Marking the celebration of World Music Day on Friday, the musical synergy between Kenya and France will be unveiled in Nairobi tonight (21 June 2024). Singer, songwriter and guitarist Shepton Winyo and Edward Kamau, a Kenyan-born, France-based singer, guitarist and producer, will premiere their collaboration, “Running for Gold”, a song written to support the Kenyan team at next month’s Olympic Games in Paris.
“This is a tribute to Kenyan athletes to celebrate this occasion and strengthen ties between the two countries,” says Kamau, who has lived in France for 15 years. After Friday's concert, the two musicians will travel to France next week for a series of performances coinciding with preparations for the Summer Olympics.
The new song will be part of their joint set during the Nuits Metis festival in the southern French city of Miramas, where the Kenyan Olympic team is holding its pre-Olympic training camp. Kamau, who is based in Miramas, approached the festival organizers and then partnered with Alliance Francaise, Nairobi for cultural exchange between Kenya and France. Incidentally, World Music Day (Fete De La Musique), first celebrated in Paris in 1982, has become a global event featuring free concerts in more than 120 countries.
“When you hear the song, you know it's all about the hard work Kenyans put in to achieve gold or achieve anything else for that matter. Kenyans are hardworking. The theme resonates not only with the competitors, but also with the fans who cheer for them,” explains Winyo.
The song was masterminded by Kamau, who first moved to France after finishing high school in Kenya to study engineering. “We have never met physically,” Kamau explains. “I came up with my idea, sent it to Winyo and he ramped it up like crazy, and then I had to improve the game again. It was like a competition. “We kept pushing each other like Kenyan athletes do every time.”
Edward Kamau is a Kenyan-born, French-based singer, songwriter and guitarist.
Image credit: Swimming pool
Winyo recalls that from the first recording, he felt like he was dealing with a very emotional musician as soon as he touched the guitar. “I was so excited when I got back to him via WhatsApp to tell him how good it was. I rushed into the studio to give it a penga vibe, added some Swahili words and the song was born.
Kamau traveled to Kenya this month to join Winyo on an artist residency that includes creating music together which will be performed at Friday's concert and at events in France. The musicians will also perform at the Kenya House Experience in Paris which was created to promote the Kenyan brand during the Olympics.
Kamau is accompanied in Nairobi by Argentine musician Maximiliano D'Ambrosio, who plays the banduyón (an accordion-like instrument and a mainstay of tango music). They had never played officially together, and when the opportunity arose to travel to Kenya, Kamau thought it would be a good opportunity to bring his mentor along.
Maximiliano d'Ambrosio (standing back left), Argentine bandoneon player.
Image credit: Swimming pool
“This was an extraordinary experience for me because I learned a style of music that was completely foreign to what I was used to,” says D’Ambrosio, a member of the Argentine/French Deleones Tango Orquesta. “The beats follow a specific groove and then you have the energy and lyrics that adorn the music. At first I found it difficult to understand but now I feel comfortable because the music is what you have to feel and play. After this journey, I will never be the same as a musician again.”
“These residencies are important because as a musician you never stop learning,” Winyo noted as he turned to Kamau. “You teach me some guitar chords when we play your song System to Free. I also teach him some bunga rhythms and time signatures that are unique to bunga. It's a learning process.”
During Winyo's acoustic session at Geco Café in Nairobi on Wednesday night, he called Kamau on stage and the audience gave a sneak peek of Running for Gold to a rapturous reception.
The song will be released today on all major digital streaming platforms and the duo next plan to work on songs for a joint EP. Kamau is already excited to contribute additional lyrics to a song called Lamborghini on Winyo's upcoming album
After touring France, Winio played several dates in the UK, Poland, Germany and Sweden before returning to his home country in August to release his latest album Benga Nostalgia.
Meanwhile, Kamau is now motivated to spend more money on music outreach in Kenya. “I want to spend six months in France and a similar period here and build on these exchanges that have developed during this project,” he says.