The soothing sounds of Viwo Kulati’s Afro-Pop and Jazz-influenced R&B Soul debut project are so refreshing and inspiring, to say the least.
The five-track debut EP sees the singer and songwriter finding her voice and speaking through love experiences. It captures beautifully the background of this talented, Eastern Cape-based artist.
After getting a push from her producer Wilson Okafor, Viwo has finally given in to finding her voice and creating her own music. It follows her 2019 debut single titled Chilly Breeze and boosts favorite songs like Ungowami.
“I love it because it is entirely in IsiXhosa, and I had struggled to compose it as I struggle with writing IsiXhosa. So, it is my favorite song as it helped me conquer one of my lifelong objectives and challenges. How did it come about? It came about as an idea that was also a chorus in the year 2016. However, I could not really finish the chorus because I did not know what I wanted it to sound like. But then I spoke to my producer Wilson Okafor, and we started working on it and the words just came to me and we put it together. From there onwards I fell in love with it.” Says the artist.
With a musical background spanning 7 years and including being a backing vocalist for the well-known South African neo-soul extraordinaire Zonke Dikana, it is no surprise that Viwo has delivered this creative and passionately written project.
Viwo’s extended play is introduced by a song titled Nothing Without Love, an intro that beautifully catches the heart of the project. This debut offering finds its roots in the Bible’s Corinthians scripture about love.
“The whole EP is inspired by 1 Corinthians 13 which is the book of love in the bible. It is also inspired by my observation of how people need love. We often put other things on the pedestal forgetting that we are a people that need love, and we are incomplete without love. The Bible also says that everything else iyaphela [it ends] but love is eternal. In short, the EP is based on that entire scenario. The EP is however not a gospel genre but an RNB & Soul genre.” Viwo on the inspiration behind the project.
The debut project is a result of many experiences that continue to shape and nurture the childhood passion she began in Makhanda, a small town in the Eastern Cape where she had an opportunity to study music in high school. But it was not after meeting her producer that Viwo began to find her voice and inspiration for this project.
“One noteworthy encounter I had was with my producer, Wilson Okafor who is a Nigerian producer. He really pushed me and was influential to me. I succeeded with this EP all because of him and his dedication.” She says.
This is a five-track EP that takes you through the different phases of love, and the experiences Viwo has observed in other people’s lives in songs like So Fine, Fight About It, and Letting You Go.
You can download and stream the project on all digital platforms. Use the following link to Listen to the EP and Watch Viwo’s captivating live performances via your favourite app: https://linktr.ee/viwokulati
Don’t forget to follow Viwo Kulati on all social media platforms for the latest updates and Live performances.
