Jul 20/07
Love the Luo
Benn loxo reader, David, suggested in a comment a few posts back that I check-out the new Kenge Kenge release from the World Music Network‘s “Introducing…” series. A nice find; thanks for the heads-up.
Kenge Kenge play traditional music from Kenya’s Luo ethnic group mixed with a heavy dose of benga and contemporary African sounds à la Konomo No. 1. The group’s name apparently is Luo for a “fusion of small, exhilarating instruments”. Indeed. I bet these guys would be amazing live.
The background vocals also remind me of one of my all-time favourite African bar songs, Meiway’s Miss Lolo. Ah, the lost glory days of late, late nights at Chez Diamy…
You can grab it on emusic. These guys are also featured on World Music Network/Rough Guide’s excellent compilation, The Rough Guide to the Music of Kenya.
While you’re at it, check-out this great video of a Luo dance in southern Sudan. I think the videographer has a bit of a crush on the tall girl, though..
Tags: benga, kenya, luo
Thank you for holding in up, this is one of my favorite places now to stop on a daily basis. Aloha, from Big Island of Hawai’i Ne!
““fusion of small, exhilarating instruments” [[POWER INSTRUMENT BLEND]]
these over-exotic glosses grow TIRESOME. I’m really supposed to believe that it’s an accurate translation of “kenge kenge” ?
I swear people try to make things sound as outlandish and exotic as possible. (And no I’m not assuming the translation wasn’t giving by official native-speaking sources or even the band itself.)
ORIENTALISM. It perpetuates the notion of THE OTHER. In these cases, the exotic OTHER who expresses highly complex quirky propositions using mystically compact utterances.
And as if “Nippon” actually amounts to “Land where the sun rises”. AND SO ON. (“SUN-SOURCE”??)
Gentlemen, I believe we’ve been HAD by a confederacy of dunces.
So as not to sound like a pure curmudgeon: LOVE THE SITE.
You do great work here.
You should relink Meiway’s Miss Lolo it’s been a long time!
[...] is a Kenyan musician who plays benga in a fast Kikuyu style, as opposed to, say, the Luo way. His sound also has a strong soukous feel. I read a review that said it also drew upon Nigerian [...]
Hey, yeah, let’s have another round with miss lolo. and fooey to the writer i am dali, who has clearly never swilled from a bottle of gazelle while grooving with the ivorians at chez diamy as altitudinous croon of miss lola lights up the crowd. anyone prattling on about orientalism on a music web site should shove off.
My God, that is one crazy track. Absolutely amazing, the hairs are standing on the back of my neck as I listen and type this. A total virgin to this music but have thankfully stumbled across this gem of a site. Thanks again.
[...] favourite off their first release is the title track, Ok-Oyot System. The song title comes from the Luo expression, ok-oyot, which means “it’s not [...]