Disco Vumbi

Alai K is the alias of Abdalla Khamis Abdalla – a Kenyan producer, musician, singer-songwriter and DJ now living in Berlin. Born in Mombasa on the Kenyan coast, Alai K has an exciting story of musical development from his early days as a Kenyan hip-hop pioneer to his current fusion of traditional East African coastal rhythms with high-octane electronic music. With his project Disco Vumbi, Alai K aims to combine electronic music, live instruments, Mijikenda rhythms, Chakacha and Benga music and to establish a space for African artists within dance music culture. Inspired by Kenyan music from the 50s through the 90s, the name Disco Vumbi refers to a saying from the 70s when people would go out to a dance in the streets and came home covered in dust (vumbi). While Kenyan music was influenced a lot by Western pop music since the turn of the century, Disco Vumbi is introducing the local old-school music in a new style.

For 2020, Disco Vumbi is receiving a grant in the amount of 3,000 euros to finish the work on his album and initiate promotional measures that will support the project.