Publicly proclaimed shorts shorts ambassador Elijah Kitaka has been on a roll thanks to his Daddy Andre produced potential “Song of the year” contender and hit single “Dawa”.
The well received street anthem is only his second solo release of this year, just after “Touch and Continue” and it has amassed tens of thousands of streams on Spotify, Boomplay, Audiomack, Apple Music and other music listening platforms, accumulated over 1,700,000 views on YouTube for its official music video, topped charts on both music listening platforms and radio stations.
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Its popularity just didn’t end there. The song rapidly took over TikTok from the time its snippet was first shared and to date, close to 95,000 user generated videos have been created while using “Dawa” as the background track. “Dawa” soared to pole position (#1) on the Apple Music Top 100 Chart (Uganda) and has stayed in the Top 5, proof that it’s a smash hit that many fans and music lovers can’t seem to get enough of.
The latest development coming in is that the “Kontrol” singer is set to add a spin to it by tagging along with Bien for a remix. It is worth to note that this remix will mark the second time he’s worked on a song with a Kenyan artist, with the first time being “Elevated” on which he was featured alongside Bensoul and Mike Kayihura by Azawi.
He revealed this while in an interview with Okay Africa’s Paula Adhis. While there, he spoke on the feeling of having literally the current number one and most popping song, reflected on his childhood, musical influences, transitioning from drumming to recording music, his parents’ initial reception of his music etc.
When asked what fans can expect next, going by the incredible run “Dawa” has had. To this Kitaka responded that he has a lot of new music on the way, making a special mention of the talented Kenyan boy band Sauti Sol’s lead vocalist Bien-Aimé Baraza: saying:
“I have a lot of new music coming! A remix of “Dawa” featuring Bien will be out soon, and I’m also working on my album, which is set to release next year. Additionally, Swangz Avenue, the record label I’m signed to, will release a collaborative album with many exciting artists. It’s going to be great.”
Why this editor does believe Bien is an excellent pick for the remix is first of all, the title of the song “Dawa” borrows from Kiswahili dialect and it means “medicine”. So picking a citizen of a country (Kenya) where the language is widely spoken and celebrated is only right and effortlessly aligns well. Anointed with the power to lighten up any music collaboration, I do believe he will add a ferocious spin to the track, perhaps with some Swahili verses and propel it to even further heights.
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The two first linked last year at Bien’s show at the Kampala Serena Hotel where Elijah Kitaka was among the opening acts of the show.
Music, magic & moments to remember. Thank you for having me @MalembeLife #ANightwithBien pic.twitter.com/b0I9s3UIMc
— KITAKA (@Elijah_Kitaka1) February 16, 2024
Among the other infectious remixes Bien has lent his vocals was the remix to Joshua Baraka’s “NANA” alongside King Promise and Joeboy. He’s in the past lent his vocal talents to songs with Ayra Starr (My Baby), Darassa (No Body), and buzzing single with Bensoul (Extra Pressure).
Release dates as to when we can expect the “DAWA” remix to drop aren’t quite clear, but we can expect that to be soon. So, we wait.
