Amapiano Star Cartoon 47 Cites Disunity Among Kenyan Musicians As Barrier To International Success

• Cartoon 47 has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the genre and is set to launch his EP, The Big Voice
• The singer also spoke candidly about the disunity in the Kenyan music industry and how it can be solved
• He invited his fans to attend the launch of the EP on Saturday, December 9 and promises to deliver a memorable performance

Cartoon 47 is one of the rising stars in the Amapiano genre, a fusion of house, jazz, and Afro-pop music that originated from South Africa.

The Kenyan singer, who claims to be Zuchu's ex, has been making waves with his hit songs. However, his journey to success has not been easy.

Cartoon 47 on why Kenyan artistes should unite

In an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke, Cartoon 47 opened up about the challenges facing the Kenyan music industry.

He also shared his excitement about his upcoming EP, The Big Voice, which is set to be launched on Saturday, December 9.

The musician said that one of the major problems is the lack of unity among Kenyan artistes.

He said that most of the top artistes in the country were not willing to work together or support the upcoming ones.

He claimed that this was the reason why Kenyan music was not reaching the international level.

“The problem we have in Kenya is disunity. Our top artistes are not willing to collaborate with others. They don’t understand that when you collaborate you gain from each other’s fanbase. They should also collaborate with upcoming. This is why our music doesn’t reach international level,” he said.

He also said that many Kenyans dismissed him and referred to Amapiano as a South African genre.

The Haiwezi hitmaker said that he had to prove them wrong by showing them that Amapiano could also be done in a Kenyan way.

“I had to work hard to show them that Amapiano is not only for South Africans," he said.

Cartoon 47 said that he was inspired by the likes of Jobe London, Chino Kidd, and Rekless, who are some of the pioneers of Amapiano in Africa. He said that he was honoured to work with them on his upcoming EP, The Big Voice, which he described as a groundbreaking musical journey.

The EP, which is produced by a stellar team of six renowned producers, including two from Tanzania and four from Kenya, features an impressive lineup of collaborations with some of the top names in the East African music scene.

Notable artists featured on the EP include Amapiano star Chino Kidd from Tanzania, Genge tone sensation Rekless, and trending artist Kelechi Africana.

Additionally, the EP includes collaborations with international Amapiano sensation Jobe London from South Africa, Robby Vibe, Madini Classic, and more.