Daada releases Home EP and shares 'Raise The Roof' video
16 July 2024
Newsdesk
Transnational talent Maike Valentina Kusserow aka Daada releases Home EP and shares 'Raise The Roof' video via Daada Music. Buy here. It was written and produced primarily in Nairobi, Kenya together with collaborators of Sauti Sol and the likes.
The first two singles have received Spotify and Boomplay editorial support and praise from notable tastemaker CLASH Magazine as well as earning spins on Amazing Radio’s Charlie Ashcroft and Reprezent 107.3FM. In the last few months Daada not only performed at Sofar Sounds (Germany and Netherlands) and the Reeperbahn Festival as well as Berlin's Karneval der Kulturen main stage, but has been cultivating her unique sound that evokes a universe between Africa and Latin America. Daada recently went viral on TikTok and Instagram in Kenya, amassing over 500K views on two videos of her singing. Her music has earned Spotify and Boomplay editorial playlisting, airplay and interviews in Europe, Africa and Latin America from the likes of RBB Fritz (DE), Radio Eins (DE), Global's Smooth Chill by Global (UK), East Africa TV & Radio (TZ), TBC2 (TZ), Clouds (TZ), Nation FM (KE), attention from digital & print media (i.e. The Citizen (TZ), RBB Kultur (DE), Verdadera Locura (ES)) as well as a nomination by Amazon Music Germany Breakthrough & All Hands on Deck as Top-6 Newcomer.
A German-Colombian artist raised in Tanzania, Daada is now based between East Africa and Berlin. She began songwriting at age seven, accompanied by her violin. A few years later she picked up her grandma’s old guitar and never looked back; weaving stories in English, Spanish, Swahili and German ever since. 'Daada' derives from Swahili for 'sister'; paying homage to the multicultural universe that holds Daada's music and of course to sister- and womanhood: cornerstones of her message. Her first experience in a recording studio was in Lewes in the UK, after her secondary school headmaster heard her perform original songs and sent her there to his friend who owned the studio. She then went on to study at the University of Warwick in the UK.
Initially influenced by Shakira (her idol to this day), Daada began to draw inspiration from a wider range of sounds as she grew older. Her genre palette is vibrant, from Reggaeton and Cumbia to Afropop, Amapiano and Indie - she feels inspired by artists from around the globe. Her unique sound is sure to be enjoyed by fans of femme multicultural powerhouses like Mayra Andrade and Ibeyi, and those who would appreciate it if Billie Eilish, Karol G and Ayra Starr were fused into an unexpected, fresh take on Pop.
Home is a breathtaking record, glowing with the vibrance and versatility of Daada’s multicultural musical universe. The summery focus track, ‘Raise The Roof’, is Daada’s serenade to the way opposites attract. She tells a sultry story in a melange of English and Spanish, of an explosive connection between two people from different worlds. Beautifully blending sounds from across Africa and Latin America throughout the EP, the rich and danceable music carries Daada’s velvety, radiant vocals as she sings in four languages about celebrating loved ones, transnationalism, multiculturalism, identity, and so much more.
Daada divulged: “‘Home’ is my first truly cohesive body of work. It's about finding a sense of belonging in diversity and in blurring the lines between categories and labels. It fuses four languages and sounds from Africa and Latin America. I drew a lot of inspiration from growing up multilingual with three "nationalities", not quite feeling adequately whole anywhere. This EP stands for home being something fluid and it’s a big fat celebration of being colorful and true to who you are."
Home EP Tracklist: 1. Home 2. Raise the roof 3. Song for you 4. Rain 5. Wild 6. CEO 7. Moonlight
