Blast From the Past: A Kenyan Music Legend

It’s safe to say the Kenyan music boom started in the late ’90s. Groups like Kalamashaka, 5 Alive and K-South had been doing it since the mid ’90s but showbiz culture never really kicked in until the turn of the century.

If we had to pick one song that is a representation of that era, I’d have to go with Hardstone’s Uhiki. Listening to the song now, you realize how groundbreaking it was then. How different it is. How no one has really replicated that style.

Every local artiste who made contemporary music around that time sounded exactly like American artistes in the same genre. Most were RnB bands that sounded like Boyz II Men. Some were hip hop groups that sounded like NWA.

He sung and rapped whole verses in three different languages (English, Swahili, Kikuyu) and used autotune way before it was cool. A true music, who you might actually be surprised is still making music in the U.S. Check out the nostalgic track below.
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