Harmonize speaks about his new album and his plan for East Africa’s music growth in the Western market

Ex-WCB artiste, Harmonize has spoken his first since handing in his resignation letter to WCB’s management.

The bongo star spoke to BBC Swahili in a candid interview, about his “One Africa music fest” performance in the UK.

He was first pretty grateful for the massive turnout in the UK, despite fact that the announcement was made barely days to the performance.

And it means a lot to me.

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New album

And further concerning his new album that is expected to come out by end of the year, despite his departure from WCB:

Well, album yangu inaitwa Bongo to Lagos. Itakua ni more of collaborations kwa wasanii wa West Africa and East Africa. Na ni kama East meet West. But the point is kuonyesha wasanii wa West Africa watambue zaidi mziki wetu, wajue bongo flava kwa undani. Mi naita Afro-East.

This is basing on fact that Afro-beat is music popularly known to originate from Africa, but in real sense it covers more of the West than the rest of Africa.

Sisi mziki wetu hauwezi kuitwa Afrobeats kwa sababu una Kiswahili ndani, tunauita Afro-East.

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However, speaking in regard to the prominence of Afro music in the Western World unlike East Africa’s similar position, he expresses his desire to have a blend of Afro and the East to push their music forward.

Mziki ni ule ule. Kwa hiyo mimi naona ikichanganyika na Kiswahili, inakua ni Afro-East. So album yangu inaitwa Bongo to Lagos ni kumix to ladha kwa pamoja na naamini itakua ni vizuri. So Mungu akinijalia, mwisho wa mwaka nitaachia.

East Africa’s music

Furthermore, he revealed his plans to speak to East African artistes concerning lack of their music growth in the Western world.

What I believe is, tunaeza kufanya kwa sababu tuna crowd kubwa ya East Africa, tuna WaKenya wengi sana, wanatusupport. Pia Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, wa-Tanzania ni wengi sana lakini pia Zimbabwe na maeneo tofauti tofauti. Lakini pia mziki wetu unajaribu kidogo kupenya Nigeria na sehemu tofauti tofauti. So tukitangaza show na kiandaliwe vizuri, naamini kabisa itaja.

But that’s not it for him in the world of music as he looks forward to achieve his dream of staging performances in London’s biggest arena, 02.

So my plan, na target yangu, na nilivyoiambia nafsi yangu kwamba next year nitaitangaza tarehe, lakini, I’m trying to London Arena 02. I believe inaezekana kabisa.

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As the interview concluded, he declined from speaking about his exit from WCB.

Hilo ziwezi kulizungumza sasa hivi.

Interview

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