EA Wave is the new collective spreading in East Africa by means of their electric blend of house, trap, hip-hop and downtempo. We ask them to select their 5 essential tracks.
Nairobi is the capital of Kenya and the economic hub of East Africa. Today it’s a true breeding ground of talented artists. There, we listen benga, Nigerian afrobeats, jamaican dancehall and western-influenced R&B. And also there is the music that is not played on the radio, the music played by young urban population. Among this young people, there is Hiribae, Mvroe, Nu Fvnk, Jinku and Ukweli. It is now two years since these five prodigies decided to get together under the EA Wave collective.
EA Wave is a true Wolrd Music 2.0’s product : a Do It Yourself music created by group of young people from all corners of the globe, inspired by what they find on YouTube or by their cultural roots. “We wanted to make something with the purpose of pushing the boundaries of what people consider as African music and art,” Ukweli says to Bandcamp.
1/ Nu Fvnk – Eyes
“Really soulful and a the true revelation of Nu Fvnk as a vocalist and songwriter.”
Nu Fvnk
2/ Jabs ft Willow Smith – Get Lost (Prod by Ukweli)
“Featuring Ukweli’s signature Glittering sounds, his minimal production and most of all his mastery of crafting beats around female vocals.”
Ukweli
3/ Hiribae – Lazy
“Hip Hop has had a long standing history with Jazz music, and Lazy does show why.”
Hiribae
4/ MVROE & Kiwango – Let Her Come Over EP
“Building on the vocal distortion, autotune of his First EP Fly, but adding in R&B and pushing the envelope of what Hip Hop is.”
Mvroe
5/ Jinku feat. Huru – Upeo
“This track solidifies Jinkus Reputation of crafting African influenced music while merging it with the stylings of Electronica and RnB.”
