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Formed in 2017, MIGHTY ZIONITES is among the few bands lighting up the live scenes in Kenya. They chat with ELLY GITAU about their journey, challenges and conquests

How was the band birthed? 

It has been two-and-a-half years since this band was conceived. Zionites is an ensemble of musicians who believe in social change through music.

The current members came together for The Rising Spirits project to share experiences and lessons as youth living in a society that is slowly losing grip on its cultural heritage.

How has been the journey so far?

It has been full of lessons and growth. Sustainability as a band is not easy, we’ve seen members come and go, learned to stay strong and positive when being turned down for gigs, also getting to understand the music industry and most importantly, sticking together.

Do you have a leader?

Yes. This responsibility lies with 7Saba, the rhythm guitarist and founding member.

What style of music do you do and why did you settle on the genre?

Our music is Afro roots reggae, a blend of African guitar rhythms with Jamaican beats.

We were influenced by reggae and loved its consciousness and how it addresses social ills. We also want to share stories from this part of the globe.

What has been your biggest challenge and how have you countered it?

There are no enough gigs to sustain us as a band, especially one that does original compositions. But this hasn’t deterred us.

We have united with five other homegrown reggae bands and we are busy producing content for YouTube and organising a monthly event called Irie Nairobi. We are hopeful these will grow opportunities.

How is Kenya’s live performance landscape presently? 

The demand for live entertainment is growing. We have seen fans paying handsomely for tickets to watch homegrown bands play in Reggae in the Sun Concert in Nairobi.

As for our free events, the numbers are growing and we are hopeful sponsorships will follow soon.

Do you plan on doing collaborations? 

We were recently a part of The Irie Riddim project, a collaboration effort by Half Live Productions that featured various homegrown artistes. We loved the experience.

Tell us about your recently released debut Extended Play (EP), Rising Spirits. 

The EP was recorded live in February this year at Ini Live Sessions. It has five tracks that touch on issues such as hope for a better life, love for self and one another and responsible living.

Take us through the journey of making the EP…

Zionites Music is the sum contribution of everone, so, we had to find a way to capture that. Having established a recording set up with the other bands, it was natural we do it there.

On location, there was on only four headphones and the Songbirds (our back-up vocalists) had to improvise and flow with what 7Sab,  the main vocalist was singing.

But it turned out great and the whole three hours of recording was full of excitement, anxiety and surprises.

What next after Rising Spirits?

We are working on releasing two love songs by January, 2020. That is Light Up My World and Natty Lady. Zionites are here to stay.

There is so much we want to share, meaning our fans should expect more recordings and pretty soon we will announce the schedule for our second EP tour.

As a band, how do you plan to stand the test of time?

Zionites doesn’t restrict or tie down its members. We all have individual music careers that keep us going. So, as long as there will be demand, Zionites will always be there.

Your message to your fans this festive season.

It’s life, love and music. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!