Nairobi’s booming dub scene hosts Mungo’s Hi-Fi from Scotland

The Glasgow-based crew follows the original Jamaican soundsystem tradition. After working together previously, Tom Tattersall and Doug Paine founded the group in 2000, writing, recording, producing and performing their own brand of reggae and dub music. Mungo’s Hi-Fi quickly became part of a wider reggae network, with a hectic schedule of live performances, both DJing and as a soundsystem, at clubs and events across the UK and the rest of Europe.

In Kenya, Mungo’s Hi-Fi will be joined by a great line-up of local supporting artists, including Asili Dub, whose blend of African and Asian sounds is any ethnomusicologist’s dream. Asili Dub is a band unlike any other in the East African region. The band consists of three core members – Jamir Adiong, Dread Steppa and Kombo Chokwe Burns – and collaborates a lot with other artists. These guest appearances are an important part of what they do.

Formed in 2013, the original idea by Dread Steppa was to mix digital and live music. For the band it was all about experimenting. Dread Steppa says they wanted to incorporate all the aspects of where Nairobi is today. Asili Dub’s music therefore has a lot of Asian and Muslim influences, as well as African roots. “We loved the idea of mixing the Indo- and the Afro-side of Nairobi. That’s when we contacted Kombo from Afro Simba. Kombo has worked with big names on the reggae side, so we decided to explore what would happen if we combined the sounds of Kombo’s music with Indian influences,” says Jamir of their formation.

To combine the various musical influences into the Asili Dub sound, the band first works on the bass, followed by the reggae elements and then leaves Kombo to play on top of these different ideas. The band tries to capture what Kombo comes up with in the recording studio.

For music fans with an interest in dub music, the Nairobi scene is getting more and more vibrant. Rub-a-Dub will provide a new experience as they host Mungo’s Hi-Fi in October. Selekta Sessions also have more sessions lined up for 2015, following their successful event in June when they hosted Jahm from the Philippines.