Afro vibes from Nafro

Nafro means ‘the African from Nairobi’, explains Moses Karanya, who was born and bred in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

“I wanted my name to represent where I come from,” he explains.

The 30-year-old describes himself as a musician, a son, a brother and someone who is strongly influenced by art.

“I love being around artistic people, making music, going to concerts and art shows. That’s Nafro.”

Nine years in the Faroes

Having lived in the Faroes since February 2014, Nafro says the cold weather is the only negative.

“The people here are nice. I’ve come to know a culture I didn’t know before and do things I didn’t do before. It’s really nice here. I enjoy it.”

He works night shifts at salmon farming company Bakkafrost.

“Working night shifts suits me just fine. I am a night person, so it feels natural to me – also as a musician because many musicians perform at night,” he says.

“But I spend most of my time making music. I’m kind of a perfectionist, so I spend a lot of time on my music.”

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Nafro describes his music as a mash-up of many genres, including hip-hop, reggae, R&B, Afro pop and pop in general.

“There are 42 tribes in Kenya. So, as you can imagine, Kenyan music is incredibly diverse. I actually don’t do Kenyan music per se, but I obviously incorporate elements of it in my music, which is also quite influenced by the UK pop and hip-hop scene.”

A bedroom studio in Strendur

He records his music on his laptop in his bedroom in Strendur.

“My bedroom is my go-to place for music. I’ve tried recording music in a studio, but it just doesn’t have the same feel as recording in my bedroom. That’s where I can really be in my zone.”

Nafro’s repertoire consists of 12 songs, of which three will be premiered tonight in Tórshavn‘s Sirkus bar, starting at 9pm.

“You’re all welcome. Let’s see each other there tonight,” he says.

Hear an interview with Nafro, along with his song “Sunday” here. 

Translated by prosa.fo.

More Faroese News in English.