There’s something in the air. It could be the light stirring of birdsong, but it’s more likely the uptempo sounds of Soul Candi, subtle jazz styling with an unmistakably unique quality. The South African wave is sweeping the world and taking Kenya with it.
We know of the impact that South African house has had on the global electronic music scene. Specifically, Mzansi House (Mzansi is a colloquial Xhosa word referring to South Africa) has impacted the club culture in Kenya and the world. Gaining popularity in the early 2000’s in Kenya, it was fairly easy to spot a Kenyan singing to, or rather perverting, Xhosa lyrics that they clearly didn’t understand. The song ‘Ndifuna wena’ is one such example.
The influence is so apparent, it was almost unavoidable. We set to find out just how deeply it has permeated into the musical roots of our local DJs.
“We definitely take some influence from the drumbeats from South African house,” says Jinku of DJ collective EA Wave.
There are a considerable number of highly influential South African DJs on the global scene; the likes of DJ Mujava Black Coffee, his protégée ‘Culoe de Song and Goldfish’ (yes the musical duo is from Mzansi!) who make tremendous contribution to the maturation of African electro sounds.
It’s no wonder that some of our own Kenyan mix masters like Jack Rooster, Saint Evo the Myth and DJ Cortega take a page out of their book.
In celebration of the inevitable mashup of culture in music, the Red Bull Music Academy is throwing one of its most iconic parties yet, Red Bull Music Academy ‘Club Night’, which will feature South African DJ and producer Thibo Tazz as the headlining act.
Thibo Tazz is lauded as Cape Town’s ambassador of deep dark Afro house by the Red Bull Music Academy and they also selected him to attend the Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona in 2008, an accomplishment held in supremely high regard the world over.
Since then he has gone on to become a local deep-house stalwart, ever active as a DJ and producer gigging around the city regularly. In 2012 he was chosen to curate and mix Soul Candi’s Deep House Chronicles 8, South Africa’s most prestigious deep house mix series, an acknowledgment of his hard-work and talent.
A surefire collaboration between Red Bull, Kenya Nights and WiBo Culture will leave Nairobi reeling from this sensory experience.
Byline: Gregg Tendwa, Hellen Langat, Audrey Bera
