Kzee Bigname on mission to popularize Liberian Gbema music
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Loading... - Dickson Martey
- 15 Aug 2022
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Liberian music artist, Kolando Baby Zulu better known in the African music circles as Kzee Bigname is on the mission to make Liberian cultural music known as Gbema a world phenomenon like Afrobeats, Afro-pop, Amapiano and others that have travelled beyond the African shores.
Kzee Bigname has stuck to his traditional music much like his mentor and predecessor, Morris Dorley, the Liberian music legend, who was credited for the renaissance of cultural music.
“Instead of trying to mimic or Africanise western music, Kzee modernized Gbema’s sound to make it modern-day acceptable with the introduction of soul-touching melody,” said Weego Zico, a veteran Liberian disc jockey, who works with HOTT FM.
Kzee Bigname change the orientation of his people, turning their minds away from Western genres as the bulk of music dominating the nightclubs and airwaves before Kzee came into the picture was foreign.
He followed in the footsteps of the great Morris Dorley. While Dorley created the awareness and the revolution, Kzee engineered the popularization of the genre in Liberia’s post-war music history. Dorley, a native of Bomi County and a Gola by tribe, fought against all odds and became the first Liberian musician to break away from the influence of American songs and recorded Liberia’s first ‘Afro-music.
Dorley, who is widely regarded as the father of Liberian music, is popular for the songs, Grand Gedeh Oh and Who Are You Baby.
As a musical genius, Dorley led the movement that popularized local songs and inspired a lot of musicians who came after him, whether male or female with his soulful and touching lyrics and Kzee has taken on the mission of the legend.
“Gbema music has a big seat in the Liberian music industry because it is our traditional and cultural arts music from our ancestors and it belongs to a particular tribe in Liberia called Bassa. Read More...
