originally intended for the Sauti Sol Midnight Train album in 2020 but didn’t make the final cut so Fancy Fingers reworked the original arrangement and incorporated a more cultural vibe to fit in with the feel of the rest of the songs.
The album also benefits from guest appearances by singer-songwriter TheOnlyRosa on two songs- Nyar Alego and Akinyi while Lisa Oduor Noah adds her charming voice to the ballad Inemara.
“This is the direction that creates an impact for our musicians,” says Joseck Asikoye of the legendary Jabali Afrika, who was the host for the album listening party last week.
“There are so many rhythms from across Kenya to tap into and get creative with, while still retaining a modem edge to the music,” he tells the BDLife at an event that also attracted luminaries like Suzanna Owiyo and US-based jazz pianist Aaron Rimbui.
Jawaya Jathum is available across all major streaming platforms and the official album launch will be at the end of April, where fans can experience Winyo and Fancy Fingers performing these songs in public for the first time.
