Anyango -The Safari of Eriko Mukoyama-

This is a Best Album of Anyango, a first female Nyatiti player in the world.

1. Anyango nyar Japan meets Kenge Kenge

A first collaboration between a Japanese musician; Eriko Mukoyama a.k.a Anyango, and a Kenyan traditional music group; Kenge Kenge. Anyango wrote this song just after the Fukushima earthquake tragedy in Japan. It is meant to encourage the human spirit of resilience. Kenge Kenge gives a strong musical accent to this piece, expressing the same sentiment in Dholuo.

2. Weche Ng'eny

Sung in Dholuo, Weche Ng'eny (meaning 'Many Problems') talks about the various issues people face from all corners of the world. This song seeks to empower the people emphasizing that there are always solutions to problems. If we don't give up, life can always be better.

3. Sweet Poison

Sweet Poison is a song about overcoming the pain of a love gone sour. The song says that there are lessons to be learned in heartbreak, lessons that give us strength. The song also urges caution against 'loving blindly' to avoid loosing oneself.

4. Kizashi

Kizashi is a Japanese word that means 'Omen.' This song is however sung in Swahili, Dholuo and English. The song is about a traveler who has felt a good omen indicating it was the right time to find love. After journeying all around the world, he finally finds love and discovers himself.

5. Ja Ugenya

A traditional song sung in Dholuo, Ja Ugenya means 'People from Ugenya.' The song is a call to people of all walks of life to recognize that we are all
the same regardless of our nationality, colour, beliefs or status. This is the first song Anyango learned from Okumu K'Orengo, her nyatiti teacher.

6. Horizon

Horizon is sung in Japanese and Dholuo. It is
a letter from Anyango to the people of Siaya County (home of nyatiti near Lake Victoria), expressing her fond memories of her time with them and wishing them well. She reminds them that regardless of the distance they still have a special place in her heart.

7. Ogwang'

Ogwang' is the name of the revered nyatiti Master, Ogwang' Lelo K'Okoth. The song is sung mostly in Swahili but also contains Japanese lyrics. In
the song, Anyango describes her love for the nyatiti also known as 'kamba nane' (Swahili for 'eight strings') and the inspiration she draws from both the instrument and the spirit of Ogwang' Lelo K'Okoth.

8. Flamingo

This is an instrumental piece inspired by Anyango's nyatiti collection. It showcases four nyatitis off the collection, tuned and detuned to explore the various sounds and tones of the nyatiti: a veritable nyatiti orchestra.

9. Kayamba

The kayamba is a traditional percussion instrument from the Mijikenda community. It is used in spiritual healing and cleansing ceremonies. This song is based on a fusion of two Mijikenda traditional songs; Nenda Mundani, a song sung to encourage farmers while working on the farm; and Ni Kure, a song sung to ward off bad spirits.

10. Gaudensha

Gaudensha is the name of the wife of Anyango's nyatiti teacher, Okumu K'Orengo. The song is a fusion of Japanese and Kenyan instruments and is inspired by the strength of the African woman.

11. Uhiki

Uhiki is a wedding song derived from a Kikuyu traditional song, 'Nyumba ya Mwari Witu' (Kikuyu for 'The House of Our Daughter'). It is sung to encourage the unity of the two families tied together in matrimony.

12. Last Waltz

Last Waltz is played in a chakacha groove. Chakacha is a music genre from the Coastal region of Kenya. The song is sung mostly in Japanese with a few words in Fang language that is spoken in Cameroon. It speaks about first love and the longing to re-live the feeling it brought.

13. Mwana wa Mberi

Mwana wa Mberi (Luhya for 'The First Child') is a Luhya traditional song in praise of the first born child. It is sung to celebrate the birth of the first child and to commemorate any instance of the same child's success.

14. Nyatiti Soran 2020

Nyatiti Soran 2020 is a fusion of traditional Kenyan nyatiti , traditional Japanese soran bushi, and Western dance music. Anyango sings to celebrate this fusion of different cultures and the joy that this music brings to people. This song has proven popular among young Japanese school kids who enjoy dancing to this song.

15. Jambo Nyatiti

Anyango introduces herself in this song and sings about the beginnings of her love for the nyatiti. It is a song about Anyango's life while learning the nyatiti from nyatiti master Okumu K'Orengo in Siaya. His message to her was that she plays the nyatiti all over the world at places where he, Okumu K'Orengo had never been.

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