The sound of rattling African drums and resonating flute rents the air as music lovers bond with nature on the shores of Lake Naivasha.

The crowd gathers around the bonfire listening to some music in the three-day musical extravaganza. That was last year’s premiere Rift Valley Festival.This time round it is bound to get better come next weekend. The fete will feature five bands and top deejays from UK and a host of local talent.

Waweru

Among the visiting big names on the card are Nico Lupo, Racubah, Ample Sound system of UK, DJ Seb Yam Yam and Sam Hardaker also from UK, Dave Storm (Estonia) and Thabani from Zimbabwe.

Yet, with all the excitement about the visiting groups, the real craze is about Kenya’s Sauti Sol, Makadem, The Itch, Just a Band and Villagers Band whose following is massive. Their Afro fusion genre is fast taking root in Kenya.

In fact, a debate is going on among music lovers as to which band between Sauti Sol, Just a Band and Pentamony is the greatest.

A popularity contest and a cold war is hatching amongst the three top boy bands as each group jostles to defend its turf.

During a recent TV interview the three bands down played the alleged beef saying each group had its own fans.

The irony is that all these groups have been around for quite some while and nobody seems to have noticed them until the afro fusion craze hit town last year bringing with it what seems to be the new sound.

On a dull Friday evening some years ago, you would find Sauti Sol playing for a small audience exclusively up-market fans at Alliance FranÁaise with no Pulsers embracing them.

Eric Wainaina

But they have now become the talk of town. Their recent concerts have been packed to capacity as their international fan base grows in numbers.

The new wave of youthful Afro fusion stars seems to have forced the old guards like Suzzanna Owiyo back to the drawing board. The diva recently recorded a Genge collabo with Jua Cali.

Has competition hit your loyal fan base? Pulse asked the Kisumu 100 songstress.

"It is very encouraging that the youth are finally getting to acknowledge and appreciate Afro-fusion music. I am glad the young upcoming artistes are embracing the genre. My doors are always open for a collabo, if anyone is interested," observes Owiyo.

"The song I recorded with Jua Cali is afro fusion with a Genge touch. I didn’t want to loose either of the two attributes in the new song," she adds

King of Genge Jua Cali is equally ecstatic.

"I was simply honoured to sing with Suzzane Owiyo. It never hit me at the initial stages that we were singing two different genres until after the recording. It’s her song. She called me in to put some rap touch in it," notes Jua Cali.

When Sauti Sol first hit the scene back in 2006, they were simply known as a quartet. The talented campus students Bien-Aime Baraza, Willis Chiamo, Delvin Mudigi and Polycarp Otieno had their fun base, but were not yet popular with the youth because they sang fusion hits and not the hype and popular urban Genge and Kapuka beat that was embraced by most young people.

Dela

But that was until the show South meets East at the National Museum in 2008 when they got a chance to share the stage with big names including South Africa’s Lira and Eric Wainaina. During the show the band raised the roof off with now popular hit Lazizi.

They won the admiration of many as the lyrics of the song: ...naomba unipe namba yako nikupeleke Java (a local cafÈ)…gave the song a local yet urban feel that many related to.

Slowly the group was turning into a household name. Before they knew it many pulsers were singing along to Lazizi and using the song as ringtones. The song even featured at the finals of Tusker Project Fame, performed by a finalist Patricia, among the tunes of Kenya’s top Zilizopendwa artistes.

And as Sauti Sol its right footing and justified its place in the local showbiz arena, other boy bands such as Just a Band and Pentamony took advantage of the wave stealing the thunder, even from afro fusion icons such as Eric Wainaina — who still remains the most celebrated afro fusion artiste.

The music industry has evolved to a new age. The days when the Afro fusion music was referred to as an up market affair, is now history. Concerts, which used to be a reserve of a few elite fans, held in serene leafy suburbs have warmed their ways into the hearts of many local fans.

Suzzana Owiyo

"People are tired of the same old sound and are looking for something new," quips Wawesh of Penya, the label credited for the new emerging sound.

Besides Sauti Sol, the label has signed Dela, Stan and Muthoni all of whom are new forces in the music industry. Penya also manages Just a Band who however produces themselves.

"Times are changing and people’s tastes in music are changing as well," says Dela.

"I never wanted to duplicate what others have done in the past. I want to make the industry more diverse," explains Wawesh who relocated to Kenya from Sweden back in 2008 with a dream to create the new sound. Prior to his return, Wawesh was managing his Sweden based BlaO studio.

In 2008, Penya grew as an independent label releasing Kenya debut by Stan and Mwanzo by Sauti Sol. He was assisted with Nynke whose work was to develop talent.

Afro fusion artistes perform live on stage as opposed other genre musicians who use playbacks during concerts. This is one of the major attribute which has made the genre stand out as fans get treated to great entertainment and get value for their cash.

"Fans appreciate live performances and that is one reason why people embrace our style," remarks Bien-Aime of Sauti Sol.

Besides, youthful Afro fusion stars have cut a fashion image for themselves hence attracting the youth with their trendy looks.

The rugged fashion, which combines blonde hair fashions, dreadlocks and African accessories as well as cultural attires, has helped give Afro fusion an image young people can connect with therefore enhancing its popularity.

Just a band

Most of the slated Afro fusion concerts such as the upcoming Rift Valley Festival put emphasis on enhancing African cultural values so do to the songs, which embrace the local cultures hence giving Africa a true musical identity.

It is this uniqueness that has seen groups like Sauti Sol and Just a Band cut their own niche and command respect during over seas shows.

Muthoni for example has developed her own unique style with her strong stage performance complemented by the African drum which has earned her the stage name Drummer Queen.

"We want musicians who not only act as role models but also cultural ambassadors. I believe our music is mature and that comes out in our concerts. That explains why people stayed on despite the long hours of performance during Love is Kenya Concert," says Wawesh.

The likes of Suzzanna Owiyo, Chizi, Valerie Kimani, and Eric Wainaina among other afro-fusion artistes have a reputation of writing songs that relate to situations that affect Kenyans directly.

This is something that the new East Africa sound has maintained. Singing about real issues both political and social also give their music longevity.

The live music is expanding with more versatile producers who are willing to work with artistes’ talent like playing instruments and not making them do what is comfortable with the producers themselves.

"Some producers kill talent by making artistes work with what is comfortable for them (producers). If a producer does not know how to work with instruments, he makes the artiste change what he or she wants to do. That is why play back CD culture is very common in most performances and concerts," concludes Wawesh.