Beewol
I think I am one of the few people who don’t really like today’s RnB music that much. As a matter of fact, I think it is shallow, ordinary and extremely plastic. When I compare it to say Rock or Reggae or even Hip Hop I feel like RnB lacks in so many ways. Many would-be-awesome RnB singers are lost in the Pop madness and some can’t decide whether they are singers or rappers. Also, RnB songs nowadays lack lyrical depth and what is worse, today’s RnB music lacks the original wealthy Soulful emotion that people like Sam Cook, Etta James, Jill Scott, Maxwel, D’Angelo, Isaac Hayes, Barry White, Diana Ross, Babyface, Luther Vandross, Al Green and Whitney Houston would evoke. That evoking power that would make you feel things you never knew could be felt – I feel like it is very hard to come by nowadays. There are some really cool guys but the majority are worthless singers with zero real musicality.
But then again, I am no music expert and so my opinion is probably half baked, botched and uninformed. Also it is massively biased because one of my old exes loved RnB so much she made me hate it.
So anyway this afternoon a friend of mine Jc Muyonjo was telling me about one of his songs. I know he is quite a talented fella mostly because everyone says he is but I never really paid much attention to his stuff. He was telling me about some song of his called ‘No Love’ and he was telling its story. How it was written and what the story behind it is. Most songs that have the word ‘Love’ treat me horribly because they yank the will to live right out of my soul.
They render me powerless.
JC me sent me a Sound Cloud link to the song, I plugged in my ear phones and prepared myself to dose off or perhaps listen to the song halfway and then send him a message saying ‘Cool song’. Then he would probably say ‘thank You’ And I would move on with my life, not having jeopardized our friendship over a bogus song I don’t even like.
But Alas!
When I clicked play, I found myself listening with a bit of intent. The song starts in English … something about designer clothes and Gucci shades, fantasies on a woman’s mind … then it glides into Rutooro, probably because Batooro women understand Romance more than all other women. At this point I have decided I will listen to the bloody song till the end. It actually sounds very nice. I drag the song back to the start, clear my mind and try to listen again. I usually do this when I want to be sure whether or not I like a song. One listen is not enough for me to judge a song.
Then it hits me – the song is better than most RnB songs I have listened to. The Guitar Strings are quite prominent, the drums are obviously right there in your ear drum, reminding you that people still make good music. And the lyrics are simply well put together.
RnB is still alive after all.
The song sounds fresh and you can tell these talented lumpens took their time to produce this song here. They really did. It might not make it into mainstream media or the clubs around but I guarantee that this will be quite a song to reckon with.
I asked JC about the producer and he told me it was that other lanky fella named Abaasa. Is there anything this guy has ever produced that does not sound like heaven to the ears?
Anyway, JC tells me at the time of production Abaasa was in California (Which is either in USA, Gambia or somewhere in Kabalagala) pursuing a degree in Sound Engineering. I ask about the mastering of the song and JC tells me it was mastered by Nel Muhire who, from what I have heard, is a Sound Engineer. I am not so sure what Sound Engineers do but I supposed they Engineer Sound. As in you can sound like a Frog croaking but they will ‘engineer’ the sound and you will end up sounding like either Mariah Carey or Luciano Pavarotti.
I don’t review music. But every once in a while a song speaks to me and I can’t help but share my sentiments with the rest of the world.
So do yourselves a favour and look for this song ‘No Love’ by JC Muyonjo, Produced by Abasaa and mastered by Nel Muhire.
Thank me later. Also, JC I swear you owe me lunch.
