Aloe Blacc in Nairobi for Blankets and Wine
It will not be just another African American singer visiting Kenya this weekend for a major concert. Aloe Blacc will be in Nairobi not only to sing but to also discuss activism and the fight against malaria at different forums.
He is the man whose music has received considerable airplay in Kenyan radio stations with songs like The Man, I Need a Dollar and Wake Me Up.
Aloe Blacc (real name Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III) will be the main act at the Blankets and Wine event scheduled for April 10 at the Ngong Racecourse Waterfront.
The Man, I Need a Dollar and Wake Me Up are some of Aloe Blacc’s songs that local stations have been playing.
Speaking to the Sunday Nation on phone from the US ahead of the visit, Aloe Blacc, 37, said he was looking forward to his maiden Kenyan visit.
“It will be my first time in Kenya, so I’m very excited to visit and perform and meet a lot of fans and some of the social activists in Nairobi,” he said.
The musician, who has previously visited Ghana, is a man so intent on keeping his African roots that he decided not to use any of his official names on stage.
He settled on a name that underscores the colour of his skin. He also chose “Aloe” on inspiration from the plant used to make skin creams. “I thought that my rhyme style was smooth like lotion,” he said.
FIGHTING MALARIA
A day before his performance, Aloe Blacc’s expected to meet various artistes and activists in an event organised by Pawa254, which mainly advocates for change through art.
Even though he said it would be the first such engagement outside the US, he has always used his music to promote social justice.
He adds: “I feel like I’m following in the footsteps of artistes like Bob Marley, a great song writer but also very motivated to use his voice for social movement.”
Also in the musician’s schedule is a meeting with a Kenyan team engaged in fighting malaria as part of his philanthropic activities under the four-year-old Malaria No More charity.
“I’ll be seeking their ideas in shooting a video that could help raise awareness about malaria,” he said.
Aloe Blacc said he decided to be a risk-taker musically and his efforts bore fruit.
“I made a transit from rapping to singing and then made a transition from singing soul-classical music to more contemporary pop-style music. Those risks have really paid off and we will see maybe a few more changes,” he said.
Local artistes are also expected to perform at the April 10 Nairobi event, which organisers have given a “we are back” theme.