By Dennis Asiimwe
Enduring musician Eddy Yawe (he seems to have been around forever) teams up with Martha Mukisa, a singer who only seems to be now gathering steam, on this curious single that seems to be a Lingala song in everywhere except the language it is performed in.
Eddy has a wonderful baritone, and uses it to great effect on Neteze. He also has that curious ability to swing liquidly in terms of his tones, fluctuating to high notes and dropping casually back to low ones, another trait common to Lingala.
He and Martha split lines on the call-and-answer format that the song adapts.
Martha Mukisa has perfected the art of complementing male singers used to laying the alpha male after her hugely successful collaboration with another Eddy – the one we call Kenzo on a song called Sango.
She’s a genuinely talented singer, smooth, velvety vocals, that she eases into her music, such is her confidence. You barely notice her creep into the song, and yet before long, you realise the song simply cannot do without her.
I noticed that on Sango with Kenzo, and I also noticed the same with Eddy Yawe.
The song seems to be about Eddy Yawe’s baritone, and fluctuating highs, till you notice the velvet carpet that is Martha Mukisa, smoothly delivering her lines and complementing her fellow singer.
I have a huge amount of respect for her capacity to do this.
Neteze is also dominated by a lead guitar, something that Yawe tends to have a liking for, and a light percussive groove with skillful fill-ins that suggests a session drummer was involved.
My favourite bits? The brass section, which underscores the big band feel the song has.
This type of song is the reason Eddy Yawe is hugely respected by fans and fellow musicians – he is a musician, both musically, and technically speaking. Loved it!
