Secret Spotify is our series delving into the outer reaches of the streaming service. Every week, we unearth a hidden gem — each with no more than 50,000 plays — and tell you the story behind the music.
This time, it's Hakuna Ku Lala by Rey Sapienz
Since 2015, Nyege Nyege festival in Jinja, Uganda has been showcasing the underground music scene that bubbles beneath much of East Africa. It’s sparked a new wave of international interest in the region’s artists, many of whom are blending the old-school rhythms of their homelands with cutting-edge electronic sounds.
One of the breakout stars of the scene is Rey Sapienz, a Congolese producer and rapper now based in Uganda. Part of the crew that runs the festival, Sapienz is among the most talked about artists of the movement, mixing the Congolese dance genres of soukous and kalindula with the dark propulsive rhythms of techno, jaunty dancehall beats and more. His breakout track — also called Hakuna Ku Lala, Swahili for “no sleeping” — is our Secret Spotify pick of the week.
It’s an infectious, stomping track, growing from rudimentary synth bleeps into something heady and swirling. Sapienz raps over the top of the dark, thudding beat, his deep tones offset by the psyched-out, high-pitched backing vocals. It’s an arresting introduction to his back catalogue which, for now, only makes up nine tracks across two EPs.
Keep an eye on him for more forward-thinking dance tracks in the future, and be sure to check out the rest of the artists on the Hakuna Kulala label in the meantime.
Buy the song here, and listen on Spotify below.
