Kenyan Australian singer, rapper and producer, Elsy Wameyo, has released ‘Saint Sinner’- her anticipated debut album out via AWAL. Elsy returned home to Kenya from Australia to create the album in which she enlisted a team of producers, fellow songwriters and close connections including Wuod Omollo, Fancy Fingers (of Sauti Sol) and Ywaya Tajiri who helped inform her new work and a rediscovery of the creative ambition that first set her on this path to greatness. ‘Saint Sinner’ is the culmination of those sessions spent writing and recording together in Naivasha where Elsy surrounded herself with personalities and energy that encouraged growth and rejuvenation.
Elsy says on the album, “I am not a saint nor a sinner. I am a child yearning to perfect and mimic my father’s glory as I continuously fall short. Still, I courageously and resiliently get back up to fight. I understand that evil is within me. It is my nature, though I sit and walk beside the king. He shields me from the storm and wraps me in His arms. Refined by the fire and set apart for greatness. Lord, it is I, Saint Sinner.”
Stories of aggressive fearlessness and profound boldness on “Repercussions” and “Quagmire” meet stories of self-love, ego and an unapologetic self on “Umva”, “Ler” and “Wonder Horns” in the 13-track album. Unafraid to go to places of pure sadness and grief, “Slowly Slipping” demonstrates Elsy’s savvy ability to move between shades of unbridled vulnerability, while matching them with natural beauty and strength.
A central theme that weaves through the second half of ‘Saint Sinner’ is endurance, and a return of faith, explicitly felt on the single “Conquer”. A sound of realignment is heavily heard as Elsy battles with inner demons, temptations and worldly voices to find a way back to her guiding spirit. Even through feelings of self-doubt, isolation and emotional displacement, it’s evident Elsy remains unapologetically fearless and strong in herself and sound as felt on the tracks “Journey”, “Saint” and “Thank You”.
The success of her 2022 debut EP ‘Nilotic’ catapulted Elsy into a limelight that she’d dreamt of since childhood; touring internationally, performing across stadiums and collecting accolades. However, with this dream came the reality of the music industry’s toxic underbelly. This uncomfortable season brought her to a new creative touchstone, a place of reclamation and self-empowerment in the form of her debut studio album, ‘Saint Sinner’. Through the turmoil and tumult of young adulthood, navigating the modern world as a Black woman has been a process not without its struggles like finding a sense of purpose and belonging, and of being caught between two cultures, that of Kenya and Australia.
A strength of voice exists throughout Saint Sinner’, replete with sounds that are urgent and poignant-showcasing Elsy’s levelled up sense of determinism and resilience on record.
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Elsy migrated with her family to Adelaide, South Australia at a young age causing her to experience displacement and unease. Describing her ‘safe place’ as the music room at school, young Elsy developed a love for the craft as a way to express herself, but connect with a sense of identity that would flourish into her artistry in later years. Elsy’s father took her to a local music studio in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, NSS (Northern Sound System), where the teenage Elsy became a go-to singer for the community of musicians and rappers. Elsy’s early releases were impactful, with singles like “Outcast” (2019) capturing the attention of Australian industry. In a short period of time, Elsy cut her teeth as a spirited performer alongside the likes of Sampa The Great and Aminė; as well as earning early cosigns from international artists such as Tierra Whack and Tyler the Creator. 2022 saw the release of her long-awaited debut EP, ‘Nilotic’, a self-produced six-track fusion of soul-infused hip-hop and alt-R&B. The EP was a moment of arrival that took home six awards at the South Australia Music Awards. for Best Studio Engineer/Producer, Music Video, Song, Solo Artist & Release of the year. She capped off the year with the Triple J Unearthed Artist of the Year accolade.
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