Song of the Day – March 5, 2012

Song: “Pole Pole”

Artist: Kaz

Country of Origin: Kenya

I love television and I have started a new TV show last month. The show is called Shuga: Love, Sex and Money and it is produced by MTV. The show depicts the lives of the various 20-somethings in Nairobi, Kenya as they try to conquer their careers and be sexually intelligent about their actions with others. It is a moving television show and I have been hooked. They don’t sugarcoat anything, which I truly appreciate it. One thing about the show I truly enjoy is the music. Most, if not all, of the music comes from Kenya and I truly enjoy it. It reminds of Ghanaian hiplife music, but there are definite differences such as the dialect they sing and rap. Particularly, this song caught my attention while watching a recent episode of Shuga. The artist, Kaz, is unbelievable. She sings with beautiful sensuality and a specific simplicity, which won me over immediately. “Pole, Pole” (po-LAY, po-LAY) is a romantic song that you should play on dates with your significant other and it is perfect song to enhance your alone time with that person. It is an unique song because Kaz sings part of the song in her native tongue and then the rest in English. It gives it an interesting blend and the song is breathtaking.

Kaz reminds me of a mixture of  India Arie, Erykah Badu and a little bit of Jill Scott. I appreciate her unique music and I can’t wait for her to make her music available on iTunes so I can buy it! For now, we will have to listen to the song on BandPage, and if you want, you can buy it from there. It is you choice…

Enjoy the Song of the Day!

Song of the Day – March 2, 2012

Song: “So In Love”

Artist: Jill Scott featuring Anthony Hamilton

Country of Origin: USA

I have been listening to Jill Scott for a very long time. The first song of hers that I heard was “Golden” from her sophomore studio album Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2, and from there, I fell in love with her music. I am always excited when Scott comes out with new material, so you can just imagine when I heard this song, I fell in love again! I was listening to it with my mom and she predicted it would be a lot of couples’ wedding songs, which is probably true. But that is not the point. The point is the song is so good in its earthiness and strong R&B flavor. Scott is one of the biggest artists of the Neo-Soul music movement and this song continues her reign. The song is filled with such happiness that you cannot help but be overcome with it. In addition, she adds Anthony Hamilton to sing half of the verses, and they have a great chemistry in the song. With Scott and Hamilton singing, it adds a yin and yang element to the single. This particular aspect is great for a song about love and waking up in the morning to your significant other. I’m just falling in love with this song all over again!

I recommend listening to more of Jill Scott’s music. She is a great artist and she always have something to say that is meaningful and heartfelt. Look out for more of her music!

Enjoy of the Song of the Day!

Song of the Day – March 1, 2012

Song: “The Cave”

Artist: Mumford & Sons

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Last month, I was into a lot of dance music, mainly anything by David Guetta. I have decided to introduce more mellow and indie music from the around the world to my fellow travelers. Today, I decided to choose “The Cave” by London-based folk band Mumford & Sons. I first heard about them during this year’s Grammys (or some people call it the Adele Awards). They were nominated for Record of the Year, and even though they lost to Adele, I became intrigued by their music. They are a four-piece band, and the instruments they use constantly change. For example, during an acoustic performance of “The Cave,” they played acoustic guitar, stand-up bass, accordion and a mandolin. There is an antiquated and old-fashioned sound to their music, which I truly admire. Since a lot of music in 2011 revolved around auto-tune and a synthesizer, I feel 2012 is going to take a mellow approach to music with more instruments than a deejay mix board. This is my opinion, and you can take it or leave it.

Anyway, I really do enjoy the song and it is something that is easy to listen to. Actually, I was playing the song loudly on my computer and I overheard one of my roommates humming to it. I don’t think she realized I overheard her or that she was humming to the song, but nevertheless, that proves has more power in its simplicity and easygoing nature. I think it is time to go with the flow now…

Enjoy the Song of the Day!

Song of the Day – February 29, 2012

Song: “Ishq Kamina”

Artist: Alka Yagnik & Sonu Nigam

Country of Origin: India

To continue my obsession with Bollywood films and music, I found this song while perusing other songs on YouTube. I liked it because it was different from “Dhoom Again,” which is a more modern take on traditional Indian music. On the other hand, today’s choice is more traditional because they are singing in Hindi and it matches other popular Indian songs. The song is from the film Shakti: The Power It features  Shahrukh Khan, A.K.A. “The King of Bollywood”, and I may not know a lot of the film, I do know the film does not lack for lavish musical numbers such as this one. Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam sing the vocals while Khan and Aishwarya Rai lip-synch. It seems to me that you must be a multitalented performer to be considered a successful Bollywood commodity. Indian audiences appreciate the “triple-threat” performers, and that is very obvious in this film. Otherwise, the song is full of fun and it gives the listener a joyous feeling.

I think all of you should look into Bollywood music because the actors and dancers in the films seem like they are having a fabulous time!

Enjoy the Song of the Day!

Song of the Day – February 27, 2012

Song: “Turn Me On”

Artist: David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj

Country of Origin: France/United States

Song of the Day Archive

Yes, here is another David Guetta song. What can I say? This French DJ is blowing up the airwaves and you have to admit are very addicting. I don’t what he does to create such amazing electrified beats, but he manages to do so. No matter if I was in Ghana or USA, his songs were being blasted through the stereos and they still are. I’m not a fan of every song he comes out with. It really depends on which artist he decides to collaborate with on the particular song. They produce magic when it is the right mixture, and I must say he made the right choice in Nicki Minaj. Since Minaj can rap and sing, her flavor is completely right for Guetta’s music. It is obvious that Minaj’s singing vocals have been auto-tuned and synthesized to fit the style of music, but she doesn’t need much help at all. She is a solid vocalist and lyricist, and her pure talent shines through this song. With Guetta’s unique rhythms, this partnership is magical and purely electric.

Also the music video is quite interesting and I’m not sure I understand it fully. It took me to understand Guetta’s music videos, but with time, I will figure it out. Hopefully, all of you may have a better understanding than I do. Anyway…

Enjoy the Song of the Day!