BANA KADORI
AGWAMBO
KNO 002
add to cart $13 CD
Lush vocal harmonies over smooth, danceable beats have made the sweet benga sounds of BANA KADORI a mainstay on the Kenyan music scene for almost 30 years. Formed in 1979 as a backing band for the legendary Ochieng Kabasseleh, the “Band of the Children of Dori” has spent decades fine tuning their own intoxicating blend of Luo benga and Congolese rumba – a sound that exhilarated audiences on the group’s first US tour in August and September of 2007. It was toward the end of this summer sojourn that BANA KADORI hooked up with Kanyo’s own Nyathi Otenga Flying Studios in a basement in Bethlehem, PA to document their latest collection of sonic confections.
The result is Agwambo – a 74-minute powerhouse built from the rolling rhythms and memorable melodies that have won BANA KADORI the hearts of music fans from Nairobi to New York. From the confident strut of “Alwalla Ja Kadel” to the laid-back swing of “Ochot Mayaka”, Agwambo finds the group at the height of its powers – and nowhere is this mastery more audible than on the album’s exceptional title track. Here, BANA KADORI expresses their support for Raila “Agwambo” Odinga, a leading candidate in Kenya’s upcoming general election. Over a traditional rhythm, the group urges Kenyans of all backgrounds to unite at the polls and vote to reverse decades of corruption. This optimism can be heard in the song’s playful bassline and chiming guitars and, while BANA KADORI’s is not the first musical homage to Raila Odinga, it is certainly the most charming.
BANA KADORI is a group that has definitely secured its place in the history of benga, all whilst keeping an eye trained toward the future. Kanyo is pleased to present their latest work, though, with Agwambo, we’re sure the pleasure will be all yours!
OPIYO BILONGO & BILONGO GOLDEN STARS
WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT?
KNO 001
add to cart $13 CD
Kanyo Records is proud to present its debut release - What Do People Want? by Opiyo Bilongo and Bilongo Golden Stars. This occasion also marks the first time that Mr. Bilongo"s music is available outside of his native Kenya, where his original brand of dangerously funky benga music has made him a household name. Though this is his first international release, U.S. audiences are already familiar with Opiyo Bilongo"s infectious guitar lines and unique vocal stylings through his involvement with Extra Golden, the Kenyan-American collaboration whose Autumn 2006 concerts have already reached legendary status. In fact, the group performed several of Mr. Bilongo"s compositions during that time. Of those, "Hera Mar Kionjo" and 2004"s monster hit "Yuak Debe Sauti Moja" are included here.
The latest in a long line of Kenyan benga greats such as D.O. Misiani and Colella Mazee, Opiyo Bilongo started his musical career in the 1990"s. After playing with several different Luo dance bands throughout western Kenya, he hooked up with benga legend Osito Kale, as a rhythm guitarist. A couple years of constant touring later, and Mr. Bilongo was ready to break out on his own. He recorded Nyako We Sanda, whose title track became a hit, and has never looked back. Suddenly popular, Mr. Bilongo needed a band and, so, Bilongo Golden Stars was born. By 2004, Bilongo and his new group were becoming quite deadly on the benga scene. They got together with Extra Golden guitarist Ian Eagleson in Siaya and recorded not one, but two follow-ups to Nyako We Sanda. What Do People Want? brings together the best tracks from both of those releases.
2007 is already shaping up to be the year of Opiyo Bilongo, with What Do People Want? dropping at the beginning, and a new Extra Golden full-length due out by the end. In the Luo language, "Bilongo" means "taste hawk". You may not find that idea particularly appealing, but if you don"t get hip to Opiyo Bilongo now, you"ll surely be "eating crow" later.