AMG Review of En Mana Kuoyo

Steve McMullen
All Music Guide

When listening to this album, one is struck immediately by the unique sound. The powerful, resonating nyatiti (a stringed instrument similar to the lyre) and Ogada's reflective, subdued vocals are unlike anything you've ever heard. They're also almost the only things you will hear on this disc, the only embellishment being the occasional light percussion or wind instrument. Ogada sings in his native Kenyan tongue, of the beliefs and traditions of his people. "Go far, see the world, but don't forget where you come from," he intones in the song "Chiro," a sentiment he has obviously taken to heart. There are no pounding rhythms on this record, nothing you can dance to, but it is memorable nonetheless, and makes a strong case for the beauty of restraint.