After a triumphant entry into the local hip hop scene in 2013 with her revivalist 90s rap debut mixtape Consume Chakula Ya Soul and an equally tasty beat-tape entitled Balance: A Prelude To Art 19, 2014 was a good year for female rapper Wangechi. In addition to a growing fanbase, she got to feature on CNN and did a collabo with one of South Africa’s finest, HHP himself.
However, the year ended on a low note when she was involved in a tragic car accident that sent shock waves throughout her fanbase and the industry at large, fearful of losing yet another newly discovered talent. Thankfully, our prayers for Wangechi were answered – she is recovering well and is back on her feet ready to proceed with her musical journey.
There is no doubt that the accident and initial recovery has been a harrowing experience for Wangechi, her family and close friends, not to mention having to deal with the intense scrutiny of the media and Kenyans’ addiction to consuming and speculating on breaking news. What is great about Wangechi’s Through The Wire moment is that she has made her music part and parcel of her recovery process.
Right on the heels of her first single of the year Analogue Dreams featuring Karun, Wangechi has now embarked on a new project, the Wangechi Sessions, a series of live video takes of her most popular tracks to date released exclusively on Waabeh. She plans to share with her fans six sessions in total in the coming weeks. She released the first episode on Valentine’s Day, a live version of Play, backed by the Watooz Band.
THE BOTTOM LINE
We are certainly glad to see Wangechi back on the scene and hope the Wangechi Sessions is the start of much more good stuff this year. Her own words suffice for a parting shot:
“Music is to me therapeutic and such sessions are like baby steps to my road to recovery…as I gear up for my upcoming 2015 music video debut… This is a gift to my fans for their support during one of my most difficult moments.”