{"id":667,"date":"2026-10-26T17:51:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T17:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/?p=667"},"modified":"2026-10-26T17:51:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T17:51:04","slug":"how-covid-19-inspired-kenyan-singer-matt-ngesas-debut-album-for-the-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/?p=667","title":{"rendered":"How COVID-19 inspired Kenyan singer Matt Ngesa\u2019s debut album \u2018For the Road"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/774ed891-ca9c-4147-aead-8c085ef38ab3_Ngesa-og_image.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/774ed891-ca9c-4147-aead-8c085ef38ab3_Ngesa-og_image.webp 900w, https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/774ed891-ca9c-4147-aead-8c085ef38ab3_Ngesa-og_image-300x210.webp 300w, https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/774ed891-ca9c-4147-aead-8c085ef38ab3_Ngesa-og_image-768x538.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kenyan singer-songwriter Matt Ngesa has released his debut album, \u201cFor the Road,\u201d a nine-track project shaped by personal experiences, family, friendship and four years of writing and reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The album, which features a collaboration with Joy Ocholla, explores how relationships with the people closest to us influence personal growth, identity and an appreciation of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its origins date back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Ngesa\u2019s parents contracted the virus, a period he describes as one marked by worry and uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During that time, he wrote four songs &#8211; \u201cMuse,\u201d \u201cAugust,\u201d \u201cKintsugi\u201d and \u201cBright\u201d &#8211; which would later form the foundation of an album centred on love, gratitude and human connection.The project\u2019s focus track, \u201cAugust,\u201d captures its central message: \u201cDo what you love, with who you love, for who you love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through the album, Ngesa reflects on the importance of nurturing relationships and recognising the people who give life meaning. What began as a response to a difficult period has since evolved into a tribute to the family and friends who accompany people through life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kenyan singer-songwriter Matt Ngesa has released his debut album, \u201cFor the Road,\u201d a nine-track project&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=667"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":669,"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667\/revisions\/669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updateplug.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}