The New Wave of East African Sound
Nu Fvunk of East African Wave

Nu Fvunk of East African Wave

“I hate when someone tells me I don’t sound African,” says Ukweli, the youngest member of East African Wave—or EA Wave for short. “What am I supposed to do, put Conga drums on all of my tracks? My music is African by virtue of me being African.”

The 21-year-old is one-fifth of EA Wave—a group of five DJs and music producers who, over the last couple of years, have created a small scene in Nairobi around their style of electronic music: an amalgamation of trap, house, trip-hop, and downtempo beats.

The busy capital city—where the boys grew up—is the economic hub of East Africa, attracting musicians from all over the region. Every night, the lively downtown bars move to the syncopated melodies of benga, the Cuban son-influenced rhythms of rhumba, and fast-paced soukous. Still, the airwaves are dominated by highly commercial, western-influenced R&B, Jamaican dancehall, and Nigerian Afrobeat.

But because there’s still a high level of “gatekeeping” around what gets played on radio and television, it’s been close to impossible for up-and-coming, non-commercial local artists to get their voices heard.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Kapuka and Genge—two styles of homegrown reggae-infused hip-hop, which are topped off with local slang—gave a fleeting insight into the culture of the young urban population of Nairobi. “That is the music we grew up on,” Ukweli says. “It was dope at the time, but it did not keep growing and stopped representing us.”

“So we started making the music we wanted to hear,” Nu Fvnk adds.

Read more on the link - Bandcamp

10. Jinku, Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi producer Jinku invented his own genre, Swahili bass. It's an amalgamation of trap 808s, synth stabs, Afro-house, moombahton song arrangement, and East African instruments. - FADER

The process can be transcendent for local producers, like Nairobi’s Jinku, who I met at the Femme Electronic residency night. Over a background beat of Sango mixed into Kaytranada, he told me, “Santuri made me realize my African-ness, because of their philosophy of not discarding what makes Africa a continent — the music, the culture — but finding a way to merge with Western electronic music.” Thanks to Santuri, Jinku has landed bookings at Uganda’s Nyege Nyege Festival, while another protégé, Makadem, has become a regular performer abroad on the strength of Santuri-brokered collaborations like “Mganga Mkuu” and “Salaam.”

READ MORE ON THE LINK - FADER

It’s from her new EP, Indigo, which is being released by new music and art collective, East African Wave.

Read more on the link - FADER

EA Wave is the new collective spreading in East Africa by means of their electric blend of house, trap, hip-hop and downtempo. We ask them to select their 5 essential tracks.

Nairobi is the capital of Kenya and the economic hub of East Africa. Today it’s a true breeding ground of talented artists. There, we listen benga, Nigerian afrobeats, jamaican dancehall and western-influenced R&B. And also there is the music that is not played on the radio, the music played by young urban population. Among this young people, there is Hiribae, Mvroe, Nu Fvnk, Jinku and Ukweli. It is now two years since these five prodigies decided to get together under the EA Wave collective.

READ MORE ON THE LINK - PAN AFRICAN MUSIC

EA Wave (East African Wave) is a Kenyan-based creative collective of artists and producers pushing forward what they’re calling a #NuNairobi sound.

The five member crew of producers Ukweli, Nu Fvnk, Jinku, Hiribae and Muroe craft songs that are loosely tied together by the hazy melodies, rumbling bass and 808s being championed by young beat makers across the globe.

Since their inception last year, the collective has produced for Cosmic Homies singer Karun (formerly of Camp Mulla), Jojo Abot, and, in a an unlikely turn of events, even Willow Smith.

Get introduced to the five members of EA Wave below as ringleader Jacob Solomon aka Jinku tells us about his co-conspirators.

Read more on the link - Okay Africa

An unprecedented level of diversity on the Kenyan musical landscape continues to be witnessed day by day. More and more artists, producers and creative collectives continue to contribute to a growing wave of fresh sounds. Not only are these new artists re-imagining Kenya's musical identity and filling the existing gaps, but they are also breathing new life into old sounds that have been around for generations.

Read more on the link - Music in Africa

FACT Rated is our series digging into the sounds and stories of the most vital breaking artists around right now. Today, Jack Needham meets Kenyan producer and rapper Kelvin Hansen who, between his solo work as Nu Fvnk and his EA Wave producer collective, is helping cultivate an exciting new sound in the capital of Nairobi.

READ MORE ON THE LINK - FACT mag

Nu Fvnk is a creative genius embodied with talent that spills so seamlessly from his soul. Producer, Fashion Designer, Graphics Wizard and DJ; Fvnk is purely an artist not limited to one form of creative expression. Making up 1/5 of EA Wave, Nu Fvnk links up with Hiribae (EA Wave) to put together a sonic body of work that allows him to jump onto his co-produced track.

‘254 Dip’ features on EA Wave’s #WAVYWEDNESDAY and the track is has definitely been curated to satisfy the ears of those yearning for something new. The production behind the work is experimental; vocals laid down don’t stretch the track out. The simplicity of his bars makes it evident that Fvnk doesn’t need to try that hard to create art; he is art.

Read more on the link - HBR (Kenya Radio Station)

Take a look at Ghanaian Electro soul singer Jojo Abot‘s brand new video (shot completely with an camera phone) – ‘Mega Kpenu Nao’ (feat. EA WAVE)

Her team write: “Recorded in Kenya, Mega Kpenu Nao (Let it shame you not), is a song that marks the beginning of the AFRI-NA-LADI. A multimedia workshop featuring collaborations between a selection of Africa’s most innovative underground artists happening in Kenya (December 2015 – March 2016). Curated by Jojo Abot”

READ MORE ON THE LINK - AFROPUNK

EA Wave (Jinku, Nufvnk, Ukweli & Mvroe) have had an illustrious year so far. The art collective (music, visual art, film, fashion) will this Friday celebrate an amazing renaissance that has swept the city and amplified a movement #NuNairobi which is fast stirring interest across Africa and the world at large. The collective have only worked as a unit for less than a year but the immense work they’ve put in is almost surreal having graced Blankets n Wine, African Nouveau, YKNL (Mchuzi Mix), Mwanaume ni Effort Festivals, a solo show in Uganda, Bravalla (Swedish biggest festival) and a whole lot more. The collective has also collaborated with Cosmic Homies(Kenya) & Jojo Abot (Ghana), designers Bongosawa & Bonkerz and recently worked on Karun’s EP ‘Indigo’.

READ MORE ON THE LINK - WG NETWORKS

We first came across 19-year-old producer Brendern Denousse aka Ukweli when he cold e-mailed us a bootleg ’Swahili trap’ remix of Ibeyi.

The Nairobi-based producer is a member of the East African Wave collective, who recently dropped a collaboration with Jojo Abot.

At the start of the year, “Get Lost,” a hazy Ukweli-produced track, quietly popped up on young US-based singer JABS’ soundcloud page. Built on minimalist synths and laidback beats, the song features vocals from none other than frequent JABS collaborator Willow Smith (Wilough).

Read more on the link - Okay Africa

We are almost halfway through a new week yet it still feels like Friday, more like a Wave Friday. You see, EA Wave has this contagious energy that goes on and on and on. The wave never dies. Something historic went down on Friday 26th, if you missed it, then you missed the dawn of new era in Kenyan music scene...
...A lot of true moments and energy all over, I mean people weren’t even filming sets and taking pictures of the performers like you’d expect in a typical Kenyan event, guys were jamming, getting lost in the wave, too busy being one with the music, where else do you party literally from 8pm to 6pm? ...

READ MORE ON THE LINK - WG NETWORKS

Nu Nairobi is in full bloom, as EA Wave put together a huge show case at The Alchemist this past Saturday. It was a new moon and month-end, so the energy at The Alchemist was electric and alive. The artists and party goers were soaking up the same energy, enjoying the warm night and jamming to good music.

Nu Nairobi is the alternative heart centered philosophy and creative movement erupting in Nairobi. At the heartbeat of Nu Nairobi is the music put together by fresh production and amazing vocals. EA Wave are the collective of producers in the forefront of the Nu Nairobi movement.

READ MORE ON THE LINK - KENYAN VIBE

Mvroe along with Joseph Kiwango and two more or the EA Wave crew, Hiribae and Ukweli, released the first track 'LOVE' off Mvroe and Josephs new album project 'Let her come over' last friday. The same day it made the Okay Africa weekend play list alongside the likes of Wizkid and Major Lazor. - Okay Africa

Ukweli

Ukweli, born Brendern Denousse, is a hip-hop, trap and soul producer who runs the groundbreaking NuNairobi crew East African Wave (or EA Wave for short).

With a sound that perfectly blends the smoothness of neo-soul and the buoyancy of modern hip-hop with inch-perfect pop sensibilities, he’s already worked with massive artists like Willow and Jayden Smith, as well as R’n’B duo Ibeyi.

Still only 19 years of age, he looks to have a bright future ahead of him – as well as working on multiple projects with EA Wave, he’s aiming to release a solo EP in the near future.

Mvroe

Another EA Wave member, Mvroe started DJing under his real name James Mburu in 2012. From there, he quickly gained a reputation as a skilled studio producer, only recently stepping into the foreground to rap and sing on his own tracks.

Mvroe has a sound that listeners will recognise as being closer to classic US-style trap, his TRUE EP hitting harder than many others in the Kenyan scene, especially those peddling the more laidback NuNairobi sound. - VICE

EA Wave (East African Wave) is a Nairobi-based group of dynamic beat makers. Together they are galvanising Kenya’s contemporary music scene by leading a new musical movement – #NuNairobi sound.

The five-strong collective, made up of artists, DJs and Producers, cross-pollinates genres in pursuit of true self-expression. Since their formation two years ago, the musical prodigies have been taking steps to bridge the gap between old and new; they champion fresh East African music without letting traditional instruments fall by the wayside.
Read more on the link - TRUE Africa

f you’re familiar with the contemporary Kenyan urban music scene you have no doubt heard about Sichangi and heard his music. And if you don’t know this guy, we are super-happy to introduce you to him. Samuel Sichangi has seduced ears and souls with his productions that are filled with beautiful details and passion. Artists love when he does a remix. His name has been dancing around us for a while. And when we joined Patricia Kihoro on Afrocentral and asked listeners who they would want us to interview, again Sichangi was the main request. We knew we would get good music and cool info, but Sichangi gave us so much more in this conversation – including dropping a new release which is a collabo with Wilough (Willow Smith), Jabs (Jarah Aubrey) and Tyler Cole. It is with much joy we share this with you. Meet producer and artist Samuel Sichangi. Read more on the link - meanwhileinkenya

When rising Nairobi-based producer Sichangi sent his instrumental off to JABS, he had no idea it’d end up as the basis for a collaboration with Wilough and Tyler Cole. “We kept in touch through emails and in one of them I asked about the progress of the song and she said that it was coming along well, and that Wilough and ‘someone else’ would be on it “ The end result may have missed the deadline for his debut EP, but the quartet show an impressive effortless chemistry. Over a beat like calm waters over turbulent fault lines, Wilough and JABS haunt and harmonize, while Tyler Cole’s verse spells out that heartbreaking moment when you realize it’s not you or me, it’s both of us. Let’s hope for more from the 4 of them. - AFROPUNK

Sichangi dropped a bomb on us when he released his Hold On EP four months ago, proving to any doubters that he's an incredibly skilled and talented producer. Despite only having burst onto the scene recently, Sichangi started making music four years ago—you can tell from the quality of his music that he has a level of proficiency that beats most.

The young producer describes his music as “sensual.” “Each song has a different emotion or feeling embedded into it purposefully ranging from if your bitch broke up with you to it’s lit,” he mentions. With direct influences from new school artists such as Anderson.Paak and Kaytranada, Sichangi’s music has a worldly appeal and it’s definitely the breath of fresh air we needed in Nairobi. - OkayAfrica