The Beauty of A-capella Music: *1 MONTH ANNIVERSARY*

Its been a month since i began this journey of blogging and let me tell you, i love it. Its kept me on my toes when it comes to discovering and appreciating new and different kinds of music. My new found love for Indie Folk Music has completely blown me away and changed my perception of anything that has the word 'folk' in its title. I used to think that folk music was for "old people" and didn't i look silly when it actually hit me that it actually isnt and its what i should be listening to.

Now to the topic of today: A capella music. This kinda of music involves the use of no instruments just what God gave you, your mouth. With people gaining skills like beatboxing and the amazing advancements in technology, A capella Music has been made interesting compared to before. Back when i was in high school and college, i had the privilege of singing A capella a couple of times and i loved every second of it. It was like singing a stripped down version of the originals and i could put all the emotion i wanted into it.

When i was thinking about this kind of music, a group came to mind. PENTATONIX!!!

Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola and Avi Kaplan

Started out as a trio with childhood friends: Mitch, Scott and Kirstin, they slowly expanded into a quintet adding "the bass" (Avi) and "the beats"(Kevin) to an already magical sets of pipes. They mostly do covers of popular songs but havent shied away from doing original music Love Again & Run to you. Purely vocals with added technical effects to give a fuller and warmer sound, this group complements each other and individually brings something to the table that makes them well them.

Deriving from the musical term the pentatonic scale, Scott suggested their group name which represents exactly what they bring to the group. Their passion for the music they do covers of shows from their energetic yet heart-wrenching performances that has left me wanting more and more. Their videos just show how much dedication that they have. Combined with their vocals, woooh!!! :) No trust me, this guys can sing. If you dont believe me, here are some examples (and actually my top faves): 

#1.  La La Latch- Pentatonix (Sam Smith/Disclosure/Naughty Boy Mashup)

 #2. Can't hold us- Pentatonix (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Cover)

#3. Evolution of Beyonce
 For all those Beyonce fans, this is a must listen to :)

#4.  Pusher Love Girl- Pentatonix (Justin Timberlake Cover)

#5.  Save the World/ Dont you Worry Child- Pentatonix (Swedish House Mafia Cover)

For more of their music, definitely head on over to their Youtube channel: PTXofficial and experience ear-gasmic music.  :)

Happy Listening.

From a Fan.
Esther xx.

The "Lionel Richie" Phase: My go-to guy for Romantic songs.

Hello? Is it me you're looking for?..... but let me start by saying I love you.

If you were alive in the 90's or just a romantic, the lyrics above shouldn't be such a mystery. He was probably the most played musician during those times and before.

Grammy winner, golden globe winner, four decades of music-making and numerous mentorship roles on today's popular artists, Lionel Richie has excelled where most have feared to go. He didnt care that LOVE was such a cliche topic to sing about. He never found ways of camouflaging it. He did it raw and dirty and it paid off. To this day, he is the go-to-guy for a romantic songs. Having a chilled romantic dinner? Driving your date to or from a date? Looking for music to create a romantic atmosphere? With you loved one? Put on some Lionel Richie because you know he wont disappoint.

I went through my "Lionel Richie" phase when I was about 15 years roughly 5 years ago.  I had just fallen in love for the first time and all i could bring myself to listen to was Lionel's songs. My first love was sweet and his songs were the soundtrack to my life. I was completely obsessed with the notion of love (still I'm, but in a more mature way) and I remember the one person that understood me fully was him. Of course, that phase ended but his music stuck with me.

The famous Eight letters, Three words made him a legend for decades to come.

Image courtesy Google.

 My top 10 favourite songs by him and what ideally you should have are (not in any particular order) :  

 "Say you say me"

"Hello"

 "Stuck on You"

"All Night Long" 

 "Easy"

"Endless Love" feat Shania Twain

"I call it love"

"Three times the lady" 

"Just for you" 

"Just go"

This ten songs did it for me. So what are you waiting for all you romantics at heart? Listen to a bit of Lionel Richie tonight, tomorrow and the next day just to warm your heart and brighten up your day.

Happy Listening. 

Esther xx

Is Sauti Sol's "NISHIKE" Too Sexy for Telly?

  "Dont gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold" 

-Bob Marley

Lemme begin by saying that i am a die-hard fan of Sauti Sols so its only right if i did my first post about them.

I remember the first time i watched the 'Nishike' video. The urge to go drink a couple of glasses of cold water or even take a few cold showers was too real. Rewinding and replaying the video was what i did those first couple of minutes not quite believing what i was seeing. From Biens bodyrolls to Mudigi's pull-up antics not forgetting Polycarp's on the floor endeavours and Chimano's on the car 'threesome' (for luck of a better word), this video was nothing but HOT! They dared to be different and it paid off with more than 700,000 views since they released it.

Frankly speaking, i am glad that they decided to do something out of the box and out of the norm. The band of 4 have released hit after hit, winning the hearts of many Kenyans and it was about time they stepped up to the plate and showed us why we love them so much.  For the first time, i felt like the Kenyan Music industry was going somewhere. Somewhere where recognition on a global platform and rubbing shoulders with the giants of global entertainment is bound to happen.

Old news, new news, the video left us feeling some type of way but the music was nothing short of revolutionary.  So much controversy revolved around the video that most people failed to realize the song that was underneath it. A love song for the lovers 'Nishike' fused Sauti Sol's charm with Kagwe Mungai's prowess and the collaboration was amazing. From most people that i have talked to about the song and the views on YouTube, its clear that people think that the song is too western and lacks that Kenyan signature. They might have their reasons for thinking that but i actually believe the opposite.

We are so fixated on our beliefs and opinions that we refuse to be open-minded when it comes to our music and artists. Its no wonder that most artists are afraid of making music that incooperates various styles of music from around the global for fear of back-lash and being accused of 'trying to copy the West'.  They then risk having songs that sound the same and end up compromising their artistry.  It becomes ridiculous after a while and kills moral for any upcoming artist who wants to take that daring step and break the boundaries that we have set for ourselves and pursue their global vision. I believe that its possible to 'sound kenyan' and still 'sound global' at the same time.

Back to the matter at hand, Is it too sexy for telly? i dont think so. It might be uncomfortable to watch with children around or even make you feel squirmish, but what isn't this days. Take for example all those Jamaican and American music videos that have half- naked girls and shirtless men gyrating to lewd lyrics and making suggestive gestures and still get airtime on our television stations. And what about those the Durex adverts with funny sounds and insinuating words during commercials. Why cant we extend the same open-mindedness and courtesy to our local artists?

To Sauti Sol, Keep on keeping on. To me, you are the epitome of what a Kenyan artist should be. Fearless and lovable with a bit of charm and daring attitude to be different from the rest. I salute you and your efforts.

Just a fans' opinion.
Happy Reading!
Esther xx