Kaylow to ‘Reach Out’ on journey
Soul-searching to make the difference resumes for musician
IT HAS BEEN about 16 years since Kaylow recorded a song for the first time, but many only know him through his successful 2015 album Reach Out.
The soul singer didn’t always know that he would one day record his own music. He used to spend most of his days jamming to beats and putting his voice to other’s songs.
“Some weren’t released and some of the others I don’t even remember. That’s how Difference came to be,” he said, talking about the hot house tune he lent his voice to that became a hit in the UK and continued to be a big song for house enthusiasts locally.
“My career came about through working with people. I never took it seriously at first, so I kept recording on different beats.
“If I liked it, I would jam with them and then sometimes I would hear the song on the radio or hear it being played by someone.”
The Soul Café singer said he was working on a follow-up to his first album. His song War For You is the first release of the items for his upcoming second album.
“I noticed how no one is fighting for their love these days. I can fight for love with music, I can go to war for love, and that’s how the song came up,” he said.
Kaylow, whose real name is Kelello Segoana, said the song came at a time when the country was fighting violence against women.
He worked with a number of producers on the album. “It has taken drastic turns. I initially hoped to work with international acts such as Kem and Eric Benet but that didn’t work out. I choose people who I can create a sound with.
“Locally I worked with 14 different producers. I did 24 songs but I’ll only choose 14 for the album.
“People have been giving me beats, and it has been crazy going to studio, creating music and still having more to offer.
“My albums have a soul section with the piano and guitar, some R&B-soul vibe with the instruments, then of course some dance and soul-deep house,” he said.
Kaylow said he found it hard to be a celebrity and tried his best not to fit into that lifestyle.
“I’m a musician more than a celebrity. I’m the type of guy you’ll find chilling with the boys and eating some pap and meat,” he said. He writes his own music. “Most of the time I have to feel the beat. My mental state is always about general life. I’m able to keep people around me and write from those experiences. Most of the songs are hardly about me.
“When I attach myself to the music like that I’m afraid I won’t want to sing the songs again, but I am spiritually, physically and vocally in the music.”
Kaylow will be shooting the video for War For You by the end of the month.
He said he was most influenced by people who had paved a career for themselves and had “archives” of music to their names.
“I feel like this is the beginning of my career.
“I was born singing, and the best way to stay above it all is to keep people around, and the same way it started should be the same way it continues. Let’s talk about my music journey after 10 albums.”