Nduati’s Les Wanyika Undertaking Involves Life

Peter Nduati CEO Pine Creek Information. PHOTO | THOMAS MATIKO | NMG

There was a golden period within the Nineteen Seventies and 80s when Nairobi was the hub of music in East and Central Africa: the largest Congolese, Tanzanian, Ugandan, and even Zambian musicians had been all based mostly within the metropolis.

Worldwide report corporations, CBS and Polygram, put in state-of-the-art recording services in Nairobi, and the very best efficiency venues had been positioned within the metropolis.

One of the influential bands of that period was the Tanzanian outfit Les Wanyika, an offshoot of the unique Simba Wanyika whose hits are nonetheless liked to today.

Nearly 4 a long time later, among the band’s best hits have been reimagined by a brand new technology of Kenyan artistes.

“Cross the Mic” a 14-song album being launched on December 18 is the brainchild of Peter Nduati, CEO Pine Creek Information who says the undertaking has been 5 years within the making.

“This was the soundtrack of my youth and we can not afford to let this music die,” says Mr Nduati, who has been within the music enterprise for 21 years.

In actuality, this concept goes manner again to the 80s when Mr Nduati, then a younger boy rising up in Dagoretti, Nairobi, would accompany his older siblings to Bombax, the enduring membership on Ngong Street which was the bottom of Les Wanyika.

Quick ahead greater than 30 years later, Mr Nduati launched his 19-year-old daughter to the music of Wanyika for example the flowery manufacturing of music in years passed by.

“She liked it and it was then that I began considering of how right this moment’s younger technology could be uncovered to the music from that period.”

He concluded that the one manner to take action can be to have the music carried out by artistes that resonate with the younger technology. Secondly, to contemporise the music whereas sustaining the construction.

A deal was struck to accumulate the rights of the music from three surviving members of Les Wanyika, renewable after a particular time.

He then despatched a name to producers and songwriters to pitch their concepts for creating new songs based mostly on the basic hits of Wanyika.

The method of figuring out the very best artistes that will match specific songs was a problem and plenty of large names didn’t match the character of the songs.

“Since this can be a private undertaking, I’ve been answerable for the inventive course of, to the annoyance of among the artists,” says Mr Nduati.

The album options the who’s who in modern music in Kenya with their interpretations of among the timeless Les Wanyika hits.

In response to Mr Nduati the ‘largest tune’ on the undertaking is “Sina Makosa” by H_art the Band that includes Arrow Bwoy whose video is being launched this week forward of the album launch. One other of the eagerly anticipated songs from the album is the ever-popular “Afro” recorded by Otile Brown whereas Anto Neo Soul who can be a Pine Creek recording artist has redone “Nimaru”.

Atemi, who can be signed to Pine Creek Information has reinterpreted “Pamela” which was initially written for the lady who grew to become the spouse of Wanyika chief Prof Omar Shaban, from the attitude of a lady singing it to a boy and referred to as it “Kevoh.”

Mr Nduati explains that Josh (of the duo Amos and Josh) had recorded Paulina” and through post-production, the workforce determined so as to add a rap part and it was then that they roped in Khaligraph Jones.

Serro, who’s 25 years previous, had by no means even heard of Les Wanyika earlier than she was approached to report the one “Si Haja Yangu” the primary single launched from the album.

“She personifies the precise demographic that we’re focusing on with this music,” explains Mr Nduati. “We’re not focusing on 50-year-olds, we wish the 18 to 40-year-olds who may also need to return and take heed to the unique songs,” he says.

Among the most interesting session musicians had been recruited to present the songs the authenticity of the analogue recording, together with acclaimed guitarist Benjamin Kabaseke and the Nairobi Horns Undertaking. “I needed stay guitars, horns as a result of that’s what the unique sound. I don’t need software program producing the sound as a result of that isn’t what this music is all about.”