Kenyan Afro-Fusion singer-songwriter, Nina Ogot stirs the live music scene once again by the release of ‘Ukumbu.KE’ her brand new album. The 9-track album with a fresh outlook is proof, once again, of Nina Ogot’s thoughts and feelings as a live performer. In her true fashion, she has created another project that echoes live compositions backed up by her band.
Following the album release, Nina says “Working on this project was a wonderful experience for me to reminisce about different moments, events and elements that have enriched my life over the years. In the process I rediscovered a plethora of ideas that transformed into music and transports the listener from the past into this present moment.”
The project embodies sparkling guitar sounds, easily grooving percussion and melodic-jolly horns that complement one another perfectly with the predominant Swahili and Luo verses of Nina Ogot’s unique vocal timbre. She also reinforces the cultural root with influences from traditional sounds: Taarab and Bango melodies from Coast, percussive Isukuti of the Luhya and the spiritual Dodo rhythms of the Luo people.
The album title contains a word game, transforming ‘ukumbu’ (memories in Swahili) into a modern context as ‘ukumbuke’ (let us remember) with an added twist of ‘.ke’ to represent a vault for Kenyan music and culture.
In ‘Ukumbu.KE’ all kinds of images from Nina’s childhood and parts of her adulthood come back to life through her songs. The album is inspired by Nina Ogot’s memories and personalized cultural moments; from nearly forgotten traditional music and tales to legendary movies and TV maestros. The album’s sound revives cultural roots while creating a colourful live music experience, creating new memories for the present age. ‘Ukumbu.KE’ tracks radiate Ogot’s endowed rhythm group, creating a smooth groove.
Nina Ogot inserts a rearranged version of one of her favourite tracks “Chokoraa” on the new album. Originally added on her 2008 debut album ‘Ninairobi’, the remake attests to her impressive musical evolution and her lyrical prowess. The track “Chokoraa” addressing the plight of street people has grown from laid-back guitar acoustic to a dramatic and powerful call-to-action musical performance.
While Nina Ogot, the cosmopolitan, worked with mostly European musicians on her previous album ‘Dala’, her decision to record this fourth album ‘Ukumbu.KE’ in Nairobi in order to capture the authentic Kenyan vibe is a sound one. The horn sections, arranged and recorded in Germany, are the distinct international note on this record. The singer, who is also the composer of all the songs, has chosen a less experimental and more resolute style of arrangements, compared to the previous albums. The horns and guitars unfold wonderful hooklines, but what stands out the most is Nina Ogot herself, who captivates with her very own briskness, self confidence and sensuousness.
Nina concludes, “I invite you to experience the diversity of ideas I managed to capture in lyrics and to rediscover the cultural melodies that we once knew but almost forgot. This album will take you on a musical adventure that will fill your hearts with nostalgia, keep your heads bobbing and feet dancing to the rhythm.”
Nina Ogot is Kenyan singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. She is also well-known as a former radio host and TV presenter. Born and bred in Nairobi, her compositions are a reflection of her Luo origins and that of a few other Kenyan tribes. The songbird jump-started her career with her soulful acoustic album ‘Ninairobi’ in 2008, followed by two single releases of the Afro-pop remixes to her songs “Wololo” and “Aheri” two years later. In 2014, a collaborative album dubbed ‘Yote Yote’ was released with Kenyan contemporary Benga musician, Winyo. For more than a decade, the vocalist and guitarist performed in a trio band set up until 2018 when a 13 piece band lineup was formed for an event in Cologne-Germany dubbed ‘Jambo Day’ by the Treasures of Kenya Initiative. Together, the new team recorded Nina Ogot’s third album ‘Dala’ (home) in 2019, followed by a series of performances in both countries.
Nina Ogot has braced numerous international stages including renowned festivals such as Afrika Festival (The original)-Wurzburg, Chiala Festival in Austria, Afro-Asia Festival in Kerala-India, The Bayimba Festival in Kampala- Uganda, The Moshito Festival in Johannesburg-South Africa and many more. She joined the OneBeat musical and cultural exchange program where she utilized the American platform to advocate for the plight of Kenyan street people. Her efforts – together with the Kuruka Maisha Foundation – were awarded with the prestigious American National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards-NASAA, a project initiated by former America’s First Lady Michelle Obama
I'm Derrick Mulla, a Music Publicist, Music Journo, Writer and Digital Media Specialist with access to multiple news outlets accross Africa. I am enthralled by the world of music and entertainment. Aside PR, I do, Digital Marketing, Social Media Management, Discovering New Music & Music Reviews. For inquiries and collaborations, shoot me at mulladerrick@gmail.com or Whatsapp +254700488119
