Kenyan musician Checkmate Mido has released his sophomore album titled Ua, which will be available on all streaming platforms from April 23, 2025.
Ua, a Swahili word for ‘flower’ in its singular form, symbolises the artist’s growth since FRQNCY (2020), and the album sees him celebrating the resilience of the human spirit through a recollection of joy, love, and excellence.
This is evidenced in Checkmate Mido’s masterful delivery on the song ‘Meta Meta’, which is dedicated to his daughter, and ‘Sunny Days’ featuring vocalist ach13ng, as it celebrates and inspires joy found in the ordinary.
According to the artist, Ua is about outlasting hardships and still blossoming, staying optimistic, and finding joy and inspiration.
“The album shows my creative evolution away from the idea that only deep pain can create meaningful work to a new idea that joy and abundance can also provide profound inspiration,” Checkmate Mido said.
The album was recorded over a period of two years, since 2022, and features the vocal talents of ach13ng, Brian Sigu, and Mo Pearson, with musical collaborations from longtime collaborator Kevin Munyi.
On the instruments are Steve Migwi (saxophone), Bradell Muriithi (flute), Victor Iningu (piano), John Wahinga (drums), Kevin Amaya (bass guitar), Joost Kappe (bass guitar), and the Enkare String Quartet.
The project also features reworked versions of the singles ‘Excellence’ and ‘Pete’ by the artist.
Also a celebrated producer, Checkmate Mido is a leading name in the alternative music scene in Nairobi. Fusing rhyme and rhythms to tell compelling stories through music, his work has been featured on BBC Focus on Africa, Arts Hour, and Music In Africa.
He has shared the stage with Grammy Award-nominated South African band The Soil, as well as acclaimed American hip hop artist, scholar, and activist Akua Naru.
The year 2023 saw him embark on his first tour, dubbed Checkmate Mido East African Tour. In 2024, he was selected for the OneBeat music residency, which saw him and other selected musicians tour the northeastern parts of the United States.
He recently completed a successful and well-received African tour as part of the Goethe Institut MobiArts project.
