Genre-bending singer, rapper and drummer Muthoni Drummer Queen (MDQ) has released her latest EP ‘Monsoon.’
The 3-track Afro-pop EP sits at the intersection of Kenyan Pop and Afrobeats, creating a sound that reflects a characteristic East African voice on a global stage.
“As an artist, I always experiment and strive to create my own sound. With Monsoon, I decided to tap into my lifelong love of pop music and blend Kapuka (a defining Kenyan pop sound), R&B and afro-beats,” MDQ says of the EP.
MDQ brings intelligence to Monsoon, using several literary devices to share her messages.
The EP’s name, Monsoon, is used here to symbolise how African music has influenced world genres such as R&B, pop and dance over the past couple of years.
The metaphor is extracted from the monsoon winds that bring rain and influence weather patterns in the East African region.
Adding: “I really wanted a unique name that speaks to my East African identity, tells a bigger story of the rise of African music globally, and embodies the wavy, flowy, rhythmic nature of the music on the EP itself.”
The EP features tracks such as “Monsoon” which explores the themes of romantic love, “Bure” the early infatuation stage, “Pomoni” the talking stage, and “Consistency” sheds light on the work needed to make a relationship work.
For this project, MDQ collaborates with celebrated Kenyan music producers So Fresh, Wuod Omollo and Dillie who elevate the songwriting.
Also included are creatives such as Shem Obara, Mutua Matheka, and Musa Omusi, among many others.
