Changanya

Nairobian multi-instrumentalist and singer Nabalayo is part of a crop of young artists exploring Kenya’s folkloric tradition (she recently participated in the KMRU curated Insha). Her debut album Changanya acts as a sort of manifesto for the genre of music she pioneered, and is a hauntingly beautiful collection of 12 short stories, based on the traditions of the Bajuni, Giriama, Gusii, and Kikuyu people of Kenya and on her own experiences as a young Nairobian. Incredibly entirely self-produced, the album is carried by Nabalayo’s sharp, clear voice,  interwoven with intricate percussion and a variety of traditional Kenyan instruments. A sort of Björk meets Kenyan folklore. Nabalayo’s interest in the musical traditions of Kenya shines through the album, and the way she combines them, often in one song,  is a reflection of Nairobi’s rich and varied cultural tapestry. In “Macheo” for example she sings in Swahili,  samples verses from a Giriama folk song, includes a type of Kikuyu percussion, uses a drum machine to recreate the Luyha rhythms, and plays the twanging notes of an Obokano, a giant lyre of the Abagusii. A seriously underrated album.