Songs written & sang by: Holy Battalion; Guest appearance: Marira, Hermie, Eric (DRC Congo) & Timothy
Upendo wa Ajabu album broadcasts lyrical, musical, and biblical songs that reach out and touch the listener. Holy Battalion fivesome (Dennis a.k.a. Nabii, Bernard a.k.a. Bab’yao, Kennedy a.k.a. Onesh, Zippy and Salim a.k.a. Sir Lim) each display an ingenious ability to deliver the indispensable message of Christ in the form of revolving rap styles, riveting 'snap-your-neck' beats, and explosive themes that relate around the love of Christ and the call to holiness, praise and worship.
After a two-year layoff, Holy Battalion is back on the scene with a powerful new album that is bound to keep your head bobbin' for a long time to come.Upendo wa Ajabu marks first album in the group's six year existence; this one proves to be well worth the wait. This album done by Gdykym studio features 14 tracks of innovative, thought-provoking music .Upendo wa Ajabu album is solid, the music is interesting, the singing is excellent, and the lyrics are off the hook. The catchy melodies, tight arrangements, and the alternating lead singers and different rap styles will keep you on your feet asking for more.
Also noteworthy are the 'mega groove' selections "Wee sifu", "Hapa Hatutoki” and “Wonderful” all which proclaim that there is nothing wrong with 'getting crunk for Christ. The group also deviates from their afro-fusion style and does one song in “Lingala” – “Mapenzi” with beats reminiscent of the ones heard in Central Africa.
However, just when you think you have Holy Battalion figured out; the group changes the game on you. Battalion introduced live instruments to this project, with almost half of the album taking on this welcome element.
To begin with, crackling guitar riffs are present in full force as the album opens with the mellow track “Wonderful” (1 John 4:9-10) which is reminiscent of the 90’s G-funk sound. The song can be described as a remake of their chart topping single Upendo wa Ajabu but with the chorus done in English this time around. Haimie makes a guest appearance on this track and does a splendid job alongside the new lady of the group Zippy. The lads too handle their verses beautifully.
“Yangu barua” (Isaiah 41:13) maintains the same laid back feeling but with an African fused jazzy feeling. It is an interesting song done as a letter to God. Zippy teams up with Marira who makes a guest appearance and the combination is heavenly. The guitar licks are awesome, lovers of acoustic music will have this one on repeat. Notably, the third verse by Onesh stands out with a good mastery of Swahili language.
“Hapa Hatutoki” (Exodus 33:15) it is back to the basics on this one with a dancehall infused track which is “killed” from the word go. Marira makes a guest appearance again and does what she knows best. This apparently was their second single after Upendo wa Ajabu in 2004 but it still sounds fresh.
“Kuhani Mkuu” (Hebrews 4:14-16) they flip the script completely on this one, Nabii does the chorus and Zippy gets to do a whole verse by herself, and she is on point. The track has a distinct coastal feel to it. Makes you wish to hear Zippy hold the fort on her own.
“Fagia Yote” (Psalms 51:1-12) alternates between laid back and a ponderous rap style. It is a towering re-mixed anthem that is far much distinct from the original version done in 2003.The distinct mellow voice of Eric (a Congolese) who makes a guest appearance in the third verse spices the track with some Lingala tunes that leaves one craving for more.
“Worship you” (John 4:23-24) starts as a softened acoustic number before bursting into an afro-hip hop infested jam. Battalion’s ability to bring a street conscious swag while keeping the gospel at the forefront of their rhymes is vivid in this song which apparently is a fusion of three languages i.e. English, Swahili and Luo (one of Kenya’s local dialect)
Upendo wa Ajabu album broadcasts lyrical, musical, and biblical songs that reach out and touch the listener. Holy Battalion fivesome (Dennis a.k.a. Nabii, Bernard a.k.a. Bab’yao, Kennedy a.k.a. Onesh, Zippy and Salim a.k.a. Sir Lim) each display an ingenious ability to deliver the indispensable message of Christ in the form of revolving rap styles, riveting 'snap-your-neck' beats, and explosive themes that relate around the love of Christ and the call to holiness, praise and worship.
After a two-year layoff, Holy Battalion is back on the scene with a powerful new album that is bound to keep your head bobbin' for a long time to come.Upendo wa Ajabu marks first album in the group's six year existence; this one proves to be well worth the wait. This album done by Gdykym studio features 14 tracks of innovative, thought-provoking music .Upendo wa Ajabu album is solid, the music is interesting, the singing is excellent, and the lyrics are off the hook. The catchy melodies, tight arrangements, and the alternating lead singers and different rap styles will keep you on your feet asking for more.
Also noteworthy are the 'mega groove' selections "Wee sifu", "Hapa Hatutoki” and “Wonderful” all which proclaim that there is nothing wrong with 'getting crunk for Christ. The group also deviates from their afro-fusion style and does one song in “Lingala” – “Mapenzi” with beats reminiscent of the ones heard in Central Africa.
However, just when you think you have Holy Battalion figured out; the group changes the game on you. Battalion introduced live instruments to this project, with almost half of the album taking on this welcome element.
To begin with, crackling guitar riffs are present in full force as the album opens with the mellow track “Wonderful” (1 John 4:9-10) which is reminiscent of the 90’s G-funk sound. The song can be described as a remake of their chart topping single Upendo wa Ajabu but with the chorus done in English this time around. Haimie makes a guest appearance on this track and does a splendid job alongside the new lady of the group Zippy. The lads too handle their verses beautifully.
“Yangu barua” (Isaiah 41:13) maintains the same laid back feeling but with an African fused jazzy feeling. It is an interesting song done as a letter to God. Zippy teams up with Marira who makes a guest appearance and the combination is heavenly. The guitar licks are awesome, lovers of acoustic music will have this one on repeat. Notably, the third verse by Onesh stands out with a good mastery of Swahili language.
“Hapa Hatutoki” (Exodus 33:15) it is back to the basics on this one with a dancehall infused track which is “killed” from the word go. Marira makes a guest appearance again and does what she knows best. This apparently was their second single after Upendo wa Ajabu in 2004 but it still sounds fresh.
“Kuhani Mkuu” (Hebrews 4:14-16) they flip the script completely on this one, Nabii does the chorus and Zippy gets to do a whole verse by herself, and she is on point. The track has a distinct coastal feel to it. Makes you wish to hear Zippy hold the fort on her own.
“Fagia Yote” (Psalms 51:1-12) alternates between laid back and a ponderous rap style. It is a towering re-mixed anthem that is far much distinct from the original version done in 2003.The distinct mellow voice of Eric (a Congolese) who makes a guest appearance in the third verse spices the track with some Lingala tunes that leaves one craving for more.
“Worship you” (John 4:23-24) starts as a softened acoustic number before bursting into an afro-hip hop infested jam. Battalion’s ability to bring a street conscious swag while keeping the gospel at the forefront of their rhymes is vivid in this song which apparently is a fusion of three languages i.e. English, Swahili and Luo (one of Kenya’s local dialect)
A favorite on the album, “Upendo wa Ajabu” (John 15:13) is a mix of fine vocals with flowing verses and a catchy chorus. It is a song that reminisce the love of God having sent down his son Jesus Christ to redeem mankind from sin. Notably, this is the first song that was done by Holy Battalion in June 2004.
Similarly, the instantly catchy and somewhat wistful, "Ubarikiwe" (Psalms 100:1-5) trots along with acoustic guitars, and soulful voice of Marira a guest artiste, begging you to sing along.The "la-la-la" chorus, the worship and exaltation of the Almighty God, and the awesome combination of the rap style verses and backing vocals are a sweet joy to listen to.
“Nyumba ya Baba” –(Psalms 122:1) finds Holy Battalion rhyming over another smooth instrumental groove while partnering with Marira who again makes another guest appearance and sings powerful vocals and ad libs on the track.
“Wee Sifu”- (Psalms 150:1-6)The extremely infectious hook along with the West Coast funk sets the tone for a very funky ride in this song. It’s an all boys track with Bernardoz a.k.a. Bab’yao singing the chorus that would have obviously been sang by Zippy the first lady of the group. This song gives Holy Battalion a distinctive edge in the holy hip hop arena. The vibe is smooth and reflects Battalion’s maturity.
“Mwili mmoja” (Romans 12:4-8)–This song surprisingly will catch you off balance if you're not careful. It may start out a little slow, but it really builds to a climatic finish. It is a song whose main theme revolves around the responsibility each one has in the body of Christ.
“Wako Msaada”( Psalms 121:1-2) – Timothy a.k.a. Timo makes a welcome guest appearance adding his awesome vocal stylistics to this song. With hot lyrical flow from Dennis a.k.a. Nabii, this track is yet another hit to add to Holy Battalion’s growing list.
“Mapenzi” – (1 John 2:15-17)Proving that they can’t be put into a box, Holy Battalion hits us with some serious Lingala tune where they represent like nobody’s business. This song definitely warrants repeated spins on your CD player.
“Turinarie” –This is one of the heartfelt and deeply moving beautiful songs that I've heard in some time. Zippy reached really deep both musically and lyrically for this one and her delivery shows it. It has been done in a Kenyan local dialect, Kikuyu. Apparently it is a short song that also acts as the outro.
Overall, Holy Battalion crew has overhauled their sound with each and every record. It’s hard not to be impressed by a group that wants to continually challenge themselves sonically. Holy Battalion breathes with the aplomb of a group that has found a way to evolve into something slick and commercially viable. They have once again raised the bar – both for themselves, and for the fellow artistes in the industry.
Those who listen to Hip-Hope as a whole will be surprised at how well Holy Battalion holds its own and doesn’t need a hip hop track to sprinkle their holy rhymes, their mic skills do that on their own.
