Featured Artist - Gidi Gidi Maji Maji Kenya
Gidi Gidi Maji Maji are on a new high. Their latest album, Many Faces, is recording remarkable sales in Africa and Europe. The album's title track, Many Faces, is top of the pops in South Africa and Kenya.Their faces grace billboards, bus stop shelters and other outdoor advertising boards across major South African cities in what is believed to be the country's biggest campaign for a foreign hip-hop group.
Two weeks ago, when a popular presenter of a local FM station went to a music shop in Johannesburg, South Africa, the shop attendant prevailed upon her to buy Gidi Gidi Maji Maji's latest CD because it was the most sought-after release in that country.And when Coca Cola Popstars' international judges Anthony Morgan (a famed US musician-cum-producer) and Zwai Bala (of TKZee music group) jetted into the country early this week, they were full of praise for Gidi Gidi Maji Maji's latest album."I have listened to all the songs on the album and I think it is a great release," enthused Morgan, the vice-president of A&R at the US recording company, RCA/BMG Records, based in New York. Morgan has a long and successful career in the music industry, working with the cream of the R&B music industry in the US such as Lionel Richie, Babyface and Bobby Brown. He is also a skilled manager and business developer for musicians such as Brian McKnight and the latest hip-hop phenomenon, Tyrese.In his long running career, Morgan has produced three platinum albums - records that have surpassed sales of over one million - and two gold albums for his artistes. "I see a lot of potential for the group because they have gained recognition across the continent," he said.Fellow judge Bala agreed. "When I first saw Gidi Gidi Maji Maji rocking the stage at last year's Big Brother Africa grand finale show, I was among the first people to throw my hands in the air and get down to serious dancing," he said.In South Africa, the press recently posed the question: "Is Gidi Gidi Maji Maji the future of kwaito?" In Lusaka, Zambia, their show early this year was rated the second largest musical show ever witnessed in that country since South African songstress Brenda Fassie kept Zambian music fans on their feet three years ago.In London, last month, Kenyans in the UK showered the indefatigable duo with praise and lauded them for their contribution to the development of music in Kenya. The two had gone there for five major shows.When Review asked Gidi Gidi (Joseph Ogidi) whether he was worried that their new album would be pirated locally, he blithely replied: "We have stopped worrying about local pirates. We are now making music for the world."He was right. If the latest unprecedented international acclaim is anything to go by, Gidi Gidi Maji Maji now have the world at their feet. After riding on the crest of the wave of popularity with the Unbwogable hit song in the run-up to the 2002 general elections, the local musical stage became too small for the twosome.They started receiving an avalanche of invitations to perform in neighbouring Tanzania and Uganda, where they gave a good account of themselves in high-energy performances that packed in thousands of enthusiasts. They endeared themselves to crowds in the two neighbouring countries with their edgy lyrics, powerful vocals and unflagging energy on stage.Their music and popularity across the region caught the ears of seasoned producers at South Africa's Gallo Record Company, which has produced songs for, and managed, celebrated musicians like Miriam Makeba, Lucky Dube and Blacksmith Mambazo.Smitten by the group's genius at Africanising hip-hop, they signed up Gidi Gidi Maji Maji, who became the first rap group to be signed on the company's premier label. Things got even better when M-Net, the organisers of Big Brother Africa, requested them to perform at the grand finale of the reality TV programme in September last year. Gidi Gidi Maji Maji stole the show, and the hearts of millions of viewers who watched it in 44 countries across the continent."It was a big honour for us to perform alongside fabled artistes such as Nigeria's Femi Kuti of Beng Beng fame," says Maji Maji (Jahd Adonijah).The Big Brother South African performance came hot on the heels of their European tour early last year, where they launched the singles In the Mood and Set My Life Free (Omieri dance), which thrilled European audiences. During the Festival Mundial Concert in Tilburg, the Netherlands, they duo attracted an audience of over 120,000 people.After the Big Brother Africa show, Gidi Gidi Maji Maji stayed in South Africa for a few months as they worked on Many Faces. Within only a month of its release, the album has sold nearly 10,000 copies in South Africa alone, and is showing great promise outside Africa.The album, which retails locally at Sh800, incorporates styles from across Africa and features popular South African artistes Skwatta Kamp (in the song East Meets South) and Andy 6 (Many Faces). The other songs are Tumbo, Atoti Part 2, African Womano, Huu ni Mwaka, Landy Lando, Oruu, Chupa, Unbwogable (featuring Shluda), Tuko SA (featuring Mary Jane) and Heartbeat.The video for the song Many Faces cost Sh5 million to produce and is markedly different from the bland productions that have been turned out by many local artistes. It is the first Kenyan music video to be played on MTV."We have always been looking to produce hip-hop music with an African flavour. Now we think we are getting there," says Gidi Gidi, 24. "It is our unique style that has enabled us to come this far," chips in Maji Maji, 26. Gallo Record Company has offered the group a deal to record three more albums.But for now, the two are keen on promoting Many Faces and distributing it as widely as possible.Wary of putting all their eggs in one basket, the two are also developing careers in other fields and proving to be astute businessmen.A deft information technology specialist, Gidi Gidi, operating under a consultancy firm named Goodatit Interactive, is creating websites for fellow artistes like Necessary Noize, Fundi Frank and Nameless. His other clients are the Music Copyright Society of Kenya, Nairobi City Ensemble, Kisima Awards 2004 and Hardbodyz. Radio presenters Pinky Ghelani and Olivia Otieno are also benefitting from his services.Maji Maji, on the other hand, has set up a record company called Foreplay Records. He has a studio with the latest recording equipment, which he bought in the UK early in the year. Besides, he has been running a design firm known as Appletalk Communications for two years, and has also recently launched a clothing line "Code 254".The two go-getting musicians hope they will succeed in their fledgling professional careers as much as they have in their flourishing musical one .Gidi Gidi and Maji Maji are among the new wave of young Kenyan artists who have emerged in the last 10 years, with musical energy that's influenced by styles from all over the world. Although their interest in rap music began when they were in high school, they have always wanted to add some African flavour to it.They first met at jam sessions organised by local nightclubs, especially Florida 2000, fell in love with each others' styles, got together and decided to become a unit. Their style of music is a fusion of contemporary rap and African music in Dholuo, their mother tongue. In the days when they used to participate in competitions, their performance caught the eye of ace producer Tedd Josiah of Blu Zebra record company, who offered to support them in recording.They first hit the stage with their smash hit, Ting Badi Malo, released on the compilation, Kenya The Second Chapter. So popular was the song that it topped all radio charts for several months. Apart from extensively playing on Kenyan radio, it also received airplay on international stations such as BBC World Service and Voice of America.In June 2000, they released their first album, Ismarwa (It is ours), and embarked on a campaign to have Kenyan artistes portraying their cultural heritage and music. They went down on record as being the first Kenyan artistes to release an album that appealed to people of all ages, and from different communities. The album had songs such as Oruu, Nyon Tiendi Piny, Ting Badi Malo Remix, Miela and others that people from across the country could enjoy.
In 2001, Gidi Gidi and Maji Maji took a break from music to concentrate on their education; Gidi Gidi studied information technology at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), while Maji Maji pursued graphic arts at Kul Graphics.
They returned to the music scene in 2002 with Unbwogable, which took the nation by storm. And now, they are poised to take the world by storm.
For more information logon to www.gidigidimajimaji.com
