I Think I Had Instrumentalists in Mind When Typing This

Eye adaba, eye adaba, timfolokeloke…

Every time I listen to this song it takes me back to my freshman days in music and in the company of musicians who knew what they were doing. I do not come from a Pentecostal background and that means my understanding then was limited to choral music. Not to say choral music is not…you get the point. In Pentecostal worship music instruments play a large role. Pop music and most genres recorded have instruments. My statement above should only be understood in this context: that people are considered musicians when they play instruments or understand what instruments do or work in an instrumental context.

So, the song.

I meet these two guitarists who were creating material I have never had a Kenyan create. They adored ‘great guitarists’ who make serious arrangements in their music. Slash.Hendrix.Presnyakov.Andy Mckee. Truth be told some part of me felt inferior coming from this ‘I love Afro music’ bubble I had always lived in when I met them. That means any mention of Rhumba was meant with stares. Oliver was known only as far as ‘Todii’ was concerned. These are the people who introduced me to John Mayer, Kings of Leon, Creed,Coldplay etc.

Hendrix Jimi

They would go on and on about how sijui nani changed sijui which chord or changed the fingering and would write songs with guitars tuned in DADGADs and such. I had no idea what a DADGAD was then. Refer to disclaimer above.

It was therefore a great surprise to people who seemed to silently scoff at my ‘old, boring, African music which was done without imagination’ try playing Asa’s Eye Adaba and fail. Okay, maybe not fail. But struggle. And the person never did learn. I was curious. I asked why. He told me that the chord changes with every note she sings so it is not your standard riff. Imagine how happy (and validated) I felt!

Yes, I know. The tag African music, like African writing, is one worthy of a book full of essays arguing its existence and definition by minds considered great both in their understanding of culture and/or music in the world. Be that as it may, I was glad that ‘African’ music could be complex. It could be taken ‘seriously’ by these young rockers out to change the world through their music. Whatever that meant.

Why do I go on and on about this ‘ooo African music’ manenos? Simple. I love it. I cannot define it satisfactorily but I love it. I love the rhythm, the happy major chords. I just love. Makes my being warm when I hear ‘Rail On’ start to play. Every single time.

Dear instrumentalist, instead of trying to ape whoever you consider the guitar god, seeking to sound just like them, why not create your own style that says this came from Kenya or ‘Africa’? Have you heard Isaiah Katumwa play? Have you heard Dlu Dlu on guitar?

I asked Kevo some time back, what makes a certain riff ‘African’? This was his answer. Whether it is correct or not is another story but it makes sense. Rhythm. I have heard Isaiah explain his playing and again it’s down to rhythm.

Apparently (and I can’t confirm this) Ayub Ogada of Kothbiro came up with his own way of playing the nyatiti that was unique to himself.

It is a matter of purpose and commitment. Purpose - setting out to recreate something. Purpose is what Jimi Hendrix did to guitar. Commitment-over and over till the instrument bends towards something it may never have done. Over and over. Years and hours – but with a purpose. What is your purpose?

P.S. The self bashing herein tarnishes the writer's self image as it portrays him as having self esteem problems. Kindly note that he is aware of this.

Image: http://topwalls.net/jimi-hendrix/