The Kenya Playlist
The biggest gift from Kenya was the gift of time. My work schedule was 4pm-midnight, which I ended up loving. This schedule allowed me to spend many a morning like a retiree reading my book and listening to music by the pool.
Distant Relatives is not only an ecolodge, but it also proved to be one of Kilifi’s most poppin’ venues, with a daytime DJ, TEECHER, who constantly filled the place with the best music.
Some nights would have me busting out the shazam every other song and my Kenya playlist became robust. The outdoor bathroom with “tree shower” along with my bluetooth speaker made every morning a scene out of a Disney movie with the sounds of me singing to the trees.
Like the Morocco playlist, these songs got me through my time away and I’m so happy I get to share them. This playlist fueled my energy for adventure and calmed my anxious thoughts. These are the tunes that fired me up when it was time to be creative and brought me to prayer in my moments of fear and gratitude.
And as you listen, it is also important to note: I started the whole “singing to myself in the mirror” in Kenya. Take any love song and sing it to yourself - next thing you know, you have to mean it. Thank you, Chromeo.
Enjoy each song at time, in a row, on shuffle or on repeat (like me!).
Odd Look - Kavinsky, The Weeknd: We love a good Kavinsky. This is an old (2013) song but such a great “airplane song” and I feel like ya boy gives more “House of Balloons Weeknd” than “Superbowl Weeknd” which I love.
78 To Stanley Bay - Chaos in the CBD, Isaac Aesili: This is about the level I want my background jazz. And that jazz should include bass.
Slow Down (Feat. Jorja Smith) - Maverick Sabre, Jorja Smith Vintage Culture, Slow Motion: I will (still) play this song back to back and over and over. If there is ANY song on this playlist that got the most repeats, it’s this one. Just because it’s such a hit - not even sentimental, just my favorite kind of groove.
Ego Death - Azzecca: Working the night shift - 4p to midnight, you need those 3am club songs on the playlist to make you feel like “It’s NEVER night!” This song goes! [all night long]
Navajo - Masego: Yes, I was late on Masego and didn’t start listening to him until this trip - but we got there, and now I can’t stop talking about him.
Say you Want Me - Masego: This is the song tho. This song was damn near my alarm clock. The vibes have enough “African” drums for a daily reminder that you’re waking up in the motherland with lyrics that sing a sad song of pursuit, but moving on into the next day. Maybe I just have a crush on Masego, but I love this song so much.
All Things - Kirk Franklin: I like to sprinkle in the Lord to surprise my ears, because it will usually pop up in a shuffle when I need it. This song made it to me in Summer 2023, a few months before this trip. It stops being cheesy sounding the moment I start focusing on how significant “All things” means in prayer. Those 2 words will change your day (or your life) if you believe it forreal. And sometimes you need it to pop up in the shuffle.
Scotoma - IMRSQD: Once again, “When I pray for protection, they flee in all directions” is a welcome refresher to the playlist and usually pops up the moment I need it.
Renegade - Kavinsky. Cautious Clay: I keep trying to rebrand “nomad” into renegade, but I don’t think it’s going to catch on. If there wasn’t that tik-tok “renegade dance” we might have had some success, but alas. PS: this is probably my #1 favorite song of 2023.
Gone Til November - Refugee Camp All-Stars and Wyclef Jean: If you think I wasn’t packing my bag in September singing every word of this song with full Wyclef volume like “I’lllll be goooone..”, you're nuts!
Maria - Fiskayet: I found this song on a Youtube video during my Tanzania research. In the video it cuts straight to the line “she ain't no island girl, she from Kilimanjaro..” so of course I sent it to Lindsey immediately with a countdown check to when we would be Kilimanjaro girls. It’s also beautiful and stayed on the Kenya playlist for many a repeat, even after we left Kilimanjaro.
Look Alive (Netic) - Oxymorrons: One of the coolest afternoons I had with the Kilifi Crew was discussing my deep and true love for black punk music and the evolution of the Afropunk movement as a whole. I shared this song. The Oxymorrons are one of my favorite “bands of people” and are probably the best example of Afrounk’s sustainability throughout the past decade. They released their first album Melanin Punk in 2023 just in time for my trip and this was new music on the Kenya playlist. Big shoutout to the Oxys!
Motive - Armin van Buuren: This song found its way to my repeats after a random Shazam from my screenless windows, only to discover it was an Armin van Buuren track. I know Armin as number two-of-two with Atrak in Duck Sauce. The 20-teens DJ-group sensation that brought us such festival bangers as Barbra Streisand. Little did I anticipate, this song would be my muse’s anthem calling me to action to begin my creative pursuits. I was engulfed reading the War of Art most days and had just started entertaining the idea of “calling on a muse”. This song is really like my Muse talking back - “just be honest…”
Abandonment Issues - Sio, Atmos Blaq: 7p every Thursday, there was a yoga class that would have awesome music playing outside of my window. I was always so gutted because it was right in the thick of my workday and I never got to attend. The first time I heard this song, I stopped in my tracks and just started following the yoga class in my room through the window because the song was so fire. Highly recommend it.
Brighter Day - Kirk Franklin: Give God the Glory Break! “Never thought that I would smile again, never thought the dark clouds would end” will break you down in a tree shower, if you only knew. This is a classic so it’s no surprise that this song still hits - but add this song to looking around bright clouds, open water and lush greens will have you praising forreal.
Conceited - Lola Young: I forget how this song made its way to me, but I do love it. Mostly because the lyrics are so defiant, dismissive and adamant towards a toxic rotten love. But - I sing this song to myself and my excuses. I could (might!) write a whole post on how I used to have a bad habit of tricking myself into making horrible decisions. My own ego, setting me up, just so it could feel justified to tear me back down. Man, I got so sick of that I changed my whole personality. This song is a scream-back to that old voice. To me. In my headphones.
Papi - Eden Shalev: Shoutout to TEECHER, the resident DJ of Distant Relatives, who played this twice in a row around 10p-11p one weeknight which got me through the end of my US workday in record time. This song makes you feel a little bit unstoppable. (works on the treadmill too!)
SHINE - Tobe Nwigwe: I love how this song plays out like a bedtime story with affirmations. Shout out to Tobe for finding sweet ways to say “flex”. Also helps that my Dad calls me Shine.
Osama - Edit - Zakes Bantwini, Kasango: I feel like this song might have been the most popular song in Eastern Africa because I heard it all over. TEECHER played it the first time, and then all the time. I heard it again in the markets of Watamu and by the time I made it to Mombasa, they were playing it during a music festival my first weekend at the Flamingo. It should be popular because this is my jam.
Guava - Extended Mix - Tunnelvisions: This is another song I think is wildly popular and I’m just ignorant of the charts-stats. They were playing this heavy in Puerto Escondido, Mexico too. S/O to TEECHER for putting me onto the Global HITS!
Premier Gaou - Nitefreak Remix - Francis Mercier, Magic System, Nitefreak : One night TEECHER played this and I shazamed from my window, only to immediately download it and put it on repeat for at least another 3 times. It’s my kind of jam. I listened to this song while walking through the airport in Dar es Salaam coming back to the US and while I didn't understand a single word, it was the perfect theme to “roll the credits’ on such an amazing trip.
Mina Nawe - Soa Matrix, Mashudu, Happy Jazzman, Emotionz DJ: TEECHER played this one night while I was having a late dinner in the restaurant by myself. The lead voice is so warm and pretty, it tugged at my heartstrings and I was all kinds of emotional in a plate of curry. Probably because our time at Distant Relatives was ending. But also - songs like this, you don’t have to understand it to know it’s saying something.
Fragile - THEMBA, FNX OMAR, Syon: I think TEECHER loves this song more than me because he played it everyday. I mean, it is a banger. But this might be a good time to note that TEECHER and I have similar tastes because I was never mad.
Spirit 2.0 - Sampha: This made it to the playlist mostly because the album Lahai dropped while I was on the trip, and I'm so glad it did. It took me a few listens to warm up to the album, but this song was certainly the standout for me. Also, “Dreaming with these open eyes” was almost too real of a line to not keep it in the rotation.
(I Don’t Need A) New Girl - Chromeo: Another song that may need its own post. A song by a band who has had me in a chokehold for going on 15 years. This is a song from Dave 1 to a girl he has done wrong. But again, I sing this song to myself. I sang this song to myself in the mirror, asking for and granting forgiveness. I listened to this song every morning in the shower, usually with tears of joy over how my journey had brought me to Africa to sing in a tree I shared with a giant stick bug I didn't kill. Feeling worthy of sunshine, as I am. Not 10lbs lighter, a little bit smarter or a bit more clever. Just as I am, and I love her. “Now, I don’t have eyes for anyone”.
Bunny is a Rider - Caroline Polachek: I’ve had this song in my back pocket for a while. It only made it to the Kenya playlist once I played it for Molly and Eva on Safari while we were watching the elephants talk in the dark. We were stargazing talking about life, and I spilled the beans that I already had a theme song for a TV show I wrote back in college. They said they loved it which was fuel to keep my craziest dreams burning. So it stayed on the playlist.
Abalele - Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Ami Faku: This is probably the only song I requested on a different occasion after and I didn’t shazam the first time. TEECHER knew exactly what I was talking about. This song is so gorgeous.
Asibe Happy - Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Ami Faku: Same group who sings Abalele, but this song has the nerve to be better?!
Organise - Asake: Again, Shoutout to TEECHER!
DO 4 LOVE - Black Coffee Remix - Snoh Aalegra, Black Coffee: Like I said on the Morocco Playlist, it’s incredible what a well done remix can do for your day. Leave it to Black Coffee! 10/10.