Afro-fusion singer and songwriter, Nina Ogot, is back on the spotlight with the release of her latest album, Ukumbu.KE. The nine-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.
Born and bred in Nairobi, Nina Ogot’s compositions are a reflection of her origins and a reflection of a few other communities she has interacted with, and ‘Ukumbu.KE’ further attests to that. The songbird, who 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, has also worked on a collaborative album dubbed Yote Yote, which was released with Kenyan contemporary musician, Winyo.
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 singer, who has also been a radio and TV presenter, said of Ukumbu.KE.
The tracks in Ukumbu.KE radiate the vocalist and guitarist’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, which addresses the plight of street people, has grown from laid-back guitar acoustic to a dramatic and powerful call-to-action musical performance.
On this project she embodies sparkling guitar sounds, easily grooving percussion and melodic jolly horns that complement one another perfectly with the predominant Swahili and Luo verses of her 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.
Photo: Norbert Nettekoven
The album title contains a word game, transforming ‘ukumbu’ (Swahili for ‘memories’) into a modern context as ‘ukumbuke’ (let us remember) with an added twist of ‘.ke’ to represent a vault for Kenyan music and culture.
As you listen to the album, you will feel a connection to Nina’s childhood and parts of her adulthood memories come to life. The album’s sound revives cultural roots while also creating a colourful live music experience and new memories for the present age.
For more than a decade, Nina Ogot performed in a trio band setup until 2018 when a 13 piece band line-up 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 also graced 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.
While Nina Ogot, the cosmopolitan, worked with mostly European musicians on Dala, her decision to record this fourth album 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 a more resolute style of arrangements, compared to the previous albums. The horns and guitars unfold wonderful hook lines, but what stands out the most is Nina Ogot herself, who captivates with her very own briskness, self-confidence and sensuousness.
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,”she exudes.
Photo: Norbert Nettekoven
You can now immerse yourself in Nina Ogot’s musical prowess by streaming the album here: https://songwhip.com/ninaogot/ukumbuke
