MAKADEM KOKO RIO
The Kenyan artist Makadem is a specialist in Benga
music. Benga Beat is the most distinctive sound to have
come out of Kenya’s 70 years of creating urban music.
It spread from the shores of Lake Victoria in the west
where Makadem was born. His music is full of
tradition and full of story telling. Makadem has lived in
several countries on the African continenet, and both
his music and texts have the influences from his own life
experiences. They are written in all the languages he
masters, added with his tipical Luo-English accent.
Claimed to be “Kenyas Fela Kuti”, Makadems songs
speaks of the fluid nature of modern African culture.
With a deep understanding of his roots and the ongoing
politics, he demonstrate the fusion that is at the heart in
African identity.
This is Makadems 2nd full album, after the East African
best seller OHANGLAMAN produced by Tabu Osusa,
and released by Ketebul Music in 2006.
KOKO RIO is recorded live in Denmark and Ghana.
Makadem always stick to his roots, but he loves the
music of the world, and will take any inspiration and
add, if suiting the song. His music is contemporary
African with thick traces to his own background. The
producers, Richard Plougmann and Carolina Vallejo,
have worked to unify the expressions, to create the
typical “Makademian” sound he is known for.
Yet the music is Kenyan, the musicians perfoming
on this album, have each added their spices; Strong
Congolese guitars by the master John Mutombo,
Ghanesian up tempo Afro Beats by Francis Kweku
Osei on the drums and Gaddiel Amoah on the bass,
the Cuban horns performed by Carlos Pérez and
Yuliesky Gonzalez, in the mix with Makadem's rhythmic
vocals, is all ment to get the listener directly to
the dance floors.
We are so happy to be working as an international,
multicultural crowd. With all the logistic challenges of
producing an album with musicians from different parts
of the planet, it’s been a fun adventure.
We hope that the strong energy of Makadem’ s KOKO
RIO is transmitted and will make the world dance!