Elsy Wameyo x Conquer (ft. Ywaya Tajiri)
Elsy Wameyo
Kenyan Australian singer-songwriter and rapper, whose style ranges from hip hop to the fusion of traditional African music with contemporary rap and R&B.
If reviewing singles/albums was a well-paid gig rather than a hobby, I might have a great swathe of international sounds to draw from when requiring reference points. It's not. So armed with a rudimentary understanding of Urban sounds and enjoyment of artists like M.I.A. I can but apologize for sounding like a Grandpa trying to explain Modern Art...but here goes ‘
Like M.I.A., in Elsy Wameyo we have a strong, proud woman. She is not only aware of her cultural support and heritage but so aware that she can interpret it as reimagined soundscapes for an international audience. This track, however, is infused with more than references to her birthplace of Kenya, but a liberal dose of the Caribbean too.
Despite the great -now familiar- graceful easy performance of Elsy (and the delicate, reverb-drenched tuneful participation of Ywaya Tajiri), we're not forced to listen to swag and the type of boastful clichés often found in this type of Hip Hop.
It's possible to imagine a young woman getting ready for a night out and singing this in the mirror as the evening's preparatory mantra. Like the proverbial "Diamond" referenced in the lyrics (presumably talking about herself) she describes a resilient yet stunning character -without recourse to the aforementioned swag.
The occasional blast of a midi-suite horn sting was a bit jarring at first but became less intrusive over subsequent listens and regardless, not enough to stop moving to this addictive composition.
Lyrics: Yasss Queen! // Composition: Just right // Production: Eh...Meh // Performance: Brilliant and enticing
Elsy Wameyo’s single ‘Conquer’ available 12 July, 2024