Dela: The New Queen of Taurus Musik
Dela, one of Kenya’s most sensational female vocalists is a renowned Afro Soul artiste responsible for hits like Weche Tek, Ulivyo and Mama Papa, the popular collaboration between her and the famous afro pop boy band Sauti Sol.
Taurus Musik having an eye for talent, spotted her in July 2015 and signed her to their label which is well known for successful artist management.
With this move comes a change. Dela has made a transition from Afro Soul to Afro Pop and has recorded hit singles with renowned producers locally and internationally that will cause ripples in the Afro pop charts, according to a press statement released by Taurus Musik. She is also collaborating with major international acts, who the management is yet to reveal.
Taurus Musik has rebranded the beautiful and talented Dela to a classy, sensual and mature artiste ready to take the African music scene by storm. Musically, rebranding in Kenya comes with a great expense but above all it comes with a challenge to remain relevant to your fans and win new audiences.
Is Dela the x-factor that Taurus Musik would gamble with? Rising from Nairobi’s melting pot of music, Penya Africa (the same guys who nurtured Sauti Sol, Elani and H_Art the Band), Dela is not just a recording artist. She is a performer who adds a bubbly twist to her every stage act. She knows how to command the crowd’s attention. Her vocals silence any naysayers who would think it was a gamble for Taurus Musik to have her on board.
Her debut album, Paukwa- actually short for, “Paukwa Pakawa” which is a kind of taunt for (and by) story tellers to ignite attention from the audience. She pulls the curtain with her mellow vocals before inviting you into her worldview with tracks such as Weche Tek and Nairobi Love from the ‘Paukwa’ album.
Lauded as the next generation’s big thing, Dela is definitely a big addition- Ike Anoke and the team at Taurus Musik understand that perfectly. At the end of the day it is business! In this game, there can only be one great artist in each scene and Taurus Musik wants to push Dela to be that.
The more money spent on artists, the higher the pressure to deliver as quickly as possible, as shareholders want to see a return on their investment. Dela knows this perfectly and perhaps that is why she may (or may not) be under pressure to deliver.
Did Dela make the right choice? We too would be gamble on that answer here at UP Nairobi offices. There is no way of guaranteeing long-term success in the record industry, and that’s what makes it such an exciting place.
We can only say she is an artist to look out for.
Catch her this Saturday 26th September at The GoDown for the GoDown Gig.
Follow Dela on Facebook & Twitter. Also, see what Taurus Musik is up to on Facebook & Twitter.
