DANCE INTO THE 40S: A LOOK AT “TOGETHER”
On 6 December 2022 Nsay ki la released a music EP with the Title “TOGETHER”. This EP was to mark the peak celebration of the Ruby Jubilee of the Diocese of Kumbo, which was celebrated two days after.
The project took its name from the first word of the theme of the jubilee: “Together on Mission: ‘Go out to the whole world, proclaiming the Gospel to all Creation’ Mark (16:15)”
EP Overview
The EP “Together” by Nsay ki la has 6 tracks. The genre is varied, as those who worked on the project deployed different genres and styles to capture and pass across the message and content of the songs: Njang, Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Cameroon Folk.
There are various producers on the EP. These include Marc Eff of Kovapot for the first track “Celebrate”, and Produced by Lu for the fourth track “Mkwee”. The remaining tracks are the work of Nsay ki la and Dijay Kay, with the former doing the production work, and the later, doing the post-production.
Two of the tracks feature The Virtual Chorale. These are track 2, “His Love Endures”, and track 5, “Together”. (The Virtual Chorale is a group of choristers that sometimes sings with Nsay ki la, performing songs both composed by him and by other songwriters).
The project is largely in English. Another language stands out, not surprisingly, Lamnso’. But that is not all. The first track of the EP deploys phrases in Limbum, Noni, and Oku languages.
This makes total sense because these are the major languages spoken within the diocese of Kumbo, and to musically mark such a celebration, being inclusive is a plus.
Dance into the Forties
The overall feeling that “Together” evokes is joy. The songs – even including “Jubilee Prayer” which is calmer as it is a prayer – provoke the urge to dance. They give the kind of unconscious motivation one has to get up and dance, when a particular song comes up.
This is why we describe the EP as a dance into the forties. It marks the 40th anniversary of a diocese. As it is said that life begins at forty, it is music for a youthful church, dancing to her forties.
The Afrobeats and Amapiano fusion in track 1, the Amapiano of track 4, the Njang melodies on tracks 2, 5 and 6, the soft xylophones in track 3: all of these together create internal feelings of celebration. The African in everyone would outwardly express this celebration in dance.
It is a dance of thanksgiving, one of the themes explored in the “Together” EP. And there is much to be grateful for. It is a dance of hope, gazing into the future. Many good things have happened in that Church, and many more are still to come.
As the first words of the EP put it: “This is a time for celebration from Wainama to Ako”. (Those are the extreme Parishes of the Diocese).
You can download the audio on our store:
Link: https://nsaydigital.com/product/together-ep-by-nsay-ki-la/,
or listen on music streaming platforms:
Link: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/nsaykila/together
Let’s celebrate! Let’s jubilate! Together, let’s dance into the fortie
