Dem Mauru testifies to an artiste who during her ascent has worked hard, studied, and understood Kenyan pop culture and the nitty gritty within it.
By Frank Njugi
Amanda Wambui, popularly known in Kenya and East Africa as Maandy, is a songstress who hails from Dagoretti South, Nairobi. She has meticulously fused an unapologetically sensual lyricism with Genge-rap sensibilities to create a blueprint musical identity. Inundated in her music is the use of Sheng phrases and buzzwords that are part of the zeitgeist in modern-day Nairobi, which she uses as a springboard for her artistic prowess.
Maandy started her journey as an artiste in 2016 and gained notoriety three years later with the release of her debut album Kabaya. The titular single on this album served as her breakout track, and an introduction to her unique identity as a rapper. Her later albums, Frisky, released in 2021, and Flavour released in 2023, both served to reiterate the knack for playful beats as were seen in “Kabaya”, establishing Maandy’s reputation as the turn-up queen of Kenyan music. Her latest EP though, Dem Mauru, is more evidence of her hard work than a display of dexterity which her earlier albums had sort out to reveal.
Released on New Year’s Eve, Dem Mauru is a six-song project which alongside flaunting Maandy’s merrymaking inclinations, also brings to the forefront an artiste attuned to the kind of songs that Kenyans respond positively to. The EP testifies to an artiste who during her ascent has worked hard, studied, and understood Kenyan pop culture and the nitty gritty within it.
The EP opens with “How Come”, a track that features Maandy’s long-time collaborator and one of the finest emcees currently in Kenyan Hip-Hop, Breedar LW. In “How Come” Maandy employs a call-and-response technique which finds Breedar LW as the responder, as the song becomes a review of cheating lovers and interpersonal betrayal. This intro track uses reedy guitar instrumentation in the background, revealing a clear attempt at using electronically crafted beats to mimic traditional instruments.
“Lele Remix” comes next, a refix of YBW Smith’s hit song “Lele”. Maandy’s lyrics here display an unequivocal mastery of using wordplay to entertain, as the musical accompaniment of the original beat complements well with her strong vocal presence.
“Dem Mauru”, the titular track, from start to finish makes clear that it was dreamt up for the dancefloor. On this, Maandy is a burst of energy, her layered and flamboyant delivery of lyrics filled with slapsticks, results in a catchy melody and establishes an exhilarating groove which cements the song as a potential club staple.
“Mbichi” features Breedar LW once again. This hit presents as a song sampled from the popular 2007 single “Miss Fatty”, off Swedish dancehall artiste Million Stylez’s debut album From A Far, and also from “Silver Screen Riddim” by Don Corleon Records. Maandy and Breedar LW showcase some enthralling lyricism which contrasts with the seriousness of their delivery – as in Maandy’s case she is somewhat slow-flowing yet precise in her execution. The song also contains a memorable verse from Breedar LW, ‘Nganya ka si mbichi siezi panda hio ni lorry/ More money more problems huwanga ngori’, which is an ode to Nairobi‘s Matwana culture.
Maandy includes one of her biggest hit songs of 2023 as the fifth song. “Bubbly Bubbly” is a high-energy dancefloor banger whose music video has garnered over 2.7 million YouTube views so far. The song showcases the music production prowess of Metro who produced all the songs in the EP. Metro uses richly textured and ‘bubbly’ synths which subsequently allows Maandy’s performance the freedom to stand out.
The last track, “Emba”, is an ode to Embakasi, Nairobi and all its delights. With euphoric lyrics accompanied by easy-to-like melodramatic narrations, “Emba” proves to be an ardent way to cap off a fun EP.
Australian Singer-Songwriter, Sia, in 2014 talked about how a large percentage of Pop music is about partying and having a good time. In Kenya, this norm is true as mainstream audiences seem to embrace club music over other genres. Dem Mauru is evidence that Maandy has hacked this system, putting in an effort to ensure that her music conforms to the prerogative of what is considered Kenyan Pop Music while still striving to maintain her blueprint aesthetic.
Lyricism – 1.2
Tracklisting – 1.5
Sound Engineering –1.7
Vocalisation – 1.3
Listening Experience – 1.3
Rating – 7.0 /10
Frank Njugi is a Kenyan Writer, Culture journalist and Critic who has written on the Kenyan and East African culture scene for platforms such as Debunk Media, Sinema Focus, Wakilisha Africa, The Moveee, Africa in Dialogue, Afrocritik and many others. He tweets as @franknjugi.