Still

Ecko Bazz applies his grimey vocals and rhythmic, introspective words to ‘Ntabala (Rolex Riddim), the lead single from the KIKOMMANDO mixtape. Ecko Bazz reflects. “I was trying to listen to the voice inside myself and wanted to achieve a higher level of understanding of things, life,” he says about the themes that he felt inspired to explore. The accompanying video, shot on a rooftop in the Kampala neighborhood of Ggaba, is one of a series of slick and high-definition films complementing each one of the KIKOMMANDO tracks. These also include contributions from Ugandan emcee and key Hakuna Kulala member Biga Yut, don dada of the GabaGaza gang Swordman Kitala (with Omutaba on percussion) and South Sudanese poet and singer Winnie Lado. A collective effort from a vital scene in Kampala, KIKOMMANDO takes its name from Ugandan street food of flat bread and beans. As a ‘food of soldiers’ offering maximum energy for minimum funds, the eponymous mixtape, video series and book project is an equally nourishing and ambitious proposition. It all began in the East African summer of 2018, during a two-month residency at the Nyege Nyege collective’s villa. Producer and PAN artist Simone Trabucchi (aka STILL) opened the door to his temporary studio in the city and a crucial cross-cultural collaboration was born. KIKOMMANDO is released on AUG 6th via PAN, the Berlin based multi-disciplinary record label and platform founded by Bill Kouligas and Hakuna Kulala, the imprint of Kampala based studio and label Nyege Nyege Tapes.