Vanessa Mdee – Closer

BHitz; 2013

Dir. Ogopa Video

Here’s something few people knew about Vanessa Mdee until very recently. When she’s not VJing at MTV Base or DJing at Tanzania’s Choice FM or getting involved in activism she actually makes music! Who knew? *Mind blown* I first got wind of this when I got to watch her collabo with Ommy Dimpoz, Me And You, about a month ago on Mashariki XL. Yes, she has actually been doing it as early as 2010 as part of Sy-Meez and more recently launched her debut as a solo artist with the single Closer produced by Hermy B of BHitz Music.

BHitz definitely went to town on this one, and produced some really warm beats.The end product is a nice R&B/urban pop sound that complements Vanessa’s good vocal abilities well. Lyrically, the track is a sort of hybrid between bongo and straight urban R&B/pop aimed at the international market. However, there is a bongo-fied remix already out featuring Ommy Dimpoz and Gosby which is sure to catch on more in Tanzania. The flirty verses constantly switch back and forth between English and some really proper Swahili sang in a way only a Tanzanian can. Overall, it is a radio-friendly single that will also get lots of requests in the club scene.

The music video prepared by the guys at Ogopa Video is a celebration of colour basically following Vanessa and friends along a beach just chilling and having a good old time. It is also a celebration of style – Vanessa wears what must be the longest sarong wrap known to human kind!

THE BOTTOM LINE

Closer will be an African wide banger assured of some great pan-African airplay and on MTV Base of course. 😉 It has set the stage for a proper introduction of Vanessa Mdee the artist and brought the rest of the world closer to a side of her that not many knew about.. My hope is that she gains some consistency and more depth in future releases.