The late 1990s were a time when Kenyans were just getting used to the crisp sound of FM radio. The popular US urban music show Walt Baby Love heard on syndication through Nairobi’s Capital FM popularised an emerging movement rooted in the classic R&B and soul traditions of the 1960s and 70s, flavoured with a dash of traditional jazz, with underpinnings of hip-hop.
The artistes at the forefront of what came to be known as neo soul were Erykah Badu, Angie Stone, Maxwell, Jill Scott, and D’Angelo. The latter’s signature was an intricate soulful rhythm, delivered in a falsetto that immediately sparked comparisons with his idol, Prince, the preeminent R&B star of the previous decade.
