Blast From the Past: Check Out Redsan Back In the Day

We spotted Redsan at the Niko Na Safaricom Live Tour launch at the Carnivore Grounds last evening, which got me thinking about Redsan’s impact on the music industry. Today, we take a look back at the illustrious career of one of the pioneers of ragga music in Kenya.

Redsan is one of the artistes that burst out at the turn of the millenium. He stood out from the rest as he was one of the few that favoured ragga, successfully managing to infuse a local feel into the tracks.

His first album, Seasons of the San came out in 2002. Both singles off his debut were successful. Julie and Wanipa Raha both tore through regional charts, earning Redsan a fanbase of not only ragga fans but music enthusiasts in general. The album was recorded at the biggest recording label at the time, Ogopa DJs.

Two years after ‘San, he released his sophomore album, Red, which featured the now mildly hilarious, Chicken and Apakatwe. Both were huge successes. Less iconic than his previous singles but equally successful, Kenyan and Touch, were released off his third album, Pioneer. Both albums were recorded at Southwest Records. His last album, Versatility, came out in 2009 through his Dutty Sounds label.

After winning the Star Search at age 17, before East Africa Bashment Crew and the numerous tours that had him out of country more than in, we take a look at an artiste who has kept clubbers on their feet and durag makers in business. Here is where it all started. He had already done Bageya with Jose Chameleone, but this was his first solo. Check out Redsan’s Julie below.
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We can only hope the recent sighting means we should be expecting some brand new Redsan hits. #throwbackthursday