Linda girls to preserve Kiswahili through song

The all-girl group Linda, made up of Alexis, Raych and Bee, waltzed their way into the music industry with their amazing vocals and releases of soulful Swahili music.

When they formed the group in 2017, they had one thing in mind: to nurture an all-girl Kenyan group that would stand the test of time.

They started off with renditions of old music, which they spiced up with Kiswahili lyrics.

It is through these renditions that they actually learnt how to define their style in a relatable way. They have already done four original songs, the most recent being "Wacha Ikae", which they released last month.

“Not everyone understands but as we  keep explaining, the essence of our Kiswahili renditions is to bring back that pure feeling (HisiaHalisi) that these songs brought out back in the day, which brings out the meaning of our name, Linda; we aim to preserve Kiswahili  in our music as we bring back that pure feeling,” says Alexis.

“This year we have been working on amazing ideas and sound on our upcoming originals. It’s very interesting as we get to understand and get into songwriting and we are realising our potential with each song. It’s super exciting,” she adds.

ALL-GIRL GROUP

They all agree that being an all-girl group is very interesting. Having three different people and personalities coming together, is amazing, especially when their different styles complement each other.

They have grown to be more like sisters, “We disagree like siblings, cry together, laugh together and learn from each other. Most importantly, we have each other’s backs. The bond gets better every day because we have the same goals,” says Raych.

Their journey has made them go through music training and vocal coaching to help them fully explore their vocal capabilities.

Their new style of music was like a breath of fresh air for the Kenyan audience that propelled them to stardom.

“We would say that most people got to know about LINDA when we did Mary J Blidge’s All night long Swahili rendition ‘Mpaka Che’,”

The band gets its inspiration from music that ruled the airwaves in the 90’s. The arrangement, the feeling and the delivery back in the day was just extraordinary and that challenges them to make soulful music.

Collectively they aspire to work with boy band Sauti Sol, Sanaipei Tande (whom apart from being their mentor has written their first 4 original songs), Victoria Kimani, Nyashinski and Mayonde.

Apart from releasing great albums of both our original Swahili music and renditions, they want to be active mentors for other upcoming artistes or talented youth, to show them that they can make a living from talent with determination, self-discipline and smart work.

“The aim is to show these super talented young people that where you come from should never be the defining factor and that it is possible if you put your mind to it,” says Bee.

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For more visit www.lit360.africa