In his new video clip “Manyè,” a track taken from last January’s album Soleil Kréyol, the artist travels to Uganda to perform at the Kampala market.
David Walters had the idea to shoot the visual of “Manyè” while at the Bayimba Festival 2017 in Uganda. During his concert, a team of Bboys (breakdance dancers) began to face-off on stage. It was an unforgettable moment for the artist, who decided to re-contact them to see if they wanted to dance with him again a couple of months later. This time it would be in the market located at the edge of the biggest slum in Kampala, called Kamwokya. “I wanted to go through this neighborhood but as a tourist it seemed complicated, so I decided to do it with music ( … ) at full speed and in one shot!,” he explained.
Although politics isn’t necessarily his cup of tea, David sees it as a way to fit in with philanthropist Bobi Wine, a musician turned politician and a great representative of Uganda’s working-class neighborhoods. Shot in a single take, the performance takes place far from the protected, staged environments we often see. “The idea of this Street performance was to cross this market like a spontaneous immersion, an attack of good mood in music and to take with us all those who wanted to share this moment.” The artist and the dancers set light to the market setting on this improvised set and continue to make David’s Soleil Kréyol shine in the market squares.
This singer, composer and DJ of Caribbean origin explores Creole music through a crossover of genres, particularly hip-hop and electro. A great admirer of Calypso Rose, he remixed the track “Back to Africa,” while remaining loyal to the Heavenly Sweetness label. His album Soleil Kréyol is the reflection of a musical dialogue between the West Indies and Africa, initiated alongside guests such as Seun Kuti, the youngest son of afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. A breath of fresh air that gets you moving in seconds.
Find the track “Manyè” by David Walters on our Songs of the Week playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
Stream/download David Walters’ Soleil Kréyol.
