Kenyan saxophonist, artist and lawyer Analu Kanga seeks to reimagine African jazz in a format acceptable to a fan base that includes millennials and Gen Z.
“Afrobeat, amapiano, it all comes from Fela Kuti, it comes from Hugh Masekela, it comes from Miriam Makeba,” says Analo.
“The only reason I played saxophone was because Hugh played trumpet and Fela played saxophone. My passion is to present African jazz in a way that can be consumed commercially today,” she says.
Analo first played the saxophone as a student at Precious Blood’s school, Riruta, for her practical music exam.
“I felt like I was saying, if I sing for KCSE students, it’s too easy. I need to challenge myself, and luckily the school had some musical instruments and collaborated with Nairobi School to teach us how to play musical instruments. It was also a good excuse to force my parents to buy me the instrument,” she recalls.
After high school, she joined the Kenya National Youth Orchestra and then became a freelance artist while studying law at the University of Nairobi. She also spent hours watching saxophone lessons on YouTube.
Her debut album, Analogies, a play on her first name, was released in October 2023 and contains six songs that cover various influences, from soulful R&B grooves to infectious, guitar-driven rumba dance tracks.
“I had been a performer for so long and played for so many artists, I wanted to rebrand myself as a recording artist,” she says.
“So, I took all my inspirations and decided to do a project that would show all the musical influences that have affected me and the different aspects that define me as a person, and therefore the different metaphors for me,” she explained. “As a Gen Z, we are exposed to a lot of music. With streaming, you can listen to artists from all over the world.”
According to her, the project is “chaotic in design” and showcases her skill set as an artist. “Intuition” is a smooth lyrical track while there are hints of amapiano music in the song “Pepeta Roho” featuring Earlwin, an artist she first met when they performed together at Kenyan music festivals.
“Rumba ya Warembo” is a catchy dance song featuring Hornsphere while the slow-paced spoken word of “Laana Ya Shauku” evokes musings on the paradoxes of life and love.
“My goal is always to work with people who are much better than me, like producers, songwriters, singers, everyone is amazing,” she says of her collaborations.
“Although she has played the clarinet at one point, Analo is completely focused on her main instrument, the alto saxophone: ‘It’s more important to me to be a great saxophone player than to be a multi-instrumentalist. I already sing, which makes my voice really one instrument,’” she adds.
“Remember, I started out as a singer and only stopped for about five years to work on my saxophone playing. There’s a lot of power in words.
“I feel like the track is complete, but sometimes you need lyrics. I also think my singing is good, so why not?”
Analu Kanga, jazz saxophonist, singer and theatre artist, performs at an event on August 24, 2021.
Image source: Swimming pool
“If I hadn’t started music as a hobby, I don’t think I would have continued to do it, because music has saved my life so many times. It has given me structure, discipline, character, emotional development, and opportunities.
“You can be influential even outside of your own life because these songs that we make we will leave here and they will be there forever.”
Her biggest professional opportunity to date has been being among the recipients of the 2022/23 We are Moving the Needle Scholarship, a one-year scholarship providing training to female music professionals founded by Grammy Award-winning American engineer Emily Lazar.
Analo studied music production, songwriting and artist development under Stargate, the duo known for their work with Rihanna and Beyoncé.
“It was a great honor to learn how to write pop music in an American context. Their favorite songs were the ones written in Swahili. They would say, ‘We don’t know what you’re saying but it sounds provocative. The melody is fiery.’”
The first single from her mini-album Stay That Way (Intro), a collaboration with Australian producer Jared Azor, was a product of the mentorship program.
Analo has signed a contract with Sol Generation Records and Publishing, the company responsible for digital distribution of her music, collecting royalties, and synchronizing her music for film and television.
“There is only one music publishing company in the region, so our music is not prioritized when music curators are looking for music for Netflix or Apple TV. People will use what they know.”
Analo, who graduated with a law degree in 2022, now lectures to university students on copyright, the music industry, trademarks and patents.
Intellectual property is the foundation of the creative industry, music, film, television and design. Artists need to understand the legal aspects of business.
“You might have a hard time getting streaming on Spotify when you can just sync your songs to a TV station and have a three-year license and get paid for it,” she explained.
Her next project is set to be released before the end of the year, a single with an “exciting but undisclosed featured artist,” followed early next year by a three-song instrumental EP that is a mix of African jazz, reggae and pop.