Josh-Asali duet works wonders

do to Tidings of Love? Sometimes I play your music and I imagine where you guys would be today.”
That was an interesting question but my response was rather simple.
“Ah well it was bound to happen that one day we would move on to pursue individual projects.”
Well I have had many people talk like that and it makes me feel good and bad at the same time so let’s just move on.
Anywhere, it was during the days of Tidings of Love that I first met with the amazing left-handed bassist clad in his Prince Edward uniform who today is popularly known as Josh Meck.
We worked with him as one of our session bassist. The way he interpreted music was just unique and often very creative and colourful. Here was a young man who had skill, spirit and soul. To sum it up, he remains one of the most versatile bassists who moves from one genre to another effortlessly.
During those days the level of competition that surrounded us was so great that we constantly had to engage the best in order to create the urban feel that characterised our music style and to stay relevant.
One group that always performed at almost every function we performed was the group, Appointed.
These guys were really cut for the job as much as we were but they somehow kept us on our toes. Guys like Josh Meck came in handy even the likes of Owen Chimuka, a great pianist who is now based in South Africa.
It was indeed an experience to work with Josh then.
I wonder how it would feel now.
I watched him perform alongside Asali from Kenya during the Hifa week and I was completely at a loss for words because the combination was indeed awesome.
Asali’s spirit is so alive in her presentation from the way she dresses, sings, dances and uses spoken word as one of her tools to communicate. On the other hand to add to Josh’s versatility the ability to write equally good songs, to sing and have harmonies with his bass. The range of musical diversity of the two works wonders.
Two years ago Comrade Fatso was performing at Sauti Za busara festival in Zanzibar. It was during their performance that Asali noticed the unique flavour oozing out of the bassist.
She said the way he played and expressed himself really caught her attention. Likewise Asali was a backing vocalist for Idi and Chiang and she too gave an impression that saw the development of their collaboration which as we speak has become a working arrangement.
This will see the two touring East Africa on what they are calling the Shona and Swahili tour.
As a working strategy Josh Meck takes care of the Zimbabwean side of things by making the necessary arrangements and providing his band while Asali takes care of the Kenyan side of things.
They were really excited that after along time of trying to work together Hifa finally gave them that opportunity.
A word of advice to instrumentalists and backing vocalists is that they must not take for granted their part on the stage. It can open greater and more exciting opportunities than one can ever imagine.
At the beginning of the year I did mention that more of our local artistes will climb the ladder on to the international stage and believe it or not it is happening and this makes us proud.
l Richard Kohola is a music critic and development expert and can be contacted on the following number 0772 382 871 or email [email protected]