Genre-bending singer, rapper and drummer Muthoni Drummer Queen (MDQ) is set to entice East African music lovers with her latest EP ‘Monsoon.’
The 3-track Afro-pop EP sits at the intersection of Kenyan Pop and Afrobeats, creating a sound that reflects a characteristic East African voice on a global stage.
“As an artist, I always experiment and strive to create my own sound. With ‘Monsoon,’ I decided to tap into my lifelong love of pop music and blend Kapuka (a defining Kenyan pop sound), R&B and Afrobeats.”
MDQ brings intelligence to ‘Monsoon,’ using several literary devices to share her messages. The EP’s name is a metaphor that symbolizes how African music is influencing world genres such as R&B, pop and dance. The metaphor is extracted from the monsoon winds that bring rain and influence weather patterns in the East African region.
“I really wanted a unique name that speaks to my East African identity, tells a bigger story of the rise of African music globally, and embodies the wavy, flowy, rhythmic nature of the music on the EP itself.”
‘Monsoon’ explores the themes of romantic love. ‘Bure’ explores the early infatuation stage, ‘Pomoni’ delves into the talking stage, while ‘Consistency’ sheds light into the work needed to make a relationship work for the best.
“They don’t call her “boss lady” for nothing. I hardly know any music entrepreneurs holding their own like Muthoni the Drummer Queen (let alone African female ones).”
The Guardian.
MDQ collaborates with Kenyan masterminds in music writing and production to create a beautiful body of work. Across ‘Monsoon,’ she works with celebrated Kenyan music producers So Fresh, Wuod Omollo and Dillie. Wuod Omollo and Ywaya Tajiri bring their pen game to the project, elevating the songwriting. The diverse oeuvre also invited the able hands of other creatives such as Shem Obara, Mutua Matheka, and Musa Omusi, among many others.
Poised to be among the pantheon of music heavyweights in East Africa and Africa at large, Muthoni Drummer Queen’s musical career has seen her make bold steps to change the music scene in Kenya. ‘Monsoon’ shows her unstoppable force in championing this good cause.
Stream ‘Monsoon’ HERE
