Singer Mayonde On Hiatus, Police Brutality, New Music + More - The Sauce
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Singer Mayonde On Hiatus, Police Brutality, New Music + More

Soulful singer Diana Nduba popularly known as Mayonde is a Kenyan music household name.

If not for her seamless vocal ability and power to move a crowd, her looks will have you in absolute awe.

The Sauce caught up with the Nairobi crooner to talk about her career, her thoughts on Police brutality and more!

1.What is your take on the current state of things the country over with regard to police brutality and blatant murders? Case in point, the recent brutal murders of 6 boys in a span of a week.

It is an absolute sad state of things  and utterly disheartening to see such blatant disrespect for human life. The irony of the people with the power to serve and  protect us being the same people abusing us is insane. Our systems have to change as they have been failing us majorly. They have put power in the hands who abuse it.

2. As a key player in the Kenyan showbiz industry, what do you think the industry should do to amplify such pertinent issues?

That is a really good question. Honestly, every Kenyan should be very intentional  about trying to create a better Kenya, seiing as there is just too much going on . From police brutality, to vaccine apartheid, corruption. It should call for lots of soliloquy about what we should individually do to curb so much of the bad stuff happening. As a musician, I’m trying to be as conscious as I can be with my platform, gifts and life. It has been a constant bout of self-introspection, as it can be easy to live in a bubble

3. You have been on a bit of a hiatus and it is only recently that you have seemed to make a comeback. Why is that?

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That is true. I deliberately took a break to restrategize as I felt like I was not seeing the fruits of my immense input in my music. I had started to feel really drained. Inasmuch as I was getting a few gigs here and there, I was just not thriving . I felt it was time to take a backseat and plan ahead. To that end, I applied into a great 10-week program called the Perform Music Incubator where artistes are trained a lot about the business side of the music. That is where I figured that I had previously lacked knowledge on how to market myself, fetch work for myself and all that jazz. I have since taken back the power and I’m very excited for what is underway.

4. What do you have coming in the near future? Any new music?

Yes! I have a new EP slated to drop in December with Kenyan producer called Echo, an electronic DJ-cum-producer who I met at the incubator program. We decided to do a project together that will have elements of HipHop and Amapiano.

5. Speaking of Amapiano, it is all the rave right now. As a genre, do you think it will have longevity or is it another craze that will be gone just as fast as it came?

Amapiano is really a branch from the South African House music branch. Just like HipHop and all its subgenres and fads that we have seen over the years, from crunk, to the Rock-HipHop sound popularized by Linkin Park collaboration with Jay Z, House music will always be there.

6. Who are your local and international dream collaborations?

Internationally, I would do anything to work with Kanye West. Locally, there is a myriad artistes I would love to work with. From Xeniah Manasseh, Nikita Kering’, to Sauti Sol. The list is endless.

7. You were a part of Coke Studio Africa for two seasons. How did the platform influence your career and what were some of your takeaways from your time there?

Before Coke Studio, I was a very niche artiste who focused primarily on very soulful records but Coke Studio opened my mind up to the Pop Side of music, especially because of working with so many African artistes.  I started seeing music in colors and not genres. After Coke Studio,the music I put out was very uptempo.

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8. What are you currently listening to?

I’m big on Spotify. I like how the app curates all these playlists derived from the algorithm of the music you mostly stream. My current playlist is pretty versatile. Emma Cheruto, Somi, Amber Mark, Mi Casa, Adenkule Gold..It is super random!

Mayonde is a hitmaker with a string of hits under her belt like Kama Kawaida and Isikuti Love. She is married to Just A Band’s Mbithi

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