Bandwagon Podcast

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Bet you think your team on top, but now we're hot and got this here on lock. Listening wild. Don't be lollygagging while they jumping on the bandwagon. I bet you think your team on top, but now we're hot and got this here on lock. Listening wild. Don't be lollygagging while they jumping on the bandwagon. What's going on with you, world? It's Domi J Prag, the illustrious one, the Bandwagon Radio. We in full swing. You know how we do this thing, man.

Hit that bell, subscribe so you can get those notifications when we drop a new episode like this one right here. Another special edition of the Rundown segment here on the Bandwagon Radio, where I myself, J Prag, sits down with artists across the globe and get a chance to open up about their music, their artistry, and their craft, as well as, you know, we got to play that hot new music by the end of the show, all right? So we've got a special guest on the phone lines right now, hailing all the way from Berlin, Germany, Anushka is on the phone lines.

How are you doing today? I'm great, and it's evening for me over here in Berlin. Pleasure, pleasure. It's daytime, bright and sunny over here in the States, of course. So that just shows our listeners right there how serious this entertainment thing is and how serious a person can be about their craft. It's nighttime over there and you up, ready to do this interview. It is a pleasure, our pleasure. I had a chance to check out the new record, Shine.

We're going to talk about that record, of course, and I'll let you introduce it a little later on in the show. Before we get into that, though, I'd like my listeners to find out more about the artist. So let's start with you growing up, I guess, and are you originally from Berlin, Germany? No, no, no. My dad's American. My mother's Swedish. Okay. And my dad was in the military, in the United States military as an army doctor. Okay. So I grew up as an army brat, traveling around. Nice.

I grew up in Thailand and different parts of the States, in Europe, in Asia. So I was blessed with a very global cosmopolitan upbringing as a child. Nice, nice. So you were influenced by a lot of different cultures and genres of music, I'm sure. Yes, that and religions and everything. I learned early on that people are more alike than different, and I think that was a very nice lesson to have. Yeah, definitely, definitely. So let's start there. Let's talk about your life, your upbringing, and then what led you into music.

What got you into the artistry of making music, creating, producing, and writing? Well, you know, when you grow up moving almost every year, you know, you're being moved and transferred to different places, you're sort of lonely. And I didn't really get a chance to build friendships and, you know, connections because we were always up and move. So, and I was bullied a lot as a kid because I was always a new kid in school and sort of shy in those days.

That changed since then, but anyway, my grandmother, my Swedish grandmother, gave me a guitar, this beat-up guitar. When I was like 12, and I just, I don't know, I just played it and taught myself to play and started writing songs, and that's when it started. And then I later on, I was self-taught for a few years, was hustling in New York, some other places, and eventually I ended up actually going to Berklee College of Music. Wow. So you're actually trained. I know, trained. Ooh, scary. Yeah.

So I actually, and I was the only girl back in those days in my guitar classes, which was even scarier, that there were so few girls, and this was in the late '90s. And there were most women then, if you were a girl at Berklee, everybody assumed you were a violinist, a pianist, or a vocalist. Wow. That's beautiful. Yeah. So that was my journey. And then since then I've just been, and I started fusing, you know, Berklee is very much based on jazz harmony, so I got into jazz, I started playing with Brazilian musicians.

You know, I got to meet so many people from different parts of the world with their flavors of their music that I just totally fell in love with fusing styles. I'm not a purist. I believe everything should be mixed up. Well, I definitely think that that shows and shines through in your record, Shine, how you have the different genres, the different influences and sounds in there. I definitely can hear the influence of blues and rock and jazz and pop and even, you know, reggae and a nice fusion. Hello? Yeah, I'm here. I'm sorry.

I wanted to say the actual album, Shine, is not the single that we released though recently. The original album, which was released in 2014, which you're referring to, which has all those elements, was done, and it was the first time a Westerner fused the piece Swahili and the local beats. But now the song, the song from last year that I did again in Kenya that is now the one that's traveling the world with a message is a rewrite, actually, of the title track, just to be clear. Yeah, no, it was a remake.

You had an original version and then kind of updated it. From my understanding, you wanted to make it more, I guess, acceptable worldly. Yes. Yeah. So, and that's picked up on that, definitely picked up on that. Good, then I'm glad. Your job was done well. Thank you so much.

It wasn't universal enough to travel the globe and cross borders and genres, so I rewrote it, and I also rewrote the lyrics to be more clear for the unseen heroes in society and for everyone to get the message to shine their light, because that was not clear in the context of the lyrics in the first version either. Got you, got you, got you. Talking to Anushka right now, Berlin, Germany.

Got the new record Shine, or of course we're talking about the updated version of this record, how it evolved, started in one space and kind of evolved into a bigger record. Let's talk about the record a little bit for a second. I got some feedback as well from just listening to the record and what I felt about it. Oh, please. Yes, thank you. Yeah, no problem. So it was very soothing and relaxing sound, first and foremost. It's a feel-good record, definitely a feel-good record.

Great content and subject matter, of course, you know, the topics and what you're talking about. I definitely, like I said, I heard different influences, even in this new, even in the updated version, I still heard some different influences in it. You could tell that you were influenced by different genres, even from the production selection all the way to the sounds. Nice. Okay. I definitely heard a message, very inspiring.

I can hear it in different arenas, you know, department stores, you know, that feel-good music they play sometimes while you're shopping. Are you talking about elevator music? Yeah, but hey, here's the thing. You don't want to limit yourself. Yeah, you don't want to limit yourself. That's not a knock at all. That's a positive thing. It's all right. Yeah, the fact that it's crossover, has crossover potential, that you could hear it in different spaces. I could hear it on movie soundtracks, you see what I'm saying?

I could see—I'd want to see the shows and live performances of a concert of that song. I think that would be dope, of that particular song, even a live show. So yeah, my only reason for saying that is, it's not that it couldn't play on radio, of course, it's just that I could hear it in so many different other arenas. I don't just hear this particular song on the radio. I hear it in other arenas. I take that as a great compliment. I was teasing you a little bit, actually. I don't know if that translated. No, it did. I picked up on it. It was all good.

It was all good. I just wanted you to feel where I was coming from, because see, here's the thing. I actually do radio. I'm a radio personality here in the States, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Aha. Yeah, and I'm a fan of music. Like, I'm really a fan of the art. I wish I could sing. I wish I could write. I wish I could rap. I wish I could play an instrument. So I live through musicians and artists. I actually do a live music show here in Charlotte weekly, where I feature different bands and poets and musicians and singers.

So I've been doing this seven years, and again, it's just my way of giving back to the culture, to the artistry, because I have the plugs and the relationships, and I can get access to venues and stages, but I'm not a singer. I'm not a—Female voice: No, whoa, whoa. I just have to have you actually try it. How do you know? How do you know that you—have you actually sat down and taken some guitar lessons? Male voice: I have not tried. I have—I've tried to sing. I've tried to sing. I have tried to sing. That didn't work for me.

Female voice: Maybe it's just the wrong key for you. Maybe you didn't get enough a chance. Male voice: Yeah, but now see, maybe if I came to you, Anishka, and you could, like, train me, like you've been, you know, trained, professionally trained, maybe I could do a little something. Female voice: I did. I, you know, I even was a music educator for a while in the inner-city schools of the United States.

Yeah, so I have taught children and adults, and I have taught guitar and songwriting, and I could—I am sure if I could have an hour with you, you would be singing. And you would not be interviewing artists anymore. You would be plugging your own stuff. Male voice: Well, see, that might not be good for other people then, because if I get to singing, I might get the big head, Anishka. I don't want to get the big head. See, if I get the big head— Female voice: No, I get you. Male voice: I've learned, you know, I'm a spiritual person.

I've learned to just stay in my lane and work with the talents He gave me and help others the way I can, you know, because I know if I became a big singer, I don't know, I might be one of those guys that y'all be reading about on the tabloids or something. Female voice: I see. But, you know, I still think sometimes you can have more than one lane. Male voice: Yeah, you're right. You're right. You are right.

Female voice: You might want to just digress for a little diversion, you know, for like two years, have a major rap hit, and then you just sort of segue back to your radio thing. Male voice: You're right. You're right. You know what? I might take you up on that offer. Female voice: Come to Berlin. Male voice: See, that way I get some travel and some education in music and how to sing. But don't come now because of coronavirus? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, we're still on timeout right now as far as travel is concerned, as far as I'm concerned with travel.

Okay, okay. But later come, or I will come to you, because I've always wanted to come to the Carolinas. I've never seen them, and I've heard they're beautiful. Oh, it's truly beautiful. You have to come see us when the world opens up, by all means. Any way I can help you get here and help set up some plays and shows for you, I would love to help out with that. That's not a problem. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much, Jay. I really appreciate that, and I will take you up on that. And we've even got that on radio with witnesses now.

You can—hey, it's all good. You can hold it against me. I don't mind. I promise you. Like I said, I have actual stages, multiple stages weekly anyway between South Carolina and North Carolina that I offer to artists. So come on through. Come on through. Okay. All right. Now, speaking about, you know, this time period and travel and things, how do you stay focused of exposing your music and your, you know, your music mission?

Like, how do you stay focused at a time like this with coronavirus going on, you got social injustice going on, a lot of different things going on right now in the world. How do you stay focused? Okay, well, I'll be honest. I have trouble. I go through phases because when the corona first hit, I was in Berlin by myself. I live here alone.

My family was in the States, stuck in different parts of the States, and I was really scared, and there was no one I could talk to because we were not allowed to, you know, meet people because nobody knew what this was. So I tried to be funny and do little stupid videos. I also love urban dance, so I was dancing at home in my living room, trying to write and produce on my, in Logic, because I have a little studio set up. But, you know, that only lasted, that lasted for so long.

And then honestly, I started getting very depressed, and I think most of the world started getting very depressed, and I think that's a very normal reaction. I started feeling like this is hopeless. This doesn't seem to be ending, and no one's getting correct information because there's just so much. Everyone's saying one thing, and the next day the information was changing.

So I wasn't focused the whole time, but I did manage to keep my head up, and what I did was I work out as much as possible, and I'm fortunate in that I've always lived like a hermit in the sense that I can sit in front of my computer and work for days, you know, without noticing that I haven't spoken to anyone. So it was sort of okay. Okay. So it wasn't a big drastic change for you. No, it was a big drastic change because I was alone, and I realized how vulnerable people are when they are alone under these situations.

And I talked—I remember I was talking to people in America and everybody, or in Sweden and everybody everywhere in the world where I have friends, I would Skype with people, and everyone was feeling the same way. Regardless, everybody was nervous and alone. And that's when I realized that we're all so vulnerable. Imagine if the internet had just gone down. Yeah, yeah. We would not have had news, nothing, you know what I mean, or no way to connect.

And think of all those people who sit alone in a house somewhere and who are really old and have no one to talk to, no one to help them. I mean, it must be terrifying. You're right, you're right. And my neighbor—I have a neighbor who's an old Navy guy, and he was kind enough to knock on my door, and he's like, Anushka, you must go and buy a broadband radio, and you must get an N95 mask. And I said, Where the fuck am I supposed to get that from? He's like, Order it from— you know, because he's like, Well, all the stores are closed.

I'm like, Where am I supposed to go? How do I get— He goes, Order it from Amazon. So of course I ordered, like, tons of things from Amazon. I had plants coming. I had, oh God, you know, all these masks coming. So now— It is definitely a different time, but as long as we can navigate it, I know we're all hoping and wishing and praying for the same things of, you know, this being controlled and us being able to get back to work as we know it, work and play.

Well, I'm going to be very, very honest and say I think it's ridiculous what's happening in America because I don't get the sense that the correct information is being disseminated there to help protect the people whatsoever. And I at least can say that in Germany and also Sweden, where I was, because I'm half Swedish, I was also in Sweden for part of the time, both these countries, you know, I feel that they have handled it so much more transparent. Transparent, yeah. Which is what a government should do when the people are at risk. Yeah, yeah.

Well, you know, we have Sir Donald Trump, so, you know, I don't like to use the title personally. But Sir Donald Trump, yeah, he hasn't been very open and transparent, so I agree with you. You know, the other countries you just mentioned, I applaud their government. I applaud everybody that was giving the proper information in a timely manner so that everybody could be prepared as possible. So, yes. And even if the information was changing on a daily basis, they would at least keep you abreast of those changes.

They would rather show that, hey, we got it wrong, but here's what we know now, than pretend to be with a blind eye, like, No, no, we don't have a problem. No, it's like the flu. Hello, don't worry, it's under control. Millions are dying, but no, what millions? No, we don't know what you're talking about. That's not true. That's not real news. That's fake news. Fake news. Yeah, that guy. No. Yeah, well, at least we're on the same page, you know, and there's a lot of people that feel the same way we do, so.

And I hope the elections will show that those people's voices are heard. Yeah, likewise. I hope that will be reflected. I'm terrified of what's going to happen, and every American friend I speak to is—I have a lot of friends all over the world, and we speak to each other, and we're like, Well, what's going to happen now? You know, I voted. I had to vote here in Germany, so I had them send me my ballot, and it was a bit of a hassle, I'll be honest. I was like, God, do I really have to do this?

I have to go print this thing out, then I have to go find a fax machine somewhere. But I was like, God damn it, I am voting, I am voting, I am voting. Get out there and vote, you know. I will definitely say that it has been a hassle this election year, more than in previous years, from what I've seen. Oh, is it hard to ... long lines? So what's going on? Not necessarily just the long lines, but as you just stated, just getting the information in or sending those ballots back, or they're being very strict and particular about everything.

And then there's mail coming up missing. It's just a lot going on right now. Well, I'm not. I feel that Trump will easily, if he can, steal the election. Oh yeah. Oh, he is going to try. He's going to try. Noble means, yeah.

And I also feel that, you know, that Americans who decide to vote for Trump are very surprisingly ignorant, because what they're not seeing is that he is in the pocket of Putin, and what they are, in essence, voting for is to destabilize the West and to let, eventually, to let Putin get away with his agenda more than actually have an independent America that is one country that includes everybody, where you can have an American dream and have a mobile economic lifestyle. It's not going to happen, you know. He's like a hostile takeover.

He's just breaking the country down. Everything is getting broken down. There'll be nothing left. If we let him stay in power, these are facts. That is what I think. Everything that would account for humanity and what you believe should be in a democracy. So it's a total sham, and anyone who knows in the rest of the world, he is not taken seriously in other countries, and that should tell people something, you know. I agree. I agree.

So I only pray that for the elections now, he will be out of office and that we will start heading backwards to where we were before everything went so wrong. Well, we are both in the same boat there, praying and wishing for the best. You know, like you said, we can just do our part. We got to vote. Definitely got to get out there and vote. To all our listeners, please vote. Please make sure you vote. Yes. This is very serious, very serious election.Action here.

As Anushka just said, you know, there's a lot of politics, and if we don't do the right thing, a lot of things could be forced upon us. Well, first of all, you look at the civil rights achievements, the women's rights achievements, all these things. Everything will just be going retrograde. You know, with the conservative court, there will not be a country that is inclusive anymore. And also, it will no longer be a country where there's a separation of church and state. Yeah, yeah. Which is what America is supposed to be. Yeah.

You know, so a lot could change. You're right. So I really hope people will vote. Seriously, vote blue. There you go. There you go. Now let's talk back more about the artistry side. Talk to us about the rich music culture of Kenya and why that's so important to you. Right, well, so, you know, these songs that I wrote while I was in Kenya have happened over a course of 19 years that I've been traveling back and forth there, and I would never have written those songs had I not been exposed to the music scene in Kenya.

First of all, the reason I was actually there is because my mother and her husband—my brother and I were living in L.A.—and my mother and her husband were traveling, and they fell in love with a house in Kenya on the coast. So they bought it, and then they called me and my brother and said, Hey, kids, come visit us in Kenya. We're like, What? They're like, Come visit us in Kenya. We've got a house on the coast.

So we're like, my brother and I are like, Oh God, it's like 50—you know, this was 20 years ago—we're like, Oh, 15-hour ride with a train and plane and God knows what, and Kenya. So we started looking up Kenya on the map and reading about the Kenyan... So anyway, that's how I started ending up there. But in the early days, when I was going there, I didn't know anyone on the music scene, and I was in the coast, which is very rural and it's quite beautiful, but I didn't know anything about music there. There was no, you know, studios.

It wasn't that modern, really. But then I started hanging out. I met through a friend. They introduced me to Teddy B, who is this Kenyan gospel producer, and he said, Come to Nairobi and let's record. And that's when I started being exposed. And so the cool thing for me, you know, I had already—I had worked also as a music reporter for NPR over here in Berlin and for the expat community, and done some pieces, you know, writing about jazz, blues, rock, all the, you know, punk, all the normal purist kind of styles. And I was a little bit bored creatively.

And when I came to Kenya, I started hearing rhythms and sounds I had never heard before. So for me, it was an awakening, and it made me fall in love with music all over again. Because suddenly I was hearing things that I had not conceived of. And working with these people under the most, what's the word, rudimentary conditions. You know, we're so spoiled because, like, you know, you go to a studio at Berkeley, or you go to a studio in Sweden or Germany, anywhere, even a home studio.

And, you know, most people probably have, you know, they have some piracy copies, but they probably have a decent computer that can run Logic or something similar, and they probably have a decent microphone. But, you know, the first time I recorded, we were sitting literally in the ghetto, in an outside ghetto outside of Nairobi, and the goats were walking by going, and so we would stop once in a while. He's like, Anushka, could you redo that, please? And you're like watching these little tails wag by the window.

And, you know, he's got these little notebook computer, and he's sitting there, and then sometimes it crashes, and then you've lost the track, and then you have to go to the bathroom, and you're like, Well, where's the bathroom? He's like, Oh, there is no bathroom here. And then, you know, you have to walk down and find some bar somewhere with the little, you know, those little toilets that have little holes in the ground, and then you have to ask them. It's just so different, the experience.

And a few times the electricity would go down, and you'd sit around for six hours waiting, like, Are we having a recording session today or are we not? And so under all these, or then they'd be like, No, no electricity today. Let's try again tomorrow.

You know, and under these conditions, the reason I pointed out is because under these conditions, it's just incredible to me how creative and how their problem-solving skills are, and how they can create such masterpieces that I think, you know, a lot of people in other situations wouldn't have the wherewithal to figure it out. You know what I mean? That's dope. So, in other words, they're doing more with less. They're figuring it out. They're able to do it.

Well, they have such challenges in their creative workflow, and I'm really impressed by how they manage to get things done at that level that they do. Yeah, that's dope. That definitely sounds different. And what that tells me is that at the end of the day, it's about the passion more than the equipment. Oh yeah. Now that's a fact. I agree with you on that. Yeah. Right. So these producers who I work with there, I'm always very impressed with how they can get the quality of sound that they do, and all these creative ideas and their arrangements.

Everything is beautiful. And it's actually a country that used to be very much innovator in East African music, and then it sort of fell off the map a bit, I think. And so I'm hoping people will start noticing it again, because right now I think Nigeria is sort of leading, you know, when it comes to African music. Now let me ask you a question. What is it like being half Swedish and half American artist? Like, do you think your roots help with your creativity and your artistry?

Yeah, I do, because I think there's two cultural differences that—see, every artist is a person at the end of the day, so it's your personality is going to help filter whatever comes out of you through your art, right? And I feel like the Swedish part is very grounded and very humble and like the farmer mentality, you know, out in the land with the cows and stuff. You know, that's sort of my background there. And then the American is more like hustle, the grind, fake it till you make it. You're right, though.

So I'm sort of like the person standing in the field with the cows trying to fake it till I make it. I'm just sitting there trying to visually picture that. That is a crazy imagery right there you just painted. Thank you. Yeah, well, it is nine o'clock at night in Berlin. I gotta ask you this question. So what are the visuals? How are the visuals playing out for this song? Oh, for Shine. Okay, so that was actually, yeah.

So the new version of Shine, where the message is Shine Your Light, the guy— so I had a media tour in Kenya with the song because the guy who did the new version with me is a leading producer there, and he also works under very challenging circumstances, but he's a leading producer. And we got a lot— we had a— in Kenya, when you're going to release a song, and I don't know how it is in the States, but you have to have a video. Nobody just releases an audio track. Oh yeah, nowadays you gotta have— yeah, you gotta have the visual now. Okay. Yeah.

Okay, so I was sitting with a taxi driver, and, you know, everyone talks to you nicely in Kenya, and they're like, Well, you know, you really need to have a video for this song. And I'm like, Yes, okay, thank you. I take your advice. I take my advice from the taxi drivers there. And I'm like, Yeah, I need to do that. You're right, you're right. So I talked to one of the guys who interviewed me on a TV show, because I had a few TV interviews there and radio interviews, and one of the TV guys, he was like, A nurse guy could help you make a video.

I said, Okay, let's do a video. I said, This has to be— and I said, It's got to be non-glam. It's got to be very family-friendly, very clean. I said, But it's got to show an unseen heroes. You know, the focus is the unseen heroes, and that everybody needs to shine and be seen and valued in society. He's like, Okay, let's do it in my— where I come from. And he happens to come from a slum, which is called Mathare. It's the second largest slum, the largest one being Kibera.

He's like, We'll do it in Mathare because also, I mean, obviously I'm not super wealthy, but if I'm going to do a project, I want to support local talent where it's needed. And so his friends there are the actors. So he says, I have a lot of friends there. It's where I'm from. It's where I live. Let's do it there. I said, Okay, fine. So to record the video there obviously was also interesting. That day was extremely hot. Again, there's never really toilets.

One thing you learn about traveling a lot in East Africa is you usually carry your own toilet paper, because that's also one thing that people don't always have. And there's also not always access to toilets in the classical sense. So it was a very hot day where, you know, there's not water and things like this, and he was sweating and everybody was tired and there were a lot of flies, and we were trying to film these scenes and there was people screaming around, but it was very authentic.

And I think, and we did the makeup, you know, my makeup artist, she was doing my makeup in a little mud hut that we borrowed from a lady there. We gave her something for that, of course. We paid her to use her space. We didn't just go in there, you know. But we try to be very respectful, obviously. But for me it was an honor. I got a lot of flak for it afterwards on my Instagram, and I'll just say this shows some of the nuances of the problems, how complex the problems can be. My intention was, hey, let me support local talent. We'll go to your space.

We'll do it there. Thanks for your energy. Thanks for welcoming me, you know. But I actually got a lot of people who wrote, Hey, we don't need another white chick doing a, you know, recording a ghetto scene in Kenya and then going off, who were actually insulted by it. And then some people were like, Thank you for coming and doing this and spreading the word.You know, so I got various reactions to that choice of the visual. Yeah, I got you. So I didn't realize you had to go through so much just to— Yes. Oh my God.

From the recording of the music to the recording of the visual aspect in the video, yeah. Oh my God, it was—we were blistering heat, and the poor guy, the camera— Oh, but the funniest thing is, if you watch the video, I always tell people to watch out for this moment. So, you know, we're standing there, the poor camera guy, he's got something in his eye that was all red, but we had to finish shooting that day.

And so he's trying to shoot while his eye's tearing up, and then I'm dancing there in front of all these cute little kids who are sitting and staring at us, you know, which was really sweet. But then all of a sudden, right into the frame steps this rooster. And if you watch the video, you'll see me—meanwhile, I'm trying to hold my own there and stand, and all the time I'm thinking, God damn it, I hope he doesn't try to bite my toe, because I was wearing sandals. Hold on. So the rooster that came in in that clip, that wasn't planned?

No, that's just what happened. He just, that's why if you watch closely, you'll see where I'm looking down and slightly nervously. There's a quick where I lose my self-control and I'm like down and I'm thinking in that moment, Oh shit, don't come closer. Oh wow. So you dealt with all kinds of things while you were putting this together. Yes. Yes. And I will say now, I am so honored and blessed because it has helped me go beyond my comfort zone.

And I think every artist should go beyond their comfort zone and go back to the roots, back to the roots of what is it really about. You know, God, we were really like, No, we're gonna get these shots, we're gonna get this music done, even though we had all these challenges. And I think that's what it should be about at the end of the day. And that's a real artist too, because your goal is to see your work of art come into fruition. So you're going to do whatever you need to do to make that possible, a real artist. Exactly, exactly.

But also I just feel like there's a certain—these songs that have come from Kenya, you know, because of the energies involved, I feel like they really carry karma. And I know that sounds a bit ludicrous, but like when I'm doing songs at home, I feel I'm a very spiritual person. I'm a very authentic person. I create nice songs, and I know that, and I love writing songs. But I feel like the songs from there, they're not just my energy, do you know what I'm saying?

They actually are supposed to travel because it's sort of—there's—I caught those songs through my journey, and they were supposed to go out there and say, Hey, look what happens when you merge cultures, or when you build bridges, or when you go and record out here in these circumstances, you know, to open more minds to that. Yeah. Okay. So as a writer, producer, artist, what do you enjoy or appreciate most about making and creating music? It's gone through phases because I've had five albums out, and they've all been fusions of different elements.

The first couple have always been songwriting from an acoustic guitar point of view, hands-on instrument writing, which I enjoyed for many years, and that is what I did for many years. But I also got fell in love with, you know, technology shifted. I mean, I was at Berklee right on the cusp of all the record labels falling apart and the internet coming. And suddenly, you know, now we have, you know, these digital audio workstations at home where you can create. Basically, you can be a bedroom producer.

So I've really fallen in love now with producing at home, and that's what I'm currently working on. Like with loops and also incorporating acoustic elements. And I still love to play acoustic guitar. And what I love actually is to mix the two because I think too much music nowadays forgets the acoustic origins. You know what I mean? Like, I don't think you should just be working with samples, and if you're going to work with loops, you've got to manipulate them and modify them. You still need to be very musical and creative.

But I really love blending, so that's what I'm trying to work on now. Oh wow, okay. All right, so we can expect some of that blends coming from you in the near future as well on the production tip. Yes, absolutely. There's one song I did. I released two already that I tested, and they were played a little bit on radio, and they were a little bit more urban chill. Although now, I don't know how it is in America. I'll ask, you know, because I'm an urban dancer, so I love—I listen through my friends, my dance colleagues.

I get to hear a lot what they're listening to, and so I really love getting to very chill vibes kinds of stuff. But in Germany right now, and I'd love to hear what you and your listeners think, here they say you can't use the word urban anymore; that has become derogatory. What is the take on that in America? It has a negative connotation in certain circles. Now, I will say this: they still use the term. I don't hear it as much, but you still hear it.

Of course, me being in radio again, they still use the term urban radio, so you still hear it small scale. But I definitely agree that it is turning into more of a negative term or negative connotation attached to it because of what it, I guess, how it was created, what it labeled in the beginning, what it was labeling in the beginning. Oh, okay. So I didn't—I've missed that whole movement, and I apologize for using it then, but what am I supposed to say? No, no, no, no, you're fine, you're fine.

Like I said, it's not—okay, you're not going to be cast out for saying it or anything, but I am just saying from a professional stance, that term, yeah, definitely from a professional stance, I think that that term is—they're trying to kind of find another way, another lane, or another terminology to use because I can see how it could be a pigeonhole term at this point. Okay, okay. Yes. It normally connotates when you hear urban, you hear Black, you hear poverty, you hear—that's usually what you hear when you hear urban.

Okay, what word are we using from now on? That's a good question. You put me on the spot. I don't know. What word should we use? Tell me. I'm not qualified. I haven't been in the States for many years. I'm not current. Um, I don't know what that term could be. I, you know, personally, I don't know what that term could be. It could be anything. I just think, I just believe that urban has been so used for so long in one way to where it just leads the thought one way versus it being more open, diverse, more diverse.

I think now, finally, the world has woken up to seeing how important it is in the dialogue, because after Floyd's death, or murder, rather, that's what I should say, you know, I think the fact that the world reacted so vehemently finally shows you that people are aware, which was very heartwarming to see. And we need more positive artists such as yourself, Anushka. Thank you. The new record, Shine, I'm gonna let you introduce it in just a second. Again, hailing from Berlin, Germany right now.

Before we let you introduce the record, though, what's up and coming for you? Anything on the verge my listeners should be on the lookout for? I would love it if they would follow me on Instagram to hear the new releases I'm working on, which are the— sorry, now I was gonna say the word we just said we should use. Well, the other songs that are pop or what have you that are not from Africa necessarily, not made in Kenya. If they would stay in touch with me on Instagram at Song Queen Music, they'll hear other songs coming up in the future.

Okay, Song Queen Music. On Instagram. On Instagram, all right. If they follow me there, they'll find—that's where I post all my news, but they can also go to my website, which is anushka.net. Go ahead, if you don't mind, spell that for our listeners. Absolutely. A as in Adam, N as in Nicholas, O as in oh, O, U as in unicorn, S as in Sam, C as in Charlie, H as in Harold, K as in Katrina, A as in Adam, dot net, N-E-T. Kushna dot net. Y'all make sure you check out for the new music, new videos, new promos, new campaigns.

It was a wonderful, wonderful conversation with you, Nushka. It was a pleasure. I love your energy. Thank you so much. Definitely. I don't know, I feel like I'm like, I was like, what on earth have I been saying in the past hour? See, that's good though. That means we've just been talking and vibing. It's good energy. That means that we just got a good quality kickback interview done just now. It didn't feel like an interview. It just felt like two long lost friends getting caught up again real quick. It did, it did. It was lovely.

My pleasure, my pleasure. But go ahead, introduce the new single for the people. All right, so here you go. This is Shine, Ebuangaza, my Kenyan Swahili-English song, made and recorded in Kenya with a lot of love, traveling the world with a positive message. That's right, man. And you're getting your chance to hear it right now for the first time on the Bandwagon Radio. Turn it up. Let's go. Every day is a hustle, don't know how much more I can carry. Kuli pa kuli, kuweka chakula mezani. Nina tamani... Forget everything. Shine.