ACCES 2018 showcases sounds of Africa

Day 2 showcases were held at Alliance Française Nairobi, a location that is considered a musical hub for hosting numerous concerts and exhibitions. Various Kenyan bands, including Sauti Sol and Elani actually met there while attending a gig or an audition.

In typical Kidum fashion, the maestro belted out a string of hits to a receptive crowd at Alliance Française. His pop appeal came in full effect as people sang along to his lyrics, word for word. Best described as African zouk, his music has transcended the live music scene in Kenya to infiltrate pop circles. Born in Burundi but based in Kenya for many years, Kidum’s music brings out the best of East Africa. With a robust horn section and versatile rhythms, his Boda Boda Band executed a captivating set. His performance was a balance between great musicality and crowd engagement. This included flawless vocalisation with call-and-response intervals, and dance interludes that engaged the whole crowd.

With a kora and classic Mandingo timbre vocals, Djénéba and Fousco gave fans and delegates a taste of their homegrown Malian flavour. The duo pulled off a rhythmic set that was dotted by moments of crowd interaction. High pitched vocals drenched the air and, from back to front, audience members danced into the night.

From a soulful start, Senegalese band Sahad and The Nataal Patchwork took the audience on a journey that encompassed an eclectic musical variety. Fusing jazz, funk, Afrobeat and reggae, the insanely energetic band gave arguably the most versatile performance at the French cultural centre. The frontman, Sahad, took a theatrical approach, dancing on stage with his instrumentalists and even played a snare drum at different points of the performance. Sahad also plays the acoustic guitar with a bass players' finger technique, which rendered his sound original to say the least.

On the third and final night, showcases moved back to the main venue, the Kenya National Theatre. First up was Suzan Kerunen (Uganda) with a barrage of narratives, rhythms and tribal chants. Mixing various drum rhythms from her home country, Kerunen gave a dynamic performance with intervals of storytelling that explained the music and took audiences on a journey to her home village.

Living up to their tag, fusing the roots of taarab, traditional music and jazz, Siti and the Band (Tanzania) were a breath of fresh air. Their set was a journey through time and space as they brought together varied musical elements. On stage, unique instrumentation was expertly executed, incorporating the violin, qanun and oud.

The Afrobeat genre was ably represented by Seun Olota, a composer, performing artist, and leader of the ExTasI Gang Band. To spice up the potentially repetitive nature of the genre, Olota incorporated a lot of drama in his set. Reminiscent of Fela Kuti’s performance style, Olota nonchalantly strolled the stage, switching from vocals to the sax, picking and playing different instruments and intermittently joined his trumpeter at the back of the stage for a bluster.

Kenyan world music star Makadem closed the curtain at ACCES 2018 with an authentic performance loaded with cultural and political significance. His single ‘Mogidhi Kona Kona’ is a melting pot of sounds and rhythms from the Kikuyu and Luo tribes, which are bitter political rivals. The song is a Luo rendition of the Kikuyu hit ‘Tiga Kumute’, originally performed by JB Maina. It bridges the rift that is often instigated by tribal politics. Hyping the crowd at every point, Makadem’s performance was a fitting end to a conference that was as educative as it was entertaining.