In an era saturated with soul-less music and several upstart singers vying for the coveted “next big thing” status, Eli is a refreshing exception. This 26-year-old Ugandan with Kenyan roots has released a 14 track soul album produced by local producer Kaz Kasozi and mastered in Germany at Atom Studio.
Singing a hybrid genre, Eli effortlessly blends rhythm, blues and soul stylistics. His smooth voice does interesting R&B falsettos in addition to his carefully assorted deep lyrics. This adds an interesting variety to the Ugandan music industry. As the middle class grows, the rise of corporate culture has become synonymous with growth and demand of live string music. More “working class” Ugandans meet in the evenings in hangouts to loosen up to traditional soothing auditory aesthetics. The relaxing effect seems to give them a serene way to retire after a day’s load of work. In vibrant atmosphere as this, a soul album comes in handy!
“Hey” is blood-stirring assemble of fineness robed in intricate rhythms of guitar, soft pulsations of a drum, melody of trumpet, tingling piano keys and hazy bass wafting in the background. The acoustic effect forms a soft textured background with a lively aura. This diffuses a vague scent of a bar scene in a Texas cowboy movie. He weaves his lyrics in, and out, decorating the album with colourful picturesque diction that is contemporary and steeped in the bellows of poetry.
“Grateful”, the number one song on the album ushers the listener to smooth rhythms of guitar. He blends Swahili and English which gives the album a rich appeal.
“Pole pole”, “Jichunguze”, “Penzi la Dhati” are prominently Swahili. In “Hey”, “Fairy tale”, and “Peace surpasses” he makes his mark with distinct narrow vocal range and vibrant adlibs. My favourite, “No idea” is a bit up tempo unlike most of songs. The album sound hinged on power of live instruments and a great voice. It could have been much closer to home with incorporation of sounds of the local sights and sounds and fauna.
He sings about love, reconciliation, perseverance and the divine. The beauty of the album is that he achieves to bring out each song with soothing, relaxed and stimulating effect that searches the heart. The kind of music a corporate guy will hum to impress that lady pursuing her MBA.
The thematic variety of his songs is wide range, revealing a robust travelled mind. It encapsulates who he is as a person and artist. This is a great debut album that should not pass unnoticed.
Listen to the songs below.
Staff Writer
