Suzzanna's roots

After rubbing shoulders with crËme de la crËme on the international arena, songstress Suzzanna Owiyo finally goes back to the roots in big concert tomorrow, writes KIUNDU WAWERU

Suzzanna Owiyo’s sultry vocals have thrilled audiences across the globe. The sensational songstress’s performance has captivated fans in major international capitals. To date, the renowned musician has performed in the US, Spain, Egypt, the UK, and Uganda. But unlike Kenyan ‘international artistes’ who choose to live abroad, she has remained in Kenya.

She embodies the love for the homeland in her third album, My Roots, released in May at the Carnivore Restaurant, Nairobi.

And now, starting tomorrow, Suzzanna is embarking on a Kenyan tour where she will stage concerts across the country.

"Our fans outside Nairobi only watch us on TV. I will go to them as there is no greater connection with fans than in a live concert," she says.

As a follow up from the Nairobi concert that was graced by Oliver Mtukudzi, Suzzanna will tomorrow entertain the coastal fans at the Mamba International Disco.

"It’s been a while since I performed in Mombasa," says the vocally talented artiste known for Kisumu 100 hit.

Then the tour will turn to the Rift Valley, with a performance in Nakuru on August 27, before venturing to Kisumu, the lakeside city where she launched her career.

Suzzanna adds that the album is doing well locally, internationally and online. The album is being managed internationally by a Norway Record Label.

Album discourse

My Roots, with 13 tracks done in Luo, Kiswahili and Gikuyu, is beautifully arranged with the different instruments, Nyatiti, Orutu, shakers, drums and acoustic guitar merging to make a relaxed musical experience.

In the albums promo, Suzzanna writes, "As I take you through my Roots journey, please welcome aboard and share this special language that we all have in common — music."

Backed by the likes of Tobi Imani in Anyango, Eric Desire Bachumi in Usife Moyo, Suzanna also collaborates with musical greats. In Osiepna (My Friend) she collaborates with Ogoya Nengo, a woman in her 70s discovered in her 60s. Whoever gets to hear Ogoya’s sing is hypnotised by her ‘raw voice’ as Suzzanna describes it. Suzzanna heard her sing at Ketebul Studios, where My Roots was largely recorded and fell in love with the voice.

In Dhano Chalo Le (Man Beastly Behavior), Suzzanna features Makadem, popularly known as Ohanglaman though his genre is contemporary folk. Makadem and Suzzanna decry the rising sexual and physical violence against women and children.

Then comes Uyie (Acceptance) a vocally beautiful piece in praise of the brave leader featuring Oliver Mtukudzi and from the Kisumu 100 album. Then, Suzzanna proves her versatility, which she terms as experimentation, as she moves from her contemporary folk genre with her collabo with Jua Cali in Matatu.

Experimentation is the key word in this album, which took Suzzanna along time to compose, since her second album release in 2004. This was due to interruptions by her tours.

Brought up in Thika, Suzanna Owiyo is fluent in Gikuyu. During the launch in May, her fans at the Carnivore could not believe when she sang the song Idhe wa Kamande (Kamande’s Father) in Gikuyu. Idhe is a corruption of ithe (father).

"My friends who know I understand the language asked me to write a song in Kikuyu. People are surprised there is hardly any trace of accent."

The track Tumekataa is a strong resistance against being used by politicians, as evidenced in the 2007/2008 violence.

In the same vein, and away from the album, Suzzanna is an angry woman, angry that Kenyans are dying of hunger.

"In my own small way, I am working with a good friend and I am mobilising my fans and likeminded individuals," with a personal donation towards buying food. Suzzanna says she will identify the most hit areas. "We should not shy away from what is happening. It is not a time for blame game," she adds.