Back From The Wilderness! Five Best Musical Comebacks In Recent Times

More than any other time in the showbiz, going stale from people’s memories as fast as you happened is a reality that musicians have to deal with.

Like journalist are as good as their last story so do musicians have to keep churning hit after hit for relevancy. However, there is burn out, unmitigated circumstances and many other factors that see an artiste fade from public memory. It is here that the hard part starts, the making of a comeback and trying to get the spotlight back amid new artistes, new sounds and that pretty thankless task of being a ‘pioneer’.

Regardless of all these, some artistes have actually made a comeback and a pretty successful one two. Here are five artistes who have proved the journey down does not have to be permanent and they way up, however hard does is not impossible.

5. Bobby Mapesa

Bobby Mapesa he of lewd lyrics from Naskia Utam to Mtoto Mzuri Remix was really gone and was rumored to have struggled with drugs and alcohol addiction. It actually looked like a career that never lived its full potential and then just when we had al written him off he came back, and a storied come back it has been. First the beef with Nonini and P-unit firing his salvo in the Tuzidi song he did with Calvo Mistari. However, it was his decision to do a gospel album starting with the single Nisamehe that had tongues talking and everyone accepting that indeed Bobby Mapesa is back. Here is the video

4. P-unit

The group that took the club music scene with such a euphoria sweeping all and winning everyone’s heart decided to part ways sometime back. Just like that even their previous tunes hitherto evergreen seemed to fade like a scent with the passing breeze. Frasha was the most active of the three featuring in a number of songs as he also did one or two of his own. It seems they have realized they had their magic working together and now have seem to have teamed back at least the two of them, Gabu and Frasha and their first hit W.A.B.E has been warmly received a reminiscent of what they used to do as a group. They are back as a group.

3. Ringtone

While he was doing music which is before his self imposed retirement Ringtone was known more for his scandals than even his music. Then he declared retirement and some whispered good riddance. From nowhere he came back with no fuss or side shows, but with arguably his best song yet. Teaming up with the golden voice of Shusho was a bright idea and while she lifts up the song you cannot ignore the effort Ringtone put in his writing and singing. More like this and we will gladly forget the previous ringtone and set this one as the default.

2. Nyanshinsky

While Collo is the more known and even more hardworking of the Kleptomaniax trio, it is Nyashinsky that has long regarded as one of the best rappers in 254 and gotten the most love. He first gave Kenyans taste of what to expect in his collaboration with Nameless in Letigo but then tore the existing form book with his release of Now You Know. As he says in the song he had not rapped for almost ten years and he came back cool and refreshing as a bottle of Coke. The song created such a buzz was played on every station and DJ Mix, you will struggle for a louder comeback.

1.Alikiba

For a moment it seemed like the whole Bongo industry was one artiste and then supporting acts. All the pioneers from TID to Mr. Nice, Ferouz and even Prof. Jay were either off the grid or had their status diminished. The others like Marlow, 2berry, MB Dogg and Ali Kiba seemed sated by the little success they  had garnered.

For so long and as if from nowhere, Diamond Platinumz lorded over the scene with no worthy rival, until Ali Kiba had a renaissance of sorts. After about three years in the cold, he emerged King Kiba and provided Diamond detractors with someone they felt could hold a brighter candle against Diamond’s. Sure he may not make more money or have a wife that helps create a larger than life picture for an artist, but he is at least musically in all metrics equal to Diamond. Some think he is better. Mwana, Chekecha and the hits that followed it has been a whirlwind, a tour de force lending credence to his claim that he is the King of Bongo.