Nguuni Lovers Lovers - Cheza Ngoma / Beth Kathini

Kenya’s Nguuni Lovers Lovers will provide the first release for groundbreaking new label Dream Beach. Part of the Moshi Moshi ‘family’ of labels, Dream Beach will pioneer the release of contemporary African and non-western music in the UK.

“The first release is by Nguuni Lovers Lovers from a small town called Mlolongo in Kenya.” explains label founder and curator Eddy Frankel, of London band Fair Ohs, “They play a form of Kenyan guitar music called Kamba that's fast and repetitive but always super melodic. There's not been much Kamba music released in the west, so even though it shares a lot of similarities with some other Kenyan genres it'll definitely stand on its own.”

Cheza Ngoma – roughly translated as ‘dance to the music’ - and b-side Beth Kathini will be released on 7” vinyl and digital download on 9th May.

“My aims with Dream Beach Records are fairly simple - I want to get people like me and my friends, people who are into indie and punk music, to listen to African and non-western music. Bands like Animal Collective, Vampire weekend, Gang Gang Dance - and of course the wonderful Fair Ohs, that I am in - have done a fair amount to open up audiences to the idea of non-western music, and I don't think it's seen as such a cheesy 'World Music' cliche anymore."

"Hopefully, if we can release contemporary African music in the same way as a release from an East London indie band for example, Dream Beach can go some way towards helping African and non-western music become even more accepted. Anyway, I'm bloody excited.”

TRACKLISTING:

A: Cheza Ngoma
B: Beth Kathini

So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!