Umoja Sounds is the epitome of the power that lies in intentional collaborations between artists and music producers. The trio comprised of Kevin Prvk, Akula ‘Dunga’ Akwabi, and Robert Jakech is a music production powerhouse with multiple decades of experience in the industry.
The unit was founded by Ambrose ‘Dunga’ Akwabi, a prolific Tanzania-based, Kenyan producer, and Kevin Provoke, a multi-talented producer, sound engineer, cinematographer, graphic designer, and all-around creative.
In late 2020, Kevin met with the third founder, Robert Jakech, a Ugandan-born, Australian-based entertainment business visionary, technopreneur, innovation strategist, serial digital business, and fintech guru who completed the dream team circuit. This team vibes - it thrives on creativity and collaboration.
In their spirit of teamwork, Kevin Prvk took one for the team and met with me for a chat on Umoja Sounds’ operations and future plans.
How did you guys meet and what role does each member play in the unit?
Umoja Sounds members met very weirdly. Ambrose and I have known each other for a long time. We have never met Robert physically yet we have worked together for over 3 years now. Even though he is based in Australia, he says his heart is in Kenya.
What is a day working together like?
Everyone has their role. Robert makes sure that we are set up technologically and also handles our online presence. The rest of us make the music and interact with the artists.
The Umoja Sounds unit has been releasing collaborative projects with several African artists. Why did you choose this route?
For the longest time, we have been producers who artists come to work with. Now, we choose the artists we want to work with. We spot the artists and contact their management teams. If they agree to work with us, we send them contracts. Once that is set up, we proceed to record. For example, we are currently looking for a Bhangra artist to work with.
What makes Umoja Sounds work?
We are doing something different, where we go to the artists instead of them coming to us. In essence, we make the music that we want to make, as opposed to the music we have been paid to do. This means that we build a collaborative relationship with the artists as opposed to a transactional one.
Having worked with several artists from around Africa, such as Emma Cheruto, Jay Rox, Elisha Elai, and Mbithi, what criteria do you use to identify the artists to work with?
Our criteria change every day. Before, we were looking for skilled artists who couldn’t get to the next level of their careers. However, now we are looking for artists who focus their energies on collaboration and believe in themselves.
How can an artist be featured in your projects?
Umoja Sounds is the driver of the project, so if we let artists reach us, then we will be doing the same thing we have been doing all along. We spend time online scouting for artists to work with. Also, some artists send us DMs. However, that doesn’t guarantee them a slot working with us, but if we are impressed, we work with them. At the moment, we only work with 5 artists. Our goal is to get meaningful relationships that allow us to work with the artists long-term.
What is the revenue split like?
Umoja Sounds has agreements with the artists in terms of what copyright they own as well as the revenue coming in from digital streaming platforms, depending on what the artists want. However, all the revenue from live shows goes to the artists.
Would you consider synchronization and licensing?
We are working on that; it is quite hard to make money from streaming. To get 1 million streams, one has to put in a lot of money and effort in marketing. Licensing is now the way to go and not just in film but also in other revenue streams such as video games.
Which artists are on your wish list?
Our artist wish list is very big. For now, I will say Nyashinski.
What do you love the most about producing music?
Music production is … I wouldn’t say it’s God-given, but imagine making a beat that no one has ever heard? Making an artist sound the best they can ever sound? That is something that is very hard to walk away from. As much as the East African music scene is messed up in a way, I would say that production is something I will do for a long time. It’s a curse and a blessing. I would also encourage other producers to have more collaborations instead of just working for the artists. That is very important for the industry.
How do you approach the sensitive task of discussing changes and rearrangements with artists during production?
It is usually a hard topic with certain artists, especially those who think they know everything. Some artists don’t want to listen to producers because they don’t take their skills seriously. I always tell the artists that they can grow bigger if they collaborated with their producers instead of telling producers what to do.
What key components must a song have in order to be a hit?
To make a hit song you need two things; a dope beat and a dope hook. The rest don’t really matter as no one listens to who rapped on verse 3! The beat has to be upbeat and convey an emotion.
On the other hand, there are artists like Adelle who have bypassed that formula. She has created a niche market for her music. Adelle doesn’t necessarily make hit songs but her songs hit. So, you can have a slow emotional hit song but most of the time those are rare.
Additionally, these days it is also about lifestyle and vibes, for example, I might not listen to DJ Khaled’s music but I admire his lifestyle. No one online will buy your music or listen to you if they feel they are on the same level as you. So, your lifestyle has to be different from that of your fans, not necessarily in terms of money. Look at an artist like Lil Maina, I like his vibes. Sometimes it takes more than skill to be trendy. Unlike in the past when DJs influenced what people listen to, now Tiktokers are the tastemakers of this era.
In the Umoja Sounds unit, who would you say is the risk taker of the group?
Weirdly I am the risk-taker hahaha! I always come up with ideas and ask the rest to do them. Most of the time I am right, so I like taking risks.
Umoja Sounds have been in the game for a while and have played a significant role in the East African sound. What tough lessons have the music business taught you that you would share with young producers?
Vibes only will not pay your bills. This dictated what we were doing for a long time we made music with people just because we liked them. In the long term, you will regret operating on vibes only. There were times I had no studio or even money to get to the studio because I was deep into the vibes. Set up the business structures first then vibes follow. At Umoja Sounds, Robert is the business mind while Ambrose and I bring the vibes.
The East African music scene has been compared to the West African music scene a lot in the recent past. Having been in the scene for a long time, what are your thoughts on the overall East African Music scene? Is the region on the right track?
East Africa still has a long way to go. West Africans have understood the music business and before we catch up with them, we need education on this business. West Africans are now doing exactly what Americans have been doing with music all along. Many East African artists still don’t understand things such as playlisting, pitching, digital streaming platforms, content creation, building a lifestyle around their brands, etc. Several of them have become more of influencers than artists. Promoting brands more than they put out music.
Another thing is that many artists from East Africa haven’t explored other markets to promote their music. West African artists on the other hand aggressively promote their music outside their countries. Also, in the East, very few artists frequently invest back into music, and very few investors are willing to put money into music too. Many also don’t hire professionals to make their craft, so we definitely have a long way to go.
The last Umoja Sounds project Break Back was well received are there any new projects coming up? And what can fans expect?
We have a couple of projects to roll out this year. They include collaborations with Emma Cheruto, Fredrick Mulla, Jay Rox, and Mutoriah to mention a few. We are also looking forward to working with Watendawili.
