Mbuguah

reggae

The release of 'Together' marked a first solo outing for roots reggae artist Mbuguah, a popular and experienced performer both in London and his native Africa, and looks set to establish himself as a major figure in the black music scene. Hailing from Kenya, Mbuguah expounds a simple philosophy of unity, and 'Together' is the musical expression of that held view. It comprises ten tracks of mellow drum'n'bass whose rhythms and melodies are impossible to dislodge from the mind, marking him out as a songwriter of talent & insight. As with many leading singers and musicians, Mbuguah's love of music was fostered in church choirs. He was born and brought up in Nairobi in a strict Christian household, while two aunties and an uncle also taught music at school. Gradually, the youth Mbuguah became immersed in music and began to experiment. We had to be in church every Sunday, he recalls, but when my mother was not around I would skip church and hang out with my friend. I quickly learned musical notations and arrangements and soon we were making music on bottles filled to varying level with water. We would also convert empty tins and all sorts of broken-down farm equipment into makeshift percussion instruments until we got our first guitar. The guitar was eventually put to good use in the rhythm section of the reggae band called The Blackstone, Mbuguah`s first execution into the world of professional music. The band wrote many songs and performed extensively around the Nairobi club c...