In just two years they sing for the President

By Jeckonia Otieno

For a group formed only in 2010, one of the youngest kids on the block, belting tunes to the standards of those that came before them is no mean feat. 

Ninga Melodies appeared in the Kwaya competition and made a name though it did not win the ultimate prize of one million shillings. The group’s high-octane performance packed with energy and vibrancy is still etched in many minds.

Davy Otieno together with Kamau Karugu, after a disagreement with the leadership of another famous group, moved out and brought together like-minded individuals to form Ninga Melodies. Some of the founders beside the two are Julius Ademba and Simon Owino.

The realisation that they could also make music and compete on the same platform with the who-is-who in the genre they plunged into made them more determined.

Says Otieno: “We saw that we have what it takes to have a go at music rather than sit back and whine so we decided to take the bull by the horns and take music to another level.”

To start off, the group embarked on recruitment to get more members; this was done through identifying talent in learning institutions like colleges and universities.  Starting small, the group made baby steps but it was the Kwaya competition that urged them to get more creative. Within the two years of its existence, Ninga Melodies has scaled heights even getting recognition by the Permanent Presidential Music Commission.

As Otieno explains, the group is up to standard to entertain the President having been approved by the commission that decides which music group has the privilege. It is worth to note that winning was not the major reason why the group entered the competition but the need to gauge and rate itself against the best was the foremost desire on the cards.?

“We were surprised when we sailed through the first and second stages of the competition. It made us realise that we were on the right track and to make things even better we emerged the most entertaining group,” states Otieno.

Albums

The first album titled Ismarwa is out and the group sees it riding on the crest of the wave in the next few weeks. The group has just finished shooting a single video for their hit song Anyango.  Being a group that widely represents the diverse cultural groups of Kenya, Ninga does songs in different languages — from Coast to the shores of Lake Victoria.

Some of the songs they have done, apart from Anyango, are Muhiki, Guku ni kwau in the Gikuyu language; Nyamama, Ismarwa, Wendo in Luo; Gotab babanyun in Kalenjin; Jina la penzi and Wasanii are done in Swahili while Sweet melodies has been done in reggae beats and it is in English.

The group does not repeat other groups’ songs but has taken to composing their own songs for the sake of originality and authenticity. Otieno says that even if a traditional beat is settled on, then it is rearranged and given a new lease of life in a unique way different from other group. Though the songs entertain, some of them are educative to meet the choice of a highly fragmented audience. Wasanii, for instance, talks about the artistes of this country and the need to foster peace and unity using music like the forefathers in the industry like Ochieng Kabasseleh, Fundi Konde, William Fadhili, Daudi Kabaka and E-Sir among others did.

To walk together as a group is not easy because conflicts of interests are bound to arise but how they are solved is what matters, as Otieno notes.

“For a group to stick together there is need for sacrifice among its members and that’s what we believe works,” states Otieno.

He argues that having, no sponsors, the members have at times sacrificed a lot to make Ninga what it is today; at times, as Otieno confides, the group might go out to perform but then due to the needs of the group, the members use what has been earned to improve the group and produce more songs rather than just divide what is earned during a show.

Exploiting talent

Sticking together is one of the most important aspects and principles of any group. Ninga holds meetings where all misunderstandings are dealt with in the open.

Otieno observes, “Transparency is of essence and once it is lost then members start looking for other options to exploit their talent. Therefore, it should never be taken lightly because it has a potential of bringing down any group.”

One piece of counsel to upcoming artistes: “Look inside you and see what potential you have; nurture and exploit it.” ?

This, Otieno advises, does not depend only on music or performing arts but in every kind of talent that a person may be blessed with. For now the main aim for the group is to unite Kenyans so that a repeat of 2007/08 does not occur. Otieno says that it is possible to achieve this because judging by the number of weddings the group has performed in where there are intermarriages then the country is headed in the right direction.

For now developing talent is one of the main goals because Otieno states there is so much talent out there which has not yet been discovered.