Kenyan Afro-Fusion singer, Nina Ogot, has announced the release of her brand new 9 track album Ukumbu.KE.
Following the album release, Nina said “Working on this project was a wonderful experience for me to reminisce about different moments, events and elements that have enriched my life over the years. In the process I rediscovered a plethora of ideas that transformed into music and transports the listener from the past into this present moment.”
The album predominantly features Swahili and Luo verses and influences from traditional sounds that include Taarab and Bango melodies from Coast, percussive Isukuti of the Luhya and the Dodo rhythms of the Luo people.
The album title contains a word game, transforming ukumbu (memories in Swahili) into a modern context as ukumbuke (let us remember) with an added twist of .ke to represent a vault for Kenyan music and culture.
The album is inspired by Nina Ogot’s memories and personalized cultural moments; from nearly forgotten traditional music and tales to legendary movies and TV maestros.
Nina Ogot includes a rearranged version of one of her favourite tracks Chokoraa on the new album. Originally added on her 2008 debut album Ninairobi, the track Chokoraa addressing the plight of street people has grown from laid-back guitar acoustic to a dramatic and powerful call-to-action musical performance.
Nina Ogot recorded this fourth album Ukumbu.KE in Nairobi in order to capture the authentic Kenyan vibe. The horn sections, arranged and recorded in Germany, are the distinct international note on this record.
Nina Ogot is Kenyan singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. She is also well-known as a former radio host and TV presenter. Born and bred in Nairobi, her songs are a reflection of her Luo origins and that of other Kenyan tribes. She started with her acoustic album ‘Ninairobi’ in 2008, followed by two single releases of the Afro-pop remixes to her songs “Wololo” and “Aheri” two years later. In 2014, a collaborative album dubbed ‘Yote Yote’ was released with Kenyan contemporary Benga musician, Winyo. For more than a decade, the vocalist and guitarist performed in a trio band set up until 2018 when a 13 piece band lineup was formed for an event in Cologne-Germany dubbed ‘Jambo Day’ by the Treasures of Kenya Initiative. Together, the new team recorded Nina Ogot’s third album ‘Dala’ (home) in 2019, followed by a series of performances in both countries.
Nina Ogot has graced numerous international stages including renowned festivals such as Afrika Festival (The original)-Wurzburg, Chiala Festival in Austria, Afro-Asia Festival in Kerala-India, The Bayimba Festival in Kampala- Uganda, The Moshito Festival in Johannesburg-South Africa and many more. She joined the OneBeat musical and cultural exchange program where she utilized the American platform to advocate for the plight of Kenyan street people. Her efforts, together with the Kuruka Maisha Foundation, were awarded with the prestigious American National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards-NASAA, a project initiated by former America’s First Lady Michelle Obama.