Image Source: Kariwok kid & John Kennedy (JK)
Writer:Keya Frankline
On Saturday 30th November ,The Westlands Banquet Center had an evening filled with Jazz courtesy of Ripples of Sound. The event starred artists Zalali , Zawadi , Clark Keeng , Mathai Njama , Clark Keeng and Matt Ngesa.
At the venue you were welcomed by artworks by artist Brian Ng'aru. Brian shared the need for artistic expression following the art of jazz. The different artworks were also on exhibition which blend a harmony of the colours , meditation perfect for the night time . Neema Toya , who organized the exhibition shared art brings the ultimate jazz feeling.
The host of the night was The hamster who got the crowd cracking with his dad jokes. The hamster led to the opening act with Lennox and Marcel who played the saxophone and electric guitar respectively. The two instrumentalists termed the audience as chill since they set up the mood for the night. Lennox termed the saxophone as his other girlfriend and was excited to share the experience.
Zawadi was the first act of the night . She wowed the audience with her vocals performing hits like Meghan Trainor's All about that bass , All for us by Labrinth among others.In her own words “ My voice is my outlet , it heals me completely,’ Zawadi echoed her passion for music. She prefers live performances over recorded though citing the pros and cons of both.From her performance, Zawadi says she loves songs one can relate to hence personalizing her performance. The songbird thanked the audience citing anyone willingly listening to your music is a blessing .
Next up was Zalali who had the audience shaking their shoulders. Her playful persona displayed into her performance. She performed her originals , Rudi which was her first project as an artist , Nakupenda ,a love song among others. The Clinical Officer by profession shared that her love for music started out when she was a kid. Zalali stermed Ripples of Sound as people she loves working with.
The friendly neighborhood rockstar Clark Keeng then took the stage . Clark was not about to have a ‘boring’ audience as he took the attendees with clapping of hands and stamping of feet . His routine performance was marked with the chant ‘Hit Me’ engaging with the revelers as he performed. Clark performed his originals with his single Chai standing out with powerful vocals from Zawadi and Zalali as the background vocalist. Adding cherry onto the cake , Clark Keeng performed live hit songs like Geri Inegi by Wakadinali , Set it by Dyana Cods ft Ajay and Don't Come Back by Taurus Riley.
In an exclusive interview , Clark Keeng revealed that he rarely plans for his music. He believes in being in the moment and shockingly he is slow on sending a planner to his team. Clark at some point played the piano as he sang. He attributed this to trusting himself and his mindset on ‘filling a stadium’ whilst on stage. He termed the audience for the night as a listener audience. Despite headlining Ripples of Sound, Clark did background vocals for Zalali and Zawadi acts, terming them as his people.
Mathai Njama was next and he was welcomed in applause . He performed alongside his guitar including With You off his EP Matter of the Man. With his signature dreadlocks , Mathai revealed he has had them for upto 7 years. He termed his performance as one that resonates with people.
Matt Ngesa brought down the house with his electrifying performance.The Indie artist known for his performance on Colours performed his hit single ,Twende Kazi , Muse off the Colours Show , River among others. As he closed the show ,Matt was met by a vibrant audience who demanded one more song as he closed the show. Bowing to the pressure ,Matt performed another song for the charged fans.
In an exclusive , Matt Ngesa acknowledged his fans saying they mean the world to him. Matt also revealed that new music is on the way. He acknowledged Clark Keeng who headlined the event saying his vocals were mesmerizing. Ariel, who served as a background vocalist, termed Matt as kind ,accommodating and professional. Drummer Trey Macharia says Matt’s performance was nothing but spectacular. Couple , Swinnertone & Malim ranked Matt’s performance as 9 and 9.5 out of 10 saying they could feel emotions , every lyric and beat .The two who won giveaway tickets from Mdundo are looking forward to the songs that are not yet released from Matt. The couple appreciated the tickets from Mdundo.
Mutuma Lukundi of Dreamink limited was the organizer of the event. He thanked everyone for coming, acknowledging Mdundo for the support saying he is looking forward to continuing working with Mdundo.
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