Just a Band
| Just a Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Genres | House, Funk, Disco, Soul, Pop, Electronica |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Rauka Music |
| Website | Just-A-Band.com |
| Members | Bill "Blinky" Sellanga Dan Muli Mbithi Masya |
| Past members | Jim Chuchu |
Just a Band is a Kenyan house/funk/disco band whose career was launched with their debut album, Scratch to Reveal, in 2008. Their music has explored various musical directions such as jazz, hip-hop, disco and electronica.
The band are also notable for their DIY aesthetic. In addition to writing, recording and engineering their music, the band creates their own music videos, packaging and promotional items and establishing a strong web and blog presence, referencing elements from virtual bands like Gorillaz and incorporating anime and animation,illustration and photography in their visual campaigns.
The group was formed when their members were studying at the Kenyatta University. They went on to release the song "Iwinyo Piny" accompanied by a self-made animated music video. Initially the song received little airplay due to its unconventional musical style, but with time they started to gain popularity through underground channels. Their debut album Scratch to reveal was relatively successful. They released their second single 'Ha-He' on 17 March 2010, accompanied by a music video featuring a character known as Makmende. The video has subsequently been described as Kenya's first viral internet meme by the Wall Street Journal, CNN and Fast Company. Also their track "Huff + Puff" been heard over the 2012 movie "House at the End of the Street".
The fictional backstory of the band states that the trio was formed on 7 February 2003 and lists their disparate origins:
Just a Band released their debut album, Scratch to Reveal, on 17 May 2008 accompanied by self-made music videos for the singles, "Fly", "Iwinyo Piny" and "Hey!". The band explored various media to produce their music videos such as 2D animation for "Iwinyo Piny" and puppetry for "Hey!". The music video for "Iwinyo Piny" was subsequently nominated for the Best African Video Clip at the 2008 Kora Awards. The band also received a nomination for the Best Urban Fusion Group at the 2008 Kisima Awards.
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