Sorry for the Delay

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Just A Band left an indelible mark not only on Kenya’s music scene, but on the country’s broader creative space. Starting in the mid 2000s they made electronic music with a distinctly East African flavor, created their own viral music videos, and the different members (a group of “self declared nerds”) contributed their design and photography skills to the project. Their third studio album “Sorry For the Delay” intertwines the sounds of Kenya’s past — the picked guitar on “Probably for Lovers,” or the sampled 1976 track by The Mighty Cavaliers on “Dunia Ina Mambo” — with hazy pop, R&B, mellow hip hop, and jazzy atmospheres. It’s an easy, pleasant listen, but one that definitely has a place in Kenya’s music history.