Let Africans love one another...

With this live event coming up on Thursday with Nina Ogot, Winyo and Didge, I was going to write a post...

but then these lyrics from the song 'Nikie Kwe' seemed to say everything I would ever need to say and more...


Nitie Kwe

(scroll down for the video)

If we stay with love
If we humble oursleves
If we stay together as one
Listen to the song we sing
We sing it with love
Let's save our children
Let our grandfather's quarrels
Not corrupt their innocence
They should learn to love one another
Not fight one another
Let the wars of our grandfathers
Not seperate us

Let's unite
Let Africans love one another
It should be so
Let's unite and become one
There is peace
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song

Let's unite
Let Africans love one another
It should be so
Let's unite and become one
There is peace
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song

We are here we have arrived
We help one another we develop together
Let's have peace children of the nations
We help and develop together
There is nothing stronger than love
If it wasnt for love
We wouldnt be here
If you will carry someone
Don't let them get dirty
Don't let them go astray
Our children are the coming generation
Let them learn from us
Remember the times we were helpless and had nothing

Lets unite and be one
It should be so it should be so
There is peace
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song
Let's unite
Let Africans love one another
It should be so
Let's unite and become one

There is peace
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song
Let's unite
Let Africans love one another
It should be so
Let's unite and become one
There is peace
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song
There is peace in the song

"I met with Maurice Kirya at Bluzebra studios I was recording my songs, then Tedd Josiah my former producer suggested if we could do something together, a tune was made and the lyrics came pouring down we wrote the song right there and recorded it, and it was very beautiful"

extract from an interiew with Winyo in 2011
by KenyanPoet

The song: Nitie Kwe

Performed by: Winyo feat. Maurice Kirya

Recorded and Produced by Tedd Josiah @ BluZebra Studios

Keys and Percussion: Tedd Josiah

Bass & Guitars: Isaac Gem

• at Sunday, April 22, 2012
• Posted by Tedd Josiah

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pharmaceuticals, corruption and oscars...

“The world’s biggest drama is not found in Europe or the Middle East or North America – the world’s biggest challenges and dramas are found in Africa.”

Jan Egeland UN

Tremendous filmmaking talent from all over the globe, bought The Constant Gardener to our movie screens in 2005, combining – as only motion pictures can – adventure, social relevance, and emotion.

“The chance to take on some of the pharmaceutical industry was only one of three elements that made me want to direct The Constant Gardener. Another was the chance – the choice – to shoot in Kenya. And it is also and fundamentally a very original love story; a man who marries a younger woman, and it’s after she dies that he truly falls in love with her and goes looking for her. It’s a beautiful tale, with a touch of the existential to it.”

Director Fernando Meirelles

A deeply moving story of large profit hungry pharmaceutical companies entwined with the story of a woman driven by her passion and a man who finds his, only after he loses her. The Constant Gardener won a string of awards [list here], including an oscar for the soundtrack of which this track was #proudly one.

Credits

Song title: 'Forever'

Written by Nazizi Hirgi/Kevin Waire/Tedd Josiah .

Performed by Necessary Noise

The Constant Gardner

Published by Blu Zebra Music

Courtesy of Blu Zebra Records, Nairobi, Kenya

Licensed by Arrangement with A.I. Records, Nairobi, Kenya

"Nobody in this story, and no outfit or corporation, thank God, is based upon an actual person or outfit in the real world. But I can tell you this; as my journey through the pharmaceutical jungle progressed, I came to realize that, by comparison with the reality, my story was as tame as a holiday postcard."

John le Carré

• at Wednesday, April 18, 2012
• Posted by Tedd Josiah

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What moments has time given you?

"I took the camera out to one of my trips and shot Lake Magadi in East Africa. A lovely silent place that makes you pause and take stock of the beauty of life"



For my followers who don't know the wonders of my home country, the otherworldly Lake Magadi lies in southern Great Rift Valley in the heart of Kenya's Maasi Land. The shimmering salt lake is about 115 kilometres south west of Nairobi.

It is the only semi-solid soda lake in Kenya, completely surrounded by vast natural salt flats. (map courtesy of http://www.webkenya.com/)

"it is a really remarkable place with unspoilt beauty"

• at Saturday, April 14, 2012
• Posted by Tedd Josiah

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something from the vaults... 1998

Hip Hop artists Oteraw, Kama and Johny from Dandora Nairobi, formed Kalamashaka aka K-Shaka in the mid 90's. Kshaka went straight to No1 with this song Songa Hapa and stayed there. The song featured the sweet tones of Natasha Gatabaki. The understated beat, depth and contrasts in this song make it as potent now as it was then.



Artist: Kalamashaka ft Natasha Gatabaki
Song: Songa Hapa
Album: Ni Wakati
Year: 1998
Producer: Tedd Josiah
Record Label: Blu Zebra




 Lyrics:

Chorus [Nikki]

Songa hapa nikuelezee yalo moyoni

tukifika ukingoni

tutarudia mwanzoni

Songa hapa nikuelezee yalo moyoni

tukifika ukingoni

tutarudia mwanzoni

Verse 1

umeni-attract vile mic yu-attract MCs

tunafaa ku-catch breeze kule West Indies

nakutamani, toka zamani

figure yako, mwili yako, sura yako that pretty face

makes me feel so good

kama Mase niaje, sema

ingawa Beemer sina

expensive dinner Steers pesa sina,

lakini nitakupatia satisfaction

tukiwa si wawili, nikupatie action

mi sio amateur, si-need introduction

nikupe Thriller, mpaka usahau Michael Jackson

first things first...

body massage

relax Oteraw sasa yuko in charge

nipe ulimi dondosa

haki huna makosa

unafaa kucheki vile wewe ni kipusa

kila nikikucheki ninataka kukugusa

Chorus [Nikki]

Songa hapa nikuelezee yalo moyoni

tukifika ukingoni

tutarudia mwanzoni

Songa hapa nikuelezee yalo moyoni

tukifika ukingoni

tutarudia mwanzoni

Verse 2

toka zamani nilikuwa nikitafuta

lakini siku moja wewe nilikukuta

ulinipeleka high ni kama... nimevuta

walai, nataka kukubamba wewe kuja

uwe wangu moja namba

nikupeleke kwa yangu keja kule viti tu-get kinky without SWV

niwe nawe mpaka siku nita-meet

Tupac na BIG

ile kitu chanijazz kukuhusu umenicheki kwenye TV

na pia niki-wreck mic yo

na bado wee hujipi

vipi, wataka nini

nikupe three wishes kama genie

lakini mimi binadamu

na nina hamu ya kukudara

kwanza nikiona watabasamu

naitwa na romance kama butler

kuja uwe wangu Cleopatra

niwe wako, Black Julius Caesar

unachohitaji ntahimiza

sikiza, supuu, word is bond

without mavinyu let's get it on

on and on and on

till the break of dawn

Chorus [Nikki]

Songa hapa nikuelezee yalo moyoni

tukifika ukingoni

tutarudia mwanzoni

Songa hapa nikuelezee yalo moyoni

tukifika ukingoni

tutarudia mwanzoni

Verse 3

si siri

wewe ni mzuri mpaka John Pope wa pili

akikuona haki atasema [my, my, my]

kuja hivi tu-get S.E.X

kichwa hivi nitakupa

mpaka utadhani

eti Romeo amefufuka

honey,'kidhani nikikuona natamani

niingize mguu wa tatu huko ndani

kwani, nacheki hiyo booty

nawaza niikute

niivuruge

hadi mbao wee utupe

njoo tuvuke

baby boo, mpaka kule Dandora

phase two kwa paradise

yangu bora

yenye miguu nne na matress kubwa

ya Nakumatt

panda

zima taa

kisha washa mshumaa

kichuma

oh yes

siku hizi mambo yangu yako B to the O-X

word check

kama L to the O-X

wanadhani nina manupaa wa end respect

wanataka S to the E-X

word play

lakini yo ni wewe ninataka nawadia kama vile P to the O-X

Chorus [Nikki]

Songa hapa nikuelezee yalo moyoni

tukifika ukingoni

tutarudia mwanzoni

Songa hapa nikuelezee yalo moyoni

tukifika ukingoni

tutarudia mwanzoni

Lyrics provided by http://www.kenyanlyrics.com/

• at Thursday, April 12, 2012
• Posted by Tedd Josiah

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drumming on the border...

"On one of my trips to Africa I went up into a village on the Kenya Uganda border and recorded a 'jam session' put on for me by a group from the village.


Filming this made me think... What will happen to this generation of drummers in Africa? In Kenya there is no support for cultural projects and very soon players such as these will be no more."


TRIBAL GROOVES from Tedd Josiah on Vimeo.

• at Saturday, April 07, 2012
• Posted by Tedd Josiah

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Hip-Hop has its roots in Africa

The importance of Hip-Hop in Kenya during the last 15 years...

"Hip-Hop has its roots in Africa, we cannot forget that. And African music was all about, especially, I would say Hip-Hop was very much the youth, the warrior, the young person, who's just broken into his youth and discovered that he's such a strong person and so on."

Tedd, Hip-Hop Colony Movie

Interview snippets by Tedd from the award winning Emerge Media Films movie 'Hip-Hop Colony' 2005
(click the play button for player to load)

Hip-Hop Colony Trailer 1
Hip-Hop Colony Trailer 2

Website: Hip-Hop Colony

Hip-Hop Archives for more on the Hip-Hop story...

• at Sunday, March 18, 2012
• Posted by Tedd Josiah

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Archive Radio Interview from 2003

Archive Radio Interview with Daniel Brown 2003

"On Tedd Josiah’s return from a stay in the US he opened his state-of-the-art Blu Zebra studio in Nairobi. We caught up with the mercurial producer there in July 2003 to discuss the state of Kenyan music."  Daniel Brown

Tedd talks on the state of Kenyan music (interview part 1)
2003 interview with Tedd (part 2)
2003 interview with Tedd (part 3)
2003 interview with Tedd (part 4)
2003 interview with Tedd (part 5)
2003 interview with Tedd (part 6)

"It's bizarre because I remember when i grew up, I grew up in the States, but I was listening to all this Kenyan music that my dad had brought with him and it was so beautiful. And I came back and there was none of that music anymore on radio or in the clubs. There were no bands performing it, so when I came back, I came back with that passion of... I wanna do this, I wanna do it right."

• at Friday, March 16, 2012
• Posted by Tedd Josiah

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