All about Amileena's 4-year musical journey

Pulse: The debut album has been a long time coming...

Amileena: I am telling you it has been a journey. My new album, Amileena, is a culmination of many years of consistency. When I entered Tusker Project Fame (TPF) I was still young so I took time to find my voice. Sometimes when you are new to a given space, you sort of end up getting instructions from everyone and that can be overwhelming and tricky. That is one reason why I delayed releasing my debut album.

P: Why did you decide to go with a self-title?

A: It’s a marketing strategy. The album has 16 songs and a bonus track and many fans like most of the songs and I couldn’t pick one as a favourite. Amileena was the common denominator, at the end of the day, so I went for that. In fact, I have my second album ready that fans might find quite different from this first one.

P: Sixteen songs? That is a big treat...

A: (Laughs) Sixteen and a bonus! Most of the songs are tracks my fans are already conversant with such as Shine, Why and the like. I have deliberately left out most of the songs I have collaborated on with other artistes, as those can’t be said to be purely my songs. The album also has songs I had not released before so it is quite a cocktail.

P: Which are some of the new songs being released that we haven’t heard of?

A: There is a song I titled Hambole and another one called Nipe. Nipe has a cool African vibe while Hambole is a song I basically wrote to myself to keep the faith. There is also another track I recently put on Sound Cloud basically themed around the madness we are seeing in the country; all the insecurity and social woes. The mood is that we are all Kenyans and should live together in harmony.

P: Are your Collo and Calvo Mistari’s collabos on the album? Get Down and Dance with Calvo Mistari is so much like the Amileena we are used to...

A: Everyone says that Get Down and Dance was not so me. But again, that brings in versatility. I heard the track and I really loved the song so I jumped in. Some people criticised it but then again constructive criticism is a good thing as it helps you learn. It was the same case with the Kamua Leo remix we did at Grandpa Records with the boys. Same as Hodi Hodi that I did with Collo.

P: You have been working with many producers. Was this meant to add versatility to the songs since different producers have different strengths in the various genres you have tried?

A: Not really. The producers who worked on the different songs are basically people I have been able to comfortably work with over time. The likes of R-Kay, Musyoka, Grandpa, Asha from Zari, Jonah Uzele, Ogopa DJs, Bernsoft and Team Mistari. You will find out that a lot of these songs fall under different categories.

P: Why did you decide to do a double-album launch with Calvo Mistari’s Mwanaume ni Effort?

A: We did not want to wait for someone to call us for a gig for us to make this happen and that is why the double launch is a full concert and not just a small show. We just came together and decided to do something different and be the change we wanted to see. You must be the change you want to see. Music is an expensive venture but one has to start thinking of return on investment as a long-term plan. In Kenya, people hardly put in resources to get you started and that is why we are taking a leap of faith. The show is dubbed Musicology. We will be backed up by Iklektic Band and a number of artistes will be participating. The concert will be held at Alfajiri, starting 2pm.

P: Who else is going to feature?

A: The likes of Octave Band, Bobby Mapesa, J’Mani, GKon, Opips, DJ Nruff, DJ Crossfade and Shiko Kaitani among others. This will be a great afternoon of live music for the whole family.

P: That is a great feat, but we’re sure it has not all come on a silver platter. How has the journey been?

A: Well, I feel joy in my heart and people have been able to accept me as an artiste. Success does not come easy.

P: How is it that with all this massive talent, you are still unsigned?

A: If anyone is ever going to sign me then that will be me. With all due respect, I always wonder what is that one thing they (record labels) can do for me that I can’t do myself. I have a team that works with me when I am doing stuff with different artistes though.

P: That calls for disciple and experience. Has being around the world helped you mould this image of youthful success?

A: Well, with time comes growth. When you have a multitude of experiences, you have a lot to tap from. I give it up to my parents who have always taught me that life is beyond duty. Life is as beautiful as you make it. I am a simple girl with not so many expectations. I am a perfectionist. What you see is what is there.

photo:masharikiradio.me