Top Tanzanian hip hop king Joh Makini of the hit song “Don’t Bother” is in Nairobi for the recording of the upcoming fourth season of Coke Studio Africa. Returning on the show for a second time, Joh has been paired with the Nigerian BET award-winning artiste Falz The Bahd Guy, of the hit singles: “Soft Work”, “Ello Bae” and “Celebrity Girlfriend” featuring Reekado Banks. The two artistes, expected to fuse sounds of hip hop, pop, R&B, afro-beats and highlife, among vast genres, will be produced by France-based producer DSK (originally from Ivory Coast).
Speaking exclusively in Nairobi during the recording of the upcoming season, Joh Makini said, “So far it’s been great working with Falz. We will make some amazing songs. The music fusion has been very different but I love it! Our producer has presented us with sounds I never thought I would ever make, fans can expect to discover a completely new sound from Joh Makini this year.”
Joh is currently riding high with the single “Perfect Combo” featuring his Coke Studio Africa 2 collaborator Nigerian singer Chidinma. He said, “Perfect Combo was produced by Kenyan producer R-Kay and actually recorded during my last time on Coke Studio Africa recording in Kenya. We had been sitting on the song for a while so we finally decided to shoot the music video in South Africa by the director Justin Campos and release it.”
Falz, a first-timer on the show, has already clinched a BET Award for Viewers Choice Best New International Act in 2016 and a 2015 AMVCA Award for Best Male Actor in a comedy. Ahead of his anticipated grand debut on the show this year, he said, “It’s my first experience on Coke Studio Africa and I know that it’s going to be great. Being paired with Joh Makini from Tanzania gives our fans a mix of sounds and a rich blend of cultures. I am honoured for the recognition I’ve received in and outside Nigeria. Through Coke Studio Africa, I am looking to work on more collaborations across Africa as I plan to build an international brand,” adding, “Kenya is beautiful – I am enjoying myself and also learning Swahili and I really love the language and the sound of it.”
