Makadem

Real name Charles Odero Ademson, Makadem, also known as the Ohanglaman, has successfully fused different genres of music from Kenya, Africa and the world with his native Luo Benga music. After High School Makadem worked as a tour guide in Mombasa, complementing his income by entertaining the tourists, performing cover songs. At this time he was playing mostly Ragga music.

He later met veteran producer Tabu Osusa and they started working together. This collaboration transformed his music from Ragga to a Benga and Ohangla- based style that he calls Anglo-Ohangla. Anglo-Ohangla is a fusion of Ohangla (traditional drum-based Luo music), Nyatiti (Luo music based on a Luo lyre) and Dodo (traditional Luo singing) style. All these are mixed with other modern African beats accompanied by heavily accented Luo-English vocals.
He recorded his debut album, ‘Ohanglaman’, under Tabu’s keen guidance. It was released under Ketebul Music in 2007.

A charismatic performer with powerful vocal delivery, Makadem uses humorous and witty lyrics to address deep socio-economic struggles in modern-day Kenya. He has toured widely, especially in Europe. He has performed at Sauti za Busara (Zanzibar), Bayimba (Uganda) and FestHorn (Djibouti), among other venues. He has shared the stage with top international artists like Gregory Isaacs, Mighty Culture, Glen Washington, Baaba Maal, Mahotella Queens and Lokua Kanza. His European tours are organized by One World.

Some of the highlights of his career include opening for Seun Kuti in Copenhagen-Denmark in October, 2011 and performing at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival in May, 2012.

In March 2012 he went for a three-month music residency at the Cite International des Arts in Paris, France courtesy of the Institut Francais. During the residency he worked on improving his kalimba-playing skills as an understudy of Angolan maestro Lolendo Mvulu. He also sharpened his guitar-playing under the tutelage of the legendary Syrian Mbenza.