From Orange Farm to Nairobi, Nairobi to Mumbai, from Mumbai to Chennai, the stories of the continent were being told on a global stage by a band known as Shef & The Kitchen Music.
Often music is used as a metaphor of global social and cultural processes; it also constitutes an enduring process by and through which people interact within and across cultures.
Times are indeed changing for African creatives, who have often been limited to expressing their talents only in their home countries.
With the advent of technology and social media bringing the world closer, we witnessed this local band take to the world stage to showcase what Africa has to offer other than minerals and resources – and that’s music for the soul.
We know 2020 was a bad year, especially since the world was sent back to default mode when the worst pandemic to date – Covid-19 paid every country a visit. However, the year started off on a good note for this band when they took to India for the Saraang World Fest 2020 to showcase their talents.
Saraang World festival is an annual international performing arts, travel & tourism experience that attempts to bring the world together in one place. It is your virtual passport to the world, a one-stop destination for anyone who wishes to travel the globe. Not only does the festival provide a complete experiential zone teeming with art and culture, food, handicrafts but also offers an opportunity for first hand interactions with natives from various participating countries.
Taking to the Fest’ stage, Shef & The Kitchen music performed some of Africa’s most loved tunes including their very own famous single, Africa.
Shef and the Kitchen, is an Afro jazz funk band with a rich body of work featuring songs with original lyrics that combine most of Africa’s famous languages.
The band took to the world stage as a 2-man tour with Siphiwe Shef Hlophe being the lead vocalist, and Khanye ”The Katarist” being the guitar player. The band was supposed to be a 5-man show, but due to unresolved issues with the other bandmates, Siphiwe and Khanye had to leave the other members behind. (But that’s a story for another day)
For now, check out their 2020WorldTour documentary trailor below:
NB: The official video of the documentary will be released on the 11th January 2021!
Main Image: Shef Facebook
