Lest we forget what it means to be outside during the last part of the year (thank you, COVID), a time known in Nairobi for the unending stream of good times it provides, TheOnlyRosa’s Waves EP comes as a reminder of what this looks like. With a timely release on the 31st of August, Waves is a sonic trip through sunny Sundays, warm nights out, encounters with the starry-eyed, and adventures with old and new friends alike. While this is a feat on its own, Waves still manages to do so much more — its watertight blend of sounds and influences spread across only eight tracks shows a mastery of something rare, and in lesser hands, something that could be impossible to do with the level of precision TheOnlyRosa shows.

Hanging somewhere between afro-pop, R&B and soul, TheOnlyRosa coolly performs understated gymnastic twists from sound to sound, leaving them in her wake, shimmering as they merge. TheOnlyRosa’s EP is a glittering, eclectic collection of the best of the warmest sounds from all around the African continent (and it’s diaspora): hints of amapiano pulse through Julia, and, a personal favourite, Nyako is sweetly balanced on the dual precipice of afrobeats and bongo, while unreservedly running dizzy circles round us with heavy-hitting Dholuo lyrics. TheOnlyRosa’s clear voice on Consequences brings to mind what the sultry sounds of Sanaipei Tande that have kept us on edge since the aughts would look like if they were to meet the lively instrumentals of H_art the Band, or the now-disbanded Kaskazini.  

Waves is an EP that is as diverse as it is committed to detail. The coherence in Waves is astounding in its ability to draw from a plenitude of influences without looking like it’s trying too hard — it does the contrary, in fact. With ease, TheOnlyRosa has deftly sewn together and freshened favourite sounds from our past and present musical circuits, and Waves is nothing short of a game-changer in it’s casual but deeply compelling subtleties of production, form and execution. 

Stream Waves here.