From the opening lines of this stunning project by Kenduu, it is immediately obvious that we are in the hands of a nascent master who can confidently lead us, sonically and lyrically, from the darkness into the sweet realms of the senses.
Known previously by his alter ego Talksiick, Kenduu is no newcomer in the music industry as he has previously collaborated as a songwriter with household names such as Ckay and Blaqbonez with credits on songs like “Dtf” off Ckay’s debut album “Ckay the First”. He also co-wrote about 5 tracks on Blaqbonez’s “Young Preacher” inclusive of Fashionista, “Back in Uni” and “Loyalty”.
What emerged on Kenduu’s debut 6-track EP “Two Summers Ago”, is the voice of an artist who trusts his senses and open experience of life. These are not abstract songs aimed at idealising beauty or love, but the messy, scented perception of lived loves—and lusts. Kenduu looks no further than his world for inspiration.
The project opens up with “I Miss You” a melancholic tale of love lost and yearning, Kenduu reminisces about moments he spent with his estranged lover but also comes to the epiphany that loss and grief are both essential in experiencing romance to its fullest, he affirms that though beautiful and impassioned when alive, love stings when it withers.
The track is followed up with “Wanna Dance With You”, a similar tale of romantic grief.
In “Enter My Eyes” Kenduu talks about the early stages of love, the curiosity that begets romance and the excitement that new beginnings bring which he perpetually recalls throughout the song. The opening lines of the song begin with “I’ve been sorting out my shadows, healing from my sorrows, this feeling I no know, wanna be better for you. Sometimes I wan kolo, but when you hold me, I feel holy not lonely.” Kenduu believes that the companionship of his lover has ostracised him from his desolation and he has been made whole once again, ridden of his demons and iniquities.
On “Even in the Storm”, Kenduu maintains the same momentum as “Enter My Eyes” but this time he lends the help of the Cameroonian Nigerian singer Sunkey Daniel to deliver a classic record.
Kenduu is a victim in a one-sided relationship on “Addicted To You”. Constantly transformed by regret and the torture of hoping, he yearns for a lover who wouldn’t love him. The last track on the EP is titled “Drown Me”. Here, he moves on from the personal woes and tragedy that love has caused him.
On “Two Summers Ago” Kenduu proffers a gorgeous sweep of intimacy, sensuality and rhapsody. He held up a mirror in which listeners could view themselves and still be pleased. With a well-told tale of the multifacetedness of romance and most importantly, a solid introduction to the Nigerian music industry, listeners are certain to find a home.
