A World Apart | Incognito
Happy New Year Folks!!
Cheers to new frontiers and delving into the unknown, which is 2013.
I begin blogging with a post that should have been published last year but the timing of events meant otherwise. Also, this will be my LONGEST post to date, so brace yourselves.
Allow me to digress a bit by first saying that I am a music lover/critic/collector prior to even picking up a DSLR camera. I pride myself in vast collections of different genres of music and those who know me quite well will testify to my love for jazz. Love it. From the era of John Coltrane, Count Basie, Etta Jones and Miles Davies to the new school vibes. Acid jazz, Nu jazz, Smooth Jazz..I love it all. So for among the founders of Acid Jazz to grace Nairobi at the Bomas of Kenya, brought in by sponsors Sierra and Capital FM, I was game from the get-go.
Ladies and Gents, introducing Incognito – A diverse cultural yet singular music band formed in 1979. The look and sound of Acid Jazz. Acid jazz, going by their 15 albums released to date (yes, 15!) is a fusion of Soul, Funk and up-tempo Jazz. Why Incognito? Well, going by their medley of backgrounds it really is a band with only one unifying factor: Good Music. Led by the timeless Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick from Mauritius, Incognito boasts having present and past members from diverse backgrounds – sample this; A bass guitarist from Jamaica, Lead vocalists from Sri Lanka, Britain, America and Germany, An Italian drummer, A Jewish Music Director/Keyboard, A Portuguese percussionist and A Scottish trombonist. Phew!
So you can imagine my surprise when I saw the low turn-out to the Sierra Jazz Festival, an issue that was not lost on them either. Thankfully, that did not deter them from dropping on us the audience the mother of all concerts- showcasing their brilliance to the point that they could afford to switch up their whole set by playing a piece with different band members on different instruments from what they usually play. So torn between shooting and enjoying myself I was, that I eventually packed up my gear early and joined the rest at the front of the stage to shake a leg. I figured I had enough pictures plus it was better to be up close to hear the immaculate voices and instruments, while ogling at Imaani.
I can gab on and on about how awesome it was but no words or pictures can do the experience that was justice. Not to mention, the very able Kato Change and his band being the curtain raisers , gave a performance worthy of the ticket itself. he definitely is going places – fast.
On to the select images but before I do, please familiarize yourselves with this unbelievable group of musicians here and sample some of their stuff.
Enjoy.
~El Fin~
Tusker Lite Experience | FatBellyBella
How’dy good folk!
Been ages [again] since I was up in here, it’s almost Christmas! It would be injustice if I didn’t blog at all before the turn of the new year.
On to matters more important, introducing one of the pioneers of Neo Soul, in the flesh, actually regarded as The Queen of Neo Soul, Grammy Award winner, Ericah Abi Wright or better known to us all as Erykah Badu, finally set foot on Kenyan soil. The stage was all set at the Carnivore grounds , with the irony probably not lost on her, considering she’s vegan.
Anyway.
Curtain raised by the exemplary Isaiah Katumwa (backed up by the very able James Jozee of Gogo Simo Band on the keyboard), the audience were almost hushed into awestruck silence as the roller coaster shuttled from the mellow to groovy and back to the mellow tracks. An encore was therefore in order, which got all to their feet, as anticipation of the main event inched towards fever pitch.
Cue in the intermission as the mercurial DJ Adrian and freshly talented DJ Andre tag-teamed to ensure the crowd was kept on it’s toes, dishing out throwback tracks on their wheels of steel, I almost thought I was lost in the ’90s [no pun intended].
Thereafter.
Silence. Dimmed lights. Breathless anticipation. Suddenly, a gentle rhythmic beat preceding a medley and crescendo of rhythmic instruments pushed to their limit as the diva of the moment made her grand entrance. And a grand entrance it was! Soaking in the deafening cheers and applause, FatBellyBella took to the stage and struck one of her trademark poses, before preceding to churn out hit after hit off her famous albums “Baduizm“, “Mama’s Gun” with songs such as “Bag lady”, “On and On”, “Appletree”, “Tyrone” and “Didn’tcha know” just to mention a few. So good and long was her performance (almost 2 hours non-stop), that an encore would probably have been overkill.
Needless to say, this concert by Tusker Lite Experience’s books was definitely worthy of being the full-stop in their calendar of events for 2012.
Enough gabbing on, here are my select images [in random order as I get the hang of blogging back]. Enjoy.
~El Fin~
Bengenge: The Sound of the Villagers Band
How’dy folk!
Trust all is well with you.
‘Tis the season to be jolly so hope you are gearing down towards that. Personally I am jolly pleased how that the year is ending. I’m a sucker for new beginings bringing along new tidings.
Among the reasons that I’ve been jolly this week is for having the opportunity to shoot The Villagers Band as they entertained fans and friends at the MJ Centre to #Bengenge. What is Bengenge? The distinct fusion of Benga and urban Kenyan sounds (Initially I thought Chris Adwar said it is the fusion of Benga and Genge, but that was my mind wandering hopelessly).
The stage was awash with instruments and colour as the 11 piece band took to stage. Minus the disappointing technical sound glitches, the performance was stellar. The trumpets synchronization, the thunderous drums and the guitar licks in tandem all served to electrify the atmosphere, as sections of the crowd broke out to shake a leg. Befittingly, the encore was their hit titled “They Dance”, which aptly closed the show and wound down on their calendar year for live performances, leaving no doubt that future performances will only be better, as Kenyans brace for the beautiful sounds of Bengenge.
~El Fin~
Lady.Smith.Black.Mambazo [Live In Nairobi]
How’dy do folks!!
Hope you are well and enjoying the summer heat as I am.
I have been off the radar for a while and again I do apologize, but I figured I might come back with a post to try and quench your thirst (assuming you were thirsty)
It had been a minute since I shot a concert so needless to say, I was among the throngs that made their way to the Impala grounds this past Sunday afternoon. The classical fusion, a Safaricom sponsored musical affair, was teeming with life and anxiety as an estimated 12,0000 people (up from last year’s 6,000) hustled their way about looking for the best spots to get a glimpse of the promised action.
I, like many others, was there to witness the legendary and super talented South African accapella group, LadySmith Black Mambazo perform for the very first time in East Africa. For those who grew up in the era where T.V comprised only one channel (VoK) and which started at 4pm, you will recall some of their priceless performances such as “Homeless”, “Diamonds on the Soles”, “Shosholoza”, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” among other hits, aired on Urtna, if my memory serves me well.
So you can imagine my surprise as others left immediately after Sauti Sol’s performances…..
All in all, it was a concert that will long live in memory of those who attended. From the nostalgic songs, to the energy displayed by LadySmith’s members (Tshabalala is 71 years old!), to the emergence of local jazz talent, of particular worthy mention, one Kato_Change.
The only blemishes to an otherwise successful concert lay in 2 areas: The poor sound and unprofessional security.
My challenge to event organizers is to bear in mind photographers’ perspectives as they plan the stage layout and subsequent movement. After all, we are the ones who can make your event look rubbish or great through what we capture. Is it too much to ask to have a photo pit?
~El Fin~
A.Groove.Thang
What’s up my peoples!
Hope ya’ll have started the week on a high note. I have. They say Attitude determines Altitude.
Anywho, last weekend was the annual gospel awards ceremony, known to all and sundry as Groove Awards. I actually wasn’t going to shoot it, but a good friend told me it was a good opportunity to not only shoot, but witness Kenyans express themselves on the red carpet in all their decorum and raised chins I needed no further beseeching.
I will admit that I was surprised (in the nice way) of the set up and all. The stage was set up pretty well and the lighting wasn’t too bad either. Neither was the sound. My major qualm was of course Kenyan celebs not keeping time and the selected spots for photoshoots. Horrendous to say the least as all photographers present waxed on lyrical about the none consideration of light. My good buddy Mutua Matheka has explained more on issues about such ceremonies (The Do’s and Don’ts/Have’s and Have Nots) so I’ll spare myself being the broken record.
All in all it was a beautiful experience and it was a great opportunity shooting with fellow photographers and exchanging notes and light banter.
So without much more rambling, Ladies and Gents, my longest post to date (and it could have been longer…too many pics to chose from but these are my select)..Presenting, ain’t nuthin’ but a Groove thang!
..And that’s all folks! Bye Bye!
~El fin~
Elani – A Learning Experience
Hey good peeps!
What’s poppin’?
Last week was a weekend of concert shoots for me, starting with Elani on Friday at Alliance Francaise, then to Groove Awards at KICC on Saturday. I’ll save the Groove Awards for a later post.
So courtesy of my good buddy, David Mutua (one of my teacher photographers), we psyched ourselves into doing this shoot.
As usual, the event started later than was appropriate but nevertheless, we cradled our cameras in anticipation of the show. My bro, who happens to be a refined music critic as myself, sat at the back row taking notes.
The show began with an accapella version of the national anthem which somehow failed to pinch my patriotic nerves. Maybe it was the harmony.
The curtain-raiser, a gentleman by the name of Dempsey then took to stage. He definitely did his acoustic guitar justice as he belted out tune after tune, spacing them with humorous narrations. He definitely won the crowd over and is one talent to look out for at the top in the very near future.
Finally, it was Elani’s time to grace the stage. They did and from my point of view started off with a verve that promised much. Unfortunately for my money’s worth, the energy seemed to dissipate with each passing song. Punctuated by a couple of breaks to break the ice, the show seemed to lack the fluidity and synchrony to elicit excitement. The nail in the coffin was their failure to honour the crowd’s demand for an encore.
Photography-wise too, the setting was as exciting as staring at canned meat. The stage was bathed in a rather annoying and overwhelming red light, which sometimes made way for the occasional yellow light backstage. The shoot was a challenge but like they say, “What don’t kill you (in paranoia), can only make one a better photographer”. Or something like that. With much tweaking and processing, I figured my safest way out is to just post them in B&W.
Here is a taster of the action.
~El Fin~
Captured| Flame
Sometimes I feel Like Moses man/ I jus’ wanna ran to Midian just to/
Change my state but not the State where my City’s in/ But My state of mind, Look for a sign like Gideon coz’/
My faith is waverin’, I’m forsakin’ dependence again/ You took me from Egypt jus’ to make a leader/
But Like Moses I’m not an eloquent speaker/ I’m not eloquent either/
Not before nor after You’ve spoken/
Me in ministry? You’ve gotta be jokin!/
I feel like Jeremiah/
Here are my bones Lord, Here is my fire/
I’m inadequate to represent the Messiah/
Call me the weepin’ rapper/
I read a chapter/
Then I’m heapin’ up laughter/ becoz I’m weak and I can see the disaster of me in ministry/
I feel like Job, I curse the day of my birth/
Since I was born it’s only payin’ me hurt/
My insecurity’s worse/
Sometimes I wish that the night was barren/
Either that or Lord send me an Aaron/
Lord send me an Aaron.
[Excerpt Intro from Flame’s song “War of the Minds” off the album REWIND]
The first time I heard the intro to this song I was absolutely Gob-smacked, Blown-away, Astounded..insert whatever other adjective you see fit.
The emotion and energy Flame pumps into his music is second to none. His lyrics, heartfelt and sobering. So to receive the news that he would be rocking his new album ‘Captured’ here in Nairobi in his Africa tour was a perfect way to start the year.
Unfortunately that’s as far as my praise goes.
I know a lot is put into liaising with International artists (gospel and otherwise) but there is a certain standard of sloppiness I’ve come to expect.
For the amount we parted with at the gate I shouldn’t be asking for at least a band’s man (a la Da T.R.U.T.H) but I guess I am asking for a bit much ay?
As usual, there were the curtain raisers (I witnessed Eko Dydda leave stage so my 2 cents is he performed) and security patrol/stage managers who outnumbered the clutch of impatient hip hoppers at the dome.
That aside, I timed my entry to near perfection, as I strolled into Mavuno Dome just as Flame was backstage testing his vocals and Eko Dydda made a nuisance of himself on stage.
After what seemed like eternity..the man of the moment graced the stage. It was ‘pop, pop…poppin’ yo!
I’d have put audio but…that would be giving you a free concert.
~El Fin~
Picture? Perfect. 