How to Play “Sura Yako” on Bluegrass Instruments!
Below you’ll find the videos for the Sauti Sol’s original video for Sura Yako and the Henhouse Prowlers’s version (which is tuned down). The PDF’s below have all the parts we discussed in the video. Have fun and don’t hesitate to shoot us an email if you have questions! (contact@bluegrassambassadors.org)
The Prowlers covered a lot of ground in Kenya, spending several days in Mombasa and then heading to the capital Nairobi, and even driving out to Kisumu.
The band learned the hit song Sura Yako by one of Africa's most popular bands, Sauti Sol, and even got a chance to hang out and jam with them. One of the most powerful moments we've ever had as a band came from this trip, when we were taken into Dandora, which is a shanty town on the outskirts of Nairobi. We were able to jam with some local rappers, blending bluegrass and hip-hop in a way that really surprised us.
We played in the same theatre that Louis Armstrong did in Mombasa on one of his tours of Africa in 1960! Standing at the doorstep of history.
Mombasa was full of ancient buildings reminiscent of when it was a Portuguese colony. You’ll feel like Indiana Jones walking through a lost city here.
Below is is Sauti Sol's video for their incredible song, Sura Yako, followed by our version. We got to chat with the band about the meaning of the song itself and how cool it was to film the video in a village. If you watch the video you can see some incredible traditions revolving around Kenyan weddings. The groom must pick his bride from a lineup of women with only their eyes exposed. If he chooses the wrong woman, his family must present a goat to the bride’s family. They broadcasted our version of Sura Yako on Kenyan national television after we got home and our Twitter and Facebook feeds blew up with Kenyans showing the band love for playing their favorite song. It was amazing to be across the ocean and feel it all from so far away.
The banjo gets a lot of attention in much of Africa because it's almost never seen. There's some serious irony in that statement, since its roots couldn't be more firmly planted there.
The incredibly talented Bien-Aimé Baraza from Sauti Sol trying out a banjo for the first time. He fell in love with it.