Madtraxx and Kid Kora might turn red with fury and push glasses to the floor when they read this but I am going to say it anyway. Mejja needs to leave the Kansoul and go back to being a solo artiste.
It’s the best thing for him; it’s the best thing for all of us.
Any devotee of Kenyan music must have noted by now how Mejja carries the weight of the Kansoul by himself while the rest simply ride the wave. I feel that it’s not fair to him. I mean, Madtraxx and Kora are good but Mejja’s attitude, work rate and the way he slithers through verses with no inkling of inferiority makes the two look like mere sidekicks.
A Mejja verse usually feels like a good meal that has been cooked for over thirty minutes while a Kora or Madtraxx verse often feels like a meal that has been microwaved for 40 seconds and bing! – served to our tables piping hot.
Think of all the great songs that The Kansoul have given us over the years – "Bablass", "Kufa Juu", "Dabotap", "Nyongwa". Whose voice and verses do you remember the most? Definitely Mejja aka ‘Mtoto Wa Hadija’.
When listening to their songs, there is always the feeling that Mejja did most of the writing and then called the others to come and fill in the remaining parts just to lengthen the song to an acceptable time of three minutes.
You’ve definitely seen the new Safaricom adverts in which Mejja stars in. After watching them, we’ve been reminded of his old, comedic self.
In these ads, he is comical, just like he used to be in his earlier works. Remember the videos for Landlord and Niko Poa? They embodied the highest levels of humour and creativity.
It appears Mejja’s ability to be funny abandoned him when he joined The Kansoul. But those abilities aren’t extinct. They have just been hibernating. When required, they can come out. The Safaricom ads have proved it.
I am in no way throwing shade at Madtraxx and Kora. They are good artistes. Kora’s verse laced with Caribbean vibes on "Bablass" was epic. However, he just doesn’t deliver enough. He has a very limited range as an artiste and he often falters on new turf.
Madtraxx has had a phenomenal career. Before he was in a group, he gave us serious anthems such as "Skamaress", "Boda Boda" and "Get Down". However, in The Kansoul, he constantly enjoys leaving all the heavy lifting to Mejja. Instead of giving it all in a song, he prefers to fly at half-mast.
If the last few years of the groups’ existence have taught us anything, it’s that Mejja's flow and inventive lyrics cannot be faithfully reproduced by the other two artistes.
The Kansoul have had a good run but it’s high time Mejja went solo. Clearly, he has done enough steering.
The unavoidable breakup of music groups is tragic but absolutely necessary for cutting the ropes that bar individual artistes from traversing their own musical mannerisms without feeling caged.
And if you’re worried about how a world without The Kansoul will be like, there’s no need to fret. We’ll be fine. They’ll be fine too. They won’t be the first group to break up.
When one singer became too big for the group, the members had to say ‘adios’ to each other.
Beyoncé became too big for Destiny’s Child and branched out on her own. Sisqo became too big for Dru Hill and went on to have a successful solo career. Justin Timberlake left NSYNC and magic happened.
The burgeoning careers of the above people prove that solo success can easily rise from the ashes of a torched band. See? Dissolution of the Kansoul won’t be such a bad thing after all.
Recording alongside Madtraxx and Kora has undoubtedly aided Mejja’s development, but the togetherness has also been a glass ceiling to his ascent in the music business.
Breaking away will allow him to create on his own terms. It will be for his own good and also for the good of the fans.
