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Ill never be what you want me to be, is a line Onejiru repeats on one of the songs on Prophets of Profit, her dub-loving debut and the very first project on the newly founded label Golden Delicious Music. That much is clear: Onejiru stays true to herself, she knows what she wants and will never be or do what anybody else deems right. Onejiru is every bit as unique and diverse as her music. That much you see, feel, and know immediately. But most of all you hear it, because her voice is at least as remarkable (and beautiful) as her smile. Prophets of Profit, a round-up of great themes and the greatest styles from across the Black Music-universe, is in every possible way as exceptional and exciting as the woman behind it. And even though this all comes full circle and expresses the most important things about Onejiru and her album, some explanations might be in order.
Onejiru has already enjoyed an extraordinary career so far: Born in Kenya, raised in the German boondocks (Wanne-Eickel, to be precise), she started as a dancer, then sang in a Gospel choir and went on the road with Helge Schneider, Germanys most renowned and revered comedy-cult-superstar. A Rasta at heart she can be heard on records by such high-profile German artists as Jan Delay, Patrice, Sam Ragga Band and Turtle Bay Country Club. She re-interpreted Rockers Hifis hit Push Push for [Re:Jazz] and contributed her own new lyrics and melody to Dvoraks Symphony From The New World on Matthias Arfmanns Recomposed (Deutsche Grammophon).
Onejiru, who is an African and ethnic studies major at Cologne University, can be seen in award-winning films and the documentary titled Afrogerman on French-German cultural TV-channel arte. Together with fellow female Afro-German artists Joy Denalane, Mamadee and Meli she founded Sisters e.V., an organisation that promotes understanding and awareness of racial issues in Germany. Their song Sisters for the anti-racism charity album Brothers Keepers made a big impact on the German charts in 2003. Celebrated live-appearances in Berlin, London, New York and Saint Petersburg complete the picture. She charges across the stage, sings, screams, whispers, moans, and always leaves a lasting impression, not least because of her revolutionary stance, and not only with other women, as the legendary Laurence Emson once described it. Her music, with lyrics in English, German and Kiswahili, is a mosaic of the classic Black Music styles, paired with house, afrobeat and rock. Whoever should have any expectations because of this history unless one expects a pleasant surprise is misled and will be dis-appointed, immediately and in the best possible way.
The abbreviation of Prophets of Profit is POP, and indeed this album masters a great many modern pop-cultural styles. The music is electronic and organic at the same time , full of guitars and horns, flutes, keyboards and percussion. The sounds are always soulful, no matter how much they might be rockin. Many of the tracks are based on Matthias Arfmanns massive Dub-Grooves, but at the same time leaning towards DrumnBass, Elektro-Funk, RnB and African styles. The lyrics, sung by Onejiru in her warm and beautiful voice, tell stories of love and desperation, revenge and riches, false prophets and profits. But still the songs seem light and listenable, which is as much part of the program as the fact that they free mind, body and soul. I love dynamics and crave entertainment, Onejiru, who wrote all the lyrics and co-wrote most of the songs on her debut, admits.
My songs have often developed over years, but then everything fell into place, and each song very quickly crystalized in the studio. Many of my friends write three pages of great lyrics, but I prefer to create a small lyrical nucleus. I like these images in my songs.
Onejiru creates rather complex imagery with only a few words, images that have more of an effect than their obvious content may imply. Of course you realise that these songs are about dropping the debt of the so-called third world (Few Reasons), about strange power structures (Most High, Prophets of Profit), the desperate but misled ideas behind Live-Aid/8 (Union), a very modern, only slightly hidden cultural imperialism (Stolen Culture) or very personal issues (We carry on, Distance). Onejiru traces the fact that all of her songs include more than a few morsels of truth and wisdom, right back to the philosophy of all Kikuyu-music (which she celebrates not least in her songs Tujenge, Mtukufu or Mama). Its always about conveying something, she explains. In the musical tradition of the Kikuyu a singer is always a teacher as well. One can sing about almost any aspect of daily life, but there is always a message in the music even if it may not always be obvious right from the start. To realise this in my own music has been my biggest challenge.
Her second biggest challenge may well have been the filming of her video: I invented this bizarre Anti-Britney Choreography for Few Reasons, she laughs. Then we added the little plastic-radio, which had already traveled to Africa with us. When Helge Schneider saw the whole thing, he came up with the idea of having the radio and me chasing him. What a perfect way to end the clip. Very real and very me! But then you have to hear Onejiru, if you want to even begin to understand her. She is quite possibly a prophet, sharing her immediate and immaterial profits her lyrics, her music, her voice, her sense with us on Prophets of Profit.
And thats really how it ought to be
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