Kenyan soul crooner Mayonde is set to release her latest EP, ‘Start Again,’ marking her rebirth.
Mayonde’s absence from the music fray has been seminal following a string of Kenyan pop records such as the anthemic ‘Nairobi’ to the vivacious ‘Kama Kawaida,’ albeit not completely. Her impassioned and fervid spirit has been a stark need, even so sporadic singles featuring her trailblazing co-hit makers Muthoni Drummer Queen and Polaris in ‘En3gy’ and ‘Raha’ have shown her music step is far from oblivion. Her past weekends’ (7th April) performance at Kenya’s octane festival Blankets & Wine further reaffirms her creeping comeback into the heart of ubiquity with her latest offering ‘Start Again’ set to be released on Friday, 19th April 2024, is enabling a “testimony” that she has been putting in the work behind the scenes.
“The inspiration behind ‘Start Again’ was picking myself up after the burnout caused by chasing a pop career and coming to a place where I wanted to focus on making music that flowed freely from my spirit. I had tried to crack the market and make what I thought would make me a famous artist, and I lost my passion. Start Again was about being my most authentic self and falling in love with music anew.” Mayonde
Her latest EP, Start Again, is a fresh slate in her new musical journey. In Start Again, Mayonde takes us back to the days she grew up listening to Pop, Reggae, R&B, and Hip Hop. All these form what she terms as Nairobi Bounce, a conglomeration of the different genres she was exposed to growing up in Nairobi.
‘Start Again’ is a destiny prayer, ‘My Blessings,’ and ‘More & More’ are smitten love songs, while ‘Cruising’ is tied to vacation vibes while ‘Celebration’ is a victory party song. The songs oscillate between Mayonde’s sparkly and powerful vocals in ‘Start Again’ and an upbeat anthem in Celebration, making it an easy EP to jam and dance to.
Mayonde blended South African House and West African Afrobeat elements and sprinkled them into the EP, creating a fresh and versatile sound. With this record, Mayonde is reviving her passion for singing and songwriting while tapping into her most authentic expression as an artist and is ecstatic to share it with the world.
She has worked on experimenting, failing, and reinventing herself. Her discography is colourful, from the early days of Kapuka, Hip Hop, and Soul to the recent Nairobi Bounce. She has sung in theatre, film (Plan B), festivals (Blankets and Wine), and reality TV shows (Coke Studio Africa). To get such an experience has taken more than her songwriting. She’s worked with notable Kenyan acts and industry shakers, who held her hand throughout the
morphing stages of her music career, like Fena Gitu, Muthoni Drummer Queen, Stonee Jiwe, Blinky Bill, and many more.
But even with that, she paused to reflect on her trajectory to work on bettering her craft as a musician and entrepreneur. After four years of passionate learning, strategic planning, and craftsmanship, Mayonde is back with a decorated effort that registers records that range between buoyed and intimate cuts with a Nairobi edge. With this rebirth, she wishes to share an authentic part of herself, entertain her fans, and create timeless music.
“It took about 4 months to write and produce the music on the EP, all while I was pregnant and creating life, and that was quite challenging, but altogether, it was such a spiritual and uplifting experience.” Mayonde.
