Akoth Jumadi’s latest single ‘Mi Na We’ (Swahili for me and you) is a jazz and afro fusion delight.  A sign of wonderful, exciting things to come, ‘Mi Na We’ is the first single off her much anticipated debut album, ‘Yo Ni Ka’. Akoth is a sought after live performer renowned for her impactful stage presence, agility across various instruments and full voice. She has taken advantage of these strengths by making most of the project a live recording. If ‘Mi Na We’ is anything to go by, this was an excellent move by Akoth.

‘Mi Na We’ symmetrically nestles a love song between a melodic intro and outro. We meet a smitten Akoth throwing her heart into the ring for a certain ‘kijana’- a young man who is apparently all the rage amongst all who know him. Now that she’s heard all these great things about him, Akoth wants in on the fun too, she wants to get to truly know the person and explore the possibilities for the two of them. The chorus, a simple repeated hope, ironically pleads that she would be shot (à la Cupid) and buried by this mystery man. The hyperbole is not to make us lose sight of the core message of the song which she stresses in the second verse and bridge. 

‘Mi Na We’ teaches us that a new attachment need not be the subject of a fading bubblegum song, that even the small fun facts of life, like a crush, can be given serious music delivery. This gives the song a staying power and a warm appeal. In the past, the majority of Akoth’s songs have been in her native Luo language, something she has been intentional about. ‘Mi Na We’ is effortlessly written in fluent Swahili, even making use of aspects of the shairi, swahili poetry. As if to drive the point home, the video for the song was shot at the Kenyan coast, the birthplace of Swahili culture. The choice to have this song in Swahili will possibly unlock a wider audience across the continent. The sound is also a departure from previous projects, leaning into acoustic and jazz elements while maintaining Akoth’s undeniable authenticity. Her captivating vocals on this track are the star of the show, relaying the singular echoed message in different variations, ad libbing and even cooing with equal ease. 

‘Mi Na We’ is a triumphant lead single and we are glad that it’s only a taste of more music from Akoth Jumadi to follow this year.
Watch and Stream Mi Na We.