In the new segment of Discussion Isle we get to talk with Clark Keeng a multi-talented Music artist from Nairobi, Kenya. Having made his debut in 2019 Clark Keeng released his first single in 2020 and since then he’s been fully invested into the Music Industry. Above that, he is also a self-taught pianist, music producer and artiste with a new single Sinners Only. He shares his love for the creative space with Terry.
Could you briefly describe who Clark Keeng is? Share something that the public should know about you?
Well, I grew up, like most of my generation, on Marvel and DC movies, and one of the things that constantly spoke to me was how it was that some people who had special abilities but were fundamentally human would rise above their issues and become bigger than themselves and, in doing so, not only make a difference but also inspire the rest of us to rise above who we are and do more and be more. That’s where the Clark comes from. As for the Keeng, it simply king and queen together and it is to signify royalty, and that is because we all have it in us to be royalty and it is in the service to our higher self that we become royalty, thus Clark Keeng.
I’m a singer, a song writer, an arranger, a producer, a multi-instrumentalist (piano , guitar and learning drums), a live performer, a creative entrepreneur and more. One thing though that is cool is that I am self-taught. (Save for 6 months in Sauti academy) everything I know I learnt on my own.
How and when did you start making music?
I decided to do this properly in around October of 2018. I started learning Piano and production properly then but school was in the way. So I dropped out and decided to do this fulltime in January 2019 and haven’t looked back since. Made and released my first project in 2020 entitled W.C Stories with one of my best friends, Zawadi
What made you fall in love with music and what made you decide that this what you would like to do?
Well, In December of 2017, my mother and I went to the UK and stayed with a friend of hers there. I stayed for 3 months while my mum only did 3 weeks. In the three months I was there, my perspective was opened up to the fact that School(University) isn’t the only way and I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to for reasons as Arbitrary as papers for example. That and I lived in a house there that had a grand piano that I enjoyed playing and I liked to sing songs I liked just to hear and experience them. I started to see that music made me feel, it made think and live a lot more. It made life meaningful for me, helped me process things, gave me the courage to do things, comforted me etc. I also joined a local church and started trying to revive the youth choir there and though it didn’t work, it was fun. So When I came back to Kenya in April of 2018, I tried school and other things but it just wasn’t working for me. I had fallen in love with music and I couldn’t do anything else.
How has it been navigating through the Kenyan Music Industry?
A combination of amazing and frustrating. I love singing and especially performing live. Making new friends, meeting and gaining fans and having people like what I do and even supporting me has been great. However, there are a lot of obstacles I’ve encountered. A lot of it having to do with fighting for the same few performing spaces with many artist, being underpaid or not paid at all, being promised opportunities but not actually getting them not having as many people hear my music and struggling to promote and share my art due to things like how expensive it is or having other personal issues like finances that require me to, every once in a while, pause the music and look for other ways to stay on my feet. However, I guess that it is all part of the journey.
Could you describe the type of music that you typically create? And what drew you to your preferred genre?
So straight off the bat I’ll tell you, I don’t know how to answer that question. I’m a creator of music. I don’t have a type or a particular preference. I simply make what I like. So I have rap, I have pop of all kinds, I have some blues etc. and all these come from the many inspirations I have had over the years and still continue to make. My music is Clark Keeng music and it is a consequence of what my heart and mind love and can do.
How do you approach the process of incorporating different genres or styles of music into your work?
Well, to begin with, for me at least, I move with assumption that you can only give what you have. So the very first thing I do is intake a lot of art so as to have something to give. I dabble in several genres that are terribly disparate and span across time and cultures and styles and so on and so forth. So when I sit down to write, I allow myself to draw from whatever many sources I have in my bank and just combine away and nothing acts as a hindrance. I just make it, not so that it’ll be on radio or TV or live or whatever, I just write and smile along the way. I also intake a lot of ideas, philosophical, religious, cultural, psychological, artistic, Scientific etc. and the same is applied in my music in terms of subject matter or content of the art in whatever way that works for me. Or rather, for the art.
What role do you think music plays in society, and how do you strive to contribute to that role through your art?
Before anything was able to be articulated by the lay man, before the scientists found it out, before the religious people thought of it, the artists drew it, sang it, painted it, and articulated it and so on. I strongly believe that artists are second only to God and they communicate directly from the metaphysical to the physical using their true ability, which by the way isn’t to sing or paint or whatever, but is the ability to connect with the metaphysical and articulate it in a way that people understand and only God knows how we even understand. Cultures have always understood that art enables people to believe and understand and see what hours of factual lectures can’t explain to them.
Understanding that to be a summary of the role of art, I don’t ever allow myself to compromise on my art for anything, not for the business, not for conventions like genre or song length or whatever. I allow the metaphysical to speak through me to those that are intended to hear what god has put in me for them. In addition, I do my best to push the music so that as many people as are supposed to hear it get to hear it and that the messages can reach their intended recipients.
Can you describe a song or album that you created which was influenced by a specific visual artwork or piece of literature?
I have a song called Dear Noah. Now of the bat, it sounds like it is a song about Noah. But not exactly, I was inspired by the idea of the story of Noah to talk about a concept known as social entropy. Social entropy is, pretty much, a 3 step process: 1. there exists no structures and everything is in a state of potential. Then Structures start to be built and they start to shape up well till they are functional and all is well. 2. People start to experiment with the existing structures with the intent of improving them, but as is the nature of people, some, being motivated by their own negativity, start to take things too far or start to become ungrateful for what has worked and start wanting to tear them down or push them too far. 3. Everything crumbles and falls apart and nothing is left. But all of a sudden, we are back to that initial state of no structures and sheer potential, only that a lot of people and things have been lost in the destruction.
So the story of Noah from the bible as well as psychological and philosophical ideas around issues like the shadow and so on and so forth were the inspiration for Dear Noah of off an album of mine called Mr. Keeng.
Speaking of which you have a latest song dubbed ‘Sinners Only’. What inspired the song and the visual?
Well, Sinners only is one of the songs in an album I released called Mr. Keeng. Sinners only has been one of the most popular songs off on the album and, for the sake of the fans, decided to share with them a music video.
The song was inspired by a few of my close friends who, in my opinion, would keep dating people that were not good for them and they would almost always end up hurt in one way or another. My approach to things in the realm of relationships is, work very hard on yourself, your character, your flaws and so on. That’s the hard part and it doesn’t involve a partner. After the right amount of work has been done (and that varies per individual), trust yourself and pick people who are good for you. This is a guarantee to a good relationship but I don’t yet know a better strategy. And Sinners only is an invitation to stop the self-sabotaging things we do in the realm of relationships and instead aim higher.
The visual is nothing but silhouettes of myself and a female counterpart (and occasional guitar shots) and they are an attempt to articulate the darkness that we have that needs to be dissipated and that keeps us apart.
Can you recall a specific moment when a piece of music deeply impacted you emotionally? How did that experience shape your own approach to creating music?
In the making of my first Studio Album, MDC part 1, (part 2 is dropping in December this year or January 2024) I made a song called Alone. I had not moved out of my mother’s house by then and she had been jobless for a while. So top that up with how my own life was a struggle for a myriad of reasons, my overall stress levels were quite high and I was terrible under pressure and anxious about everything round about my life. This particular night, I was taking a shower preparing to go to bed, then I started to sing. However they weren’t words, they were just random vocal cries if you will. It was an attempt to articulate my pain and stress and my emotions. I started taping into my musical knowledge and the ideas in my head to try and weave together a narrative around my pain and I made the song that very night in about 25 minutes.
Since then, alone has been more than just a song to me. It has been a landmark or checkpoint in my life and it speaks to me. So from then on, I started making my music along those lines. A lot less to entertain (although I do that to) and a lot more to express myself in a deeply meaningful way.
How do you balance your artistic vision with commercial considerations in the music industry?
To be honest, I’m not. I know I’m gifted, and God put this thing in me. My strategy is, make as many people believe in me. Make as many people hear me and know my art. Through social media, live shows and whatever else. However, I am still learning as much of the music business I can so I can see what tools could aid me in my quest. I also am hoping to get me a Marek like person (He is an amazing artist manager) in my life to believe and push my music to the heights it can reach.
Have you ever experimented with creating music using unconventional or DIY instruments? If so, can you share an example?
Well, I work with a guitarist called Ric Gikonyo. This man is a genius. The guitar he uses is the only one of its kind in the world. I’d tell you why but ,trade secret, those who have seen me live know what I’m talking about, and if not, Make a point to come see me live. However, most of my experimentation has been vocal and musical and within genres and styles etc., but not exactly with instruments.
If you could create a soundtrack for a movie or TV show, what genre or style would you choose and why?
Scoring a film is an attempt to articulate the emotion around the film or TV show. So for me, being the creator that I am, I would find what the film needs and innovate there and then, kind of like how great film scorers like Hans Zimmer do.
If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
This is normally difficult for me because I look up to too many people. So if you will allow me, Id like to give a few using different categories. Dead: Michael Jackson and/or The Beatles. Ill stop here for this. Locally I’ll say Fadhilee Itulya and as for globally (because I could go on forever), Ed Sheeran.
Can you describe a memorable interaction you’ve had with a fan that had a significant impact on you or your music?
A friend of mine listened to my entire album, Mr. Keeng, and sent me commentary on each of the tracks. They loved the project so much they listened to it on repeat almost every night till I was their most streamed artist for the month of April. Made me really understand that my music wasn’t just tracks to them but inspiration and motivation. And that just made me terribly emotional so yeah.
Tell us about a performance show that you had fun performing at and how did you feel as an artist?
I performed at The Alchemist in May and it was a quasi-religious experience for me. By far one of the best shows I have performed in my career so far. It took all my energy and I was terribly exhausted after but it was worth every second. Nothing feels better than singing your music on stage to strangers and having them like it.
How would describe 2023 so far for you in one word?
Adventure!!
What’s next for you? Is there any new music that you still planning to release or shows that you’ll be performing at?
I’m currently working on my next project, MDC part 2, that I’m planning to release late this year or early next year. I will be dropping the lead single either by end august or early September, so stay tuned for that.
I’m also working on doing bigger and more shows. My target this year is to play a festival. So maybe Tusker October fest or Sol-fest or blankets and wine or something along those lines.
Finally, I want to get proper management this year and aim toward being a real player in the game in 2024.
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