Japanese nyatiti diva, Anyango arrived in Kenya on the 19th of August 2016 on a mission to promote her new album, Anyango: The Safari of Eriko Mukoyama. The visit entailed a number of shows in Nairobi aimed at promoting her brand new album.
Rehearsals Day 1... A group of multi-talented musicians converged at Ketebul Music Studios to join Anyango in the first step of the journey.
With Kasiva Mutua on percussions, Ricky Nanjero on bass guitar, Michael Okinyo on the keyboard, Gervais Katumba on drums, Boaz Jagingo playing the orutu; a single-stringed traditional instrument and background vocalist Lydia Ogoti on board... Anyango's new band was complete!
On the 25th of August Anyango had her first show at Thursday Nite Live @ Choices where she wowed the crowd with her brilliant live act.
The four-hour live performance, filled with beautiful nyatiti sounds and the angelic harmonies of Anyango and her band doubled up as the official launch of Anyango's album, Anyango: The Safari of Eriko Mukoyama.
The album consists of 15 songs in total including a collaboration with Kenge Kenge Orutu System, a traditional band from Kenya.
The song entitled ‘Anyango Nyar Japan Meets Kenge Kenge’ is a song Anyango wrote right after the Fukushima earthquake tragedy in Japan. It is meant to encourage the human spirit of resilience. Kenge Kenge infuse a strong traditional musical element to this song, expressing the same sentiment in Dholuo; a local language from Nyanza, Kenya.
On the 26th of August Anyango performed at the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Reception at The Hilto