Kenyan artist Tetu Shani Releases Debut EP
JBWFDMWB was written and recorded at his best friend’s living room during the initial stages of the COVID-19 lockdown. A departure from Tetu’s past works, the artist says the EP- heralding a new sound – is what one would expect if Jack Johnson had a coffee date with Milky Chance and Asa
Outstanding Kenyan alternative act Tetu Shani has released his debut EP –
“Just Because We Fight Doesn’t Mean We’re Broken” (JBWFDMWB). The rather melancholic body of work reflects the prevailing times in a world which has become morbid and grim amidst a global pandemic. The six-track EP is was released on all digital platforms on 24th July 2020.
JBWFDMWB was written and recorded at his best friend’s living room during the initial stages of the COVID-19 lockdown. A departure from Tetu’s past works, the artist says the EP- heralding a new sound – is what one would expect if Jack Johnson had a coffee date with Milky Chance and Asa.
‘Don’t Know Me At all’ the opening track on the EP was released on Friday
10th July to much appreciation from fans as well as radio spins on some of
Kenya’s leading media houses. The song which can be described as a Kenyan alternative rock song attempts to capture the monotony of the American neo-Western crime drama television series Breaking Bad and American Southwestern desert landscape but the prevailing mood of the Corona virus lockdown period.
“Sometimes I lose my mind with all the time I have on my hands, it isn’t easy living life especially without a plan, I’m pacing back and forth inside the cage that is in my head, the artist belts out.”
Tetu Shani emerged on the music scene in Kenya in 2014 at the age of 28
when he wrote his first song. He never looked back and over the years he has gone on to win a silver medal at the Global Music Awards, opened for Grammy winner Joss Stone and been featured on CNN African Voices as one of the trendsetters on the African continent. He describes his sound as Afro Pop-Rock, which is a blend of indie rock, Afro-pop and folk music from Kenya.
A pragmatic artist with a clear understanding of the music business, Tetu
has continually strived to build an ecosystem that appreciates music by
alternative artists on the Kenyan music scene. He pioneered the one song a
month challenge (OSAM) which to date has seen him release six outstanding songs and a host of other artists who dabble in the alternative scene join in to create new music every month.
His goal in 2020 was to build a live audience under a concept dubbed –
Journey to 1000- which saw his first concert at the Alchemist Bar in
Nairobi attract 1000 attendees. In light of the pandemic that has seen a lot
of daily lives disrupted Tetu Shani partnered with Kenyan outfit Dunda
Live to move the concept into the digital world for the second edition of
the Journey to 1000 in June 2020 attracting more than 500 people
subscribing to this paid online concert.
With JBWFDMWB, Tetu continues to create music that draws from the day to day life experiences. It’s a journey that will see him release more small
projects as he builds up to his debut album.
Even though a melancholic project, his fans will appreciate the easy lyrics
and catchy tunes that the songs carry. The EP also attests to the fact that
Tetu’s music can’t be boxed into one specific genre and it sets an
anticipation for what more the artist can achieve.
Listen to the EP here:
