Artists
Kaz Kasozi is Ugandan born and is the founder of MHK. He is based both in London, UK and Kampala, Uganda. He is a multi-instrumentalist and a producer/arranger who has worked within the UK with numerous acts in the past 16 years on the World music scene and in Funk, Rock and Afro Jazz. To date he is credited on over 70 releases. Kaz has been described as"the most ground breaking Ugandan musician yet!" CDbaby.
Although he plays various instruments both Western and ethnic, presently he favours the piano. He however appears live in various bands as guitarist or bassist and lately has also worked as a music director for acts performing at prominent London venues such as the Royal National Theatre, the Jazz Cafe, Smolensky's, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Purcell Room and The Zenith in Paris. He has also run numerous music workshops including appearances at the Natural History Museum and the Horniman Museum.
Kaz has got 2 commercial releases The Quest released in 1998 by KMP and now available through MHK and Naked and Blue released in 2005. He also has one unofficial release Revolve from 1994 which will later be re-mastered and re-released by MHK possibly under a new title. His next release Blue Yonder a sister album to Naked and blue is due for release late 2007. Another project to look out for is Jazzmoss a jazz collaboration with poet Louisa Le Marchand - out on 15 October '07 on the GFMA lable.
You can visit Kaz's official music homepage here
Essence Kasozi is originally from Uganda and is a singer songwriter and actress based in the UK. She released her debut album Obukoddo (meaning miserly) in 1998 and her follow up Ekiseera mu biseera (meaning time within time) in 2001. The latter is available through MHK but Obukoddo was deleted and will be reissued through MHK at a later date.
Essence has performed at prestigious venues such as the Royal National Theatre and the Queen Elizabeth Hall and appeared live with an acoustic 5 piece band on the BBC World Service & BBC Radio 4. Her new album, Ansudde 'ddalu is now available.
"Obugambo bwo" - your words- the first single from the album is available as a free mp3 download from Essence's site. A video for the song may also be viewed there.
You can visit Essence Kasozi's official homepage here.
Mix Amylo is a UK born sax player and pianist as well as a singer songwriter whose performance credits are too many to mention. She has worked with such legendary musicians such as Pee wee Ellis & Fred Wesley (JB horns), Groove Armada, Maxi Jazz (Faithless), Dina Caroll, Tony Hadley, Angie Brown and many more.
Mix's music is a variant concoction that defies definition, but has a funky thread running though it; its best you check out the audio clips. She has three albums released starting with the quirky funk of Chicken flea then the laid back its just that and then the harder edged Dissolved.
Besides her solo work, Mix is pursuing a band project known as Spoondrift which experiments with a blend of hip-hop beats and funky r&b with classical motifs and jazzy riffs. A live Spoondrift set usually includes a string quartet.
you can visit Spoondrift's myspace page here.
The Kraw aka Derek Luke is a young upcoming rapper/singer from the UK whose music fuses progressive Hip-Hop with reggeaton and other Caribbean flavours. Currently he is still working on his debut album yet untitled but a short EP will be released very soon. "Shake it" his first track in the studio had many people excited that he was invited to perform it in Paris and in London at the renowned Brixton Academy although it has not even been released yet! Keep an eye out for his upcoming EP later in 2007.