Genge and bongo supremacy battles

By Mildred Mugambi

Going by the local charts they are bold, big and popular. One is a mix of hip-hop, dancehall and African styles, while the other is predominantly hip-hop fusion.

While there is no doubt genge and bongo music enjoy a massive following in East Africa, the debate over which is more popular rages on.

Florence Ntinyari says genge is the music of choice. "It communicates issues that many listeners can relate to. It sounds like a real story," says the college student.

Many music fans echo her sentiments, especially the urban youth who have experienced ghetto life. Citing Bidii Yangu track by Juacali, they say genge music is a reflection of real life of the youth.

Genge, which is Swahili word for masses, is a mix of hip-hop, dancehall and African styles. It is sung in ‘sheng’ (a blend of Kiswahili, English and local languages). It is exclusively Kenyan and popular among the urban youth. Leading artistes in this genre include the self-proclaimed ‘godfather of genge’ Nonini, Meja, Juacali (popularly known as ‘king of genge’), Flexx, Jimwat, Pilipili and P Unit among others.

On the other hand, bongo flava is a popular genre mainly Swahili rap from Tanzania and is predominantly hip-hop fusion. Bongo is a Swahili word for ‘brains’. Bongo flava combines African beats, Arabic melodies, dancehall and hip-hop beats, done in Swahili and English. And like genge, bongo has its share of admirers in East Africa.

Dj Eazy B based at "Sohos" attributes its popularity to the artistes’ understanding of their audience needs.

"They know how to read their crowd and address their different moods," he says.

However, despite its massive following, lately genge has received criticism among fans. Caleb Muriuki, a young executive, considers the music shallow. He claims "the producers lack variety in beats and music arrangements" compared to bongo.

"Bongo musicians seem to be alive to what is happening in society." He quotes Nakaaya’s hit Mr Politician as a classic example of this fact.

He says most bongo tracks are centred on love and romance. "We are humans and relationships are core of humanity," says Muriuki.