82 (album)
| 82 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 2, 2009 (Kenya) | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2009 | |||
| Genre | House, disco, hip hop, electronica | |||
| Length | 55:59 | |||
| Producer | Just a Band | |||
| Just a Band chronology | ||||
| ||||
82 is the second studio album by the Kenyan house/funk trio Just a Band, released in 2009 following their debut release Scratch to Reveal. Just A Band signed a US licensing deal with Akwaaba Music, who re-released 82 on February 23, 2010.[1]
Album information[edit]
Just a Band released the music video for the first single from the album, "Usinibore" on July 4, 2009. The video – created by the band themselves – helped land the single in the We Are Hunted charts, peaking at number three on November 11, 2009.
82 was released on October 2, 2009, at a pre-launch release party.[2] Compared with the trio's previous release, Scratch to Reveal, 82 is 12 minutes, 9 seconds longer and contains 13 tracks and 1 hidden track. The playlist features fewer guest artists (Bien Baraza, Juliani and Wambura Mitaru), and the trio have undertaken greater singing roles themselves.[3]
Ha-He[edit]
The band released the video for their second single from the album "Ha-He" on Wednesday 17 March 2010. The video is a spoof of blaxploitation films, featuring a protagonist named "Makmende". The video subsequently became popular, and has been described as "Kenya’s first viral internet meme".[4] The band were featured on CNN, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company as a result.[5]
Reception[edit]
Reviews for the album were strongly positive; Exclaim! described it as resplendent in its cool tones and chilled vocals and very distinctive, regardless of its origin,[6] and The Huffington Post described the album as the sign of a generational shift.[7]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Save My Soul" | 3:41 |
| 2. | "Ha-He" | 3:56 |
| 3. | "Extra" | 4:08 |
| 4. | "Kaa Ridho" | 3:52 |
| 5. | "Migingo Express" | 3:32 |
| 6. | "Usinibore" | 4:12 |
| 7. | "Sunrise" | 4:52 |
| 8. | "Huff + Puff" | 3:55 |
| 9. | "Uko Mbele" | 4:37 |
| 10. | "Forever People" | 4:41 |
| 11. | "Stay" | 3:40 |
| 12. | "BoogieDeeBweet" | 4:16 |
| 13. | "Tingiza Kichwa/Where Do You Come From" (hidden) | 6:39 |
Personnel[edit]
Just a Band[edit]
| Just a Band | Vocals, Instrumentation |
| Juliani | Vocals |
| Wambura Mitaru | Vocals |
| Bien Baraza | Vocals |
| Njoki Ngumi | Vocals |
| Tina Nduba | Vocals |
Production[edit]
| Executive producers | Just a Band |
| Mixing | Just A Band, Eric Musyoka |
| Instrumentation | Just A Band, David Gitoho, Eric Musyoka |
| Album Art/Package Design | Jim Chuchu |
External links[edit]
- just-a-band.com (Official website)
References[edit]
- ^ Lebrave, Benjamin. "Fresh from Nairobi: Just A Band". Akwaaba Media. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ^ Koech, Christine. "Just A Band Album Pre-launch". East Africa Magazines. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ^ Kebuchi, Francis. "Just A Band speaks on their new album 82 and more!". Kenya Christian. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ^ Zuckerman, Ethan. "Makmende's so huge, he can't fit in Wikipedia". Zuckerman, Ethan. Archived from the original on 27 March 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ^ Vinograd, Cassandra (2010-03-24). "Kenya Launches Country's First Viral Music Video". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ^ Dacks, David. "Just A Band – 82". Exclaim! Media Inc. Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
- ^ Russell, Lars (2010-05-24). "Viral "Makmende" Signals Shift in African Music as Twitter Generation Takes Lead". HuffingtonPost.com Inc. Archived from the original on 31 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
