The dexterity displayed by Jay Melody in Therapy, simply places him in a different milieu, revealing him as one artiste fully aware of the soundscape upon which the greatness of Bongo Flava rests — RnB.
By Frank Njugi
In the East African Swahili belt, among Bongo Flava acts currently in vogue, no artiste displays an unwavering commitment to the stylings of RnB in his Bongo Flava songs more than Jay Melody — real name Sharif Said Juma. He has released hit singles such as 2022’s “Sugar” and “Nakupenda”, as well as 2023’s “Sawa” and “Mbali Nawe”.
The hit singles have established him as an artiste with a smooth and sultry RnB-influenced Bongo Flava sound, and one with fervent and profound songwriting skills. His strengths lie more with explainer lyrics that dive into the ins and outs of love. Recently, Jay Melody released his debut LP, Therapy. The project, a collection of 14 songs, further reveals his take on Bongo Flava — primarily a Swahili iteration of RnB music. The songs on Therapy combine elements of Swahili sounds such as Taarab, alongside soundscapes borrowed from Pop, Blues, Soul, and Jazz.
Bongo Flava is an East African derivative of African-American music — Hip-Hop and RnB. Bongo Flava artistes borrow their fashion aesthetic from urban Black American Hip-Hop (or rap fashion). In their lyricism, the norm is to incorporate puns, rhymes, slang ( in this case Swahili-slang), and extended metaphors. From RnB, the derivation is much more, as these artistes borrow the sonic soundscape of funk-influenced rhythms, soulful vocals and instrumental arrangements similar to that of Blues, injecting RnB’s affinity for exploring lyrical themes on love, relationships, and personal experiences.
Surprisingly, in all the 14 songs on Therapy, Jay Melody only collaborates on two tracks — one being the introductory single, “Bado”. This first song is melodious, with a lyrical delivery that mirrors that of an acapella group comprising the featured artistes. The track brings together Tanzanian acts, Marissa, Karma Stellah, Ndelah, Logic, Magic, Benson Hauzini, and Jay Melody himself, who sing on optimism and hope through life struggles. Sonically, “Bado”’ derives its sound from piano synths and acoustic drum sets, which might indicate production influence from the ensemble of featured artistes.
The other collaboration comes on the fifth song, “Usiniache ”, in which Jay Melody links up with fellow Tanzanian Bongo Flava act, Phina. “Usiniache” is a track that supplements a traditional R&B sound, with Phina’s compelling soft and subtle vocals as the two artistes sing on fears they have concerning unnamed lovers.
This exploration of fatalistic fears — and also all banes encapsulated in the human quest for joyous and fruitful relationships — is prevalent as well in other singles on Therapy: “Nahodha”, “Siyawezi” and “Sio Sawa”. “Nahodha” has a rhythmic poetic lyrical delivery style and Arab music melodies and percussions, similar to those of Taarab music. The song’s lyrics allegorically explore the power dynamics in relationships (the control and influence one partner has over the other) and how unhealthy power dynamics result in unfruitful attachments.
“Sio Sawa”, with melancholic piano and loud bass sounds, finds Jay Melody beseeching those around him to open their eyes to some problems he is facing. In “Siyawezi”, a song that has a jittery tempo backed up by syncopated drum and synthetic sounds, he goes on about how he craves receiving full attention from a partner who doesn’t seem to be listening to his love language — which is constant attention.
In Therapy, Jay Melody explores the positives of love and relationships, too. He does this in “Wa Peke Yangu”, “Watu”, “Unanimaliza”, and “ Katika”. A slow-flowing track with a catchy melody and emotional resonance complimented exceptionally by a Soul-like harmony, “Wa Peke Yangu” is perhaps the album’s hit song. It contains lyrics that describe his affinity for a lover — and he determines this affinity to be strong enough to warrant a continual pull.
“Watu” is about a kind of love that makes one deaf to all others. The song is curated as a single with skittering percussions that go hand in hand with Jay Melody’s feathery sweet vocals which make the single a serenade of sorts. “Unanimaliza” is a track with a swaying buzz brought about by danceable percussions that the beat’s tempo brings. Jay Melody sings about how a lover always undertakes to delight him, his vocals displaying a kinetic delivery of the lyrics. “Katika” unbridledly describes the physical appearance of a potential lover. The beat is inspired by old-school Swahili music, with its combination of sounds from African drums and stringed instruments which produce a syncopated and soothing rhythm.
With the singles “18”, “Sielewi” and “Superstar”, Jay Melody gets introspective. The euphoric “18”, with a bouncy tempo brought up by the squirming synthetic sub-bass soundscape employed, is about the pressures humans exert on themselves to attain their goals — and in this case, romance — by a certain age. In “Sielewi” he questions his feelings, why he has them, and why he desires to continue feeling such way even when he does not understand them. The song has an ornate complex beat, complemented well by the expansive vocals of some background singers. “Superstar” sees him explore his nature as a Bongo Flava ‘superstar’, working with a dance-pop-like beat, whose rhythm is full of influence from heightened soulful instrumentals.
The other two singles, “Forever” and “Diamond”, are probably the icing on the cake; a reiteration of the notion by American singer and songwriter, Terius Adamu, that “RnB music is the closest point to the reality of love that there is”, which Jay seems to ascribe to. Both tracks prospect the future, one that Jay Melody aspires for with a lover. “Forever” has a swing and jazzy groove with ambient harmonies, and “Diamond” exhibits a nagging melody, which is accompanied by some bass synths.
For artistes, having sonic dexterity is equivalent to having an artistic signature or distinguishing mark. The dexterity displayed by Jay Melody in Therapy, simply places him in a different milieu, revealing him as one artiste fully aware of the soundscape upon which the greatness of Bongo Flava rests — RnB.
Lyricism – 1.5
Tracklisting – 1.5
Sound Engineering – 1.7
Vocalisation – 1.8
Listening Experience – 1.6
Rating – 8.1/ 10
Frank Njugi is a Kenyan Writer, Culture journalist and Critic who has written on the Kenyan and East African culture scene for platforms such as Debunk Media, Republic Journal, Culture Africa, Sinema Focus, Wakilisha Africa, The Moveee, Africa in Dialogue, Afrocritik and many others. He tweets as @franknjugi.
