Kenya: Nasambu and Mbaluka announce new acoustic EP

The EP, which blends jazz, pop, Latin, and African rhythms, marks an interesting departure from the duo’s previous sounds.

Throughout the EP, Nasambu and Mbaluka – who are also members of Afro-soul band Mystic Nomads – embark on a musical project during a global season of great change and upheaval.

Nasambu told Music In Africa that Urithi seeks to celebrate African heroes, icons and artists for their contributions to African heritage and culture.

"As we were thinking of the powerful message we wanted to portray with these three songs, we came down to the question of what these African icons left for us, which is the cultural heritage and leadership values that we can hold on to in times of peace and in times of difficulty," she said.

"It came very naturally for us to create this acoustic music since we have been working together for a while. The thing that is special about acoustic music is that you cannot hide behind other instruments, your true musical nature comes through more clearly."

The opening track 'Mwana Kupona' is a poetic excerpt from The Book of Mwana Kupona, which was published in the 1800s by Swahili poet Mwana Kupona. It was one of the earliest written works of Swahili literature from the historic Kenyan coastal town of Lamu.

'Yalaiti' is a classic Swahili love song that was originally composed by the legendary taarab singer Siti Binti Saad from Zanzibar, Tanzania. The last song 'Madiba' is a tribute to the late former South African President Nelson Mandela. 

Urithi serves as a once-off project during the country's COVID-19 lockdown. Nasambu said the restrictions came at a time when they were planning a series of performances in the country.

"We were planning to do more live shows and also compose more soundtracks for plays and films. But we ended up using this time constructively to get into the studio and create a masterpiece that will have a lasting impact," she said. 

Nasambu has composed sound tracks for several films, plays and documentaries including US/Senegalese film Sabar, Italian documentary on Kenyan entrepreneurship Get Together Girls and Wales film Alzaghe. 

Asked whether there was a demand for film scoring in Kenya, Nasambu said: "I believe that as the Kenyan film industry grows, we will need more musical soundtracks and performers to bring out the emotional and sentimental touch, not just getting by with music produced on a computer.

"Countries such as India and Nigeria have huge music industry strictly for soundtracks and singers that are known for creating the musical content that brings a film and play to life."

Nasambu and Mbaluka were featured in this year’s International Jazz Day Virtual Concert, which was livestreamed on 30 April. 

Urithi can be pre-ordered here.