Mandela, one of Kenya's most talented new school songwriters and singers, known for his stint as leader of Sarabi band, will be launching his first solo music project—the 6-tracked EP titled 'ONA SASA' on Friday, 15
th December 2017 at the Alliance Francaise, Nairobi from 7 p.m. Mandela will be staging a live performance showcasing all of his EPs new songs: "Accident", "Ona Sasa", "Nataka Wewe", "What do we do", "Fantastic Love" and "Hakuna Matata". Kenyan kings of the live performance scene: Fadhilee Itulya and H_art the Band.
Borne out of a journey to self-realization, the EP produced in collaboration with Humphrey Ndomboka (Tanzanian based Zimbabwean producer) 'ONA SASA' EP was produced in Tanzania by the acclaimed entertainment outfit: Wanene Entertainment. Its theme includes topics on self-love and consciousness. Speaking of his upcoming EP launch, Mandela says: "I am excited to finally present my fans with my debut EP. This is a labour of love and I thank all those who have supported me in it. I feel good about my first work of art and can't wait for all fans to get the physical copies that will also be available at the event," adding, "I also hope that each song off this project will inspire and impact listeners positively so as we can bring change in the society. This is why I do music."
Mandela launched his solo music career in 2017 with a double release of 'ONA SASA' EP singles: "Fantastic Love" and "Hakuna Matata" back in October during his Kenyan media tour. Dubbed the 'Mandela Ona Sasa Media Tour', the promo run successfully launched his solo brand. He also headlined at a solo music showcase held at the Alliance Francaise in October. He is now planning for his Tanzanian media tour, to kick off in 2018. He continues to win hearts with his songs carrying powerful messages and high-energy performances.
- Advance Tickets: 1,000 KSH. Buy via M-PESA Paybill No. 858080 or at Alliance Francaise
- Gate tickets: 1,500
Kenyan-born singer, songwriter and musician, Prince Ambasa Mandela, a.k.a
Mandela is one of Africa's best live-performing artistes. To date, at the age of 27, Mandela has over 10 years' experience working as a singer, songwriter and performing artiste. Mandela's music can be described as real African fusion—a blend of traditional East African rhythms alongside Benga, fused with Afrobeat, Jazz and a dash of Reggae. Mandela's 'ONA SASA' EP falls back on love as a spiritual level and will reunite Mandela with his fans on a personal level, avoiding any discrimination. He says that during the making of his new music he was inspired by observing the daily happenings around him.
As the dynamic and talented lead singer of
Sarabi, Mandela wrote and composed the majority of their songs. His musical ability saw Sarabi become one of East Africa's most popular live bands. In 2015, the group completed a successful summer tour in Europe, performed at Africa Oye Festival in Liverpool and WOMEX in Budapest, and delighted crowds of 20,000 plus people at the Roskilde festival in Denmark. Mandela then returned to Africa, ending the year on a high at the Karibu Music Festival in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Mandela has performed at Sauti Za Busara Festival in Zanzibar, Selam Festival in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Bayimba International Festival in Kampala, Uganda, DOADOA cultural market in Jinja, Uganda, Tanzania's East Africa Vibes Concert hosted by Culture and Development East Africa (CDEA), and Wikiendi Live at Nafasi Art Space, in Dar Es Salaam.
