T5 with Cedric Kadenyi aka "Cedo"

Cedric Kadenyi, aka Cedo, is a music producer, music director, composer, sound engineer, performer, mentor and music strategist. He started out as a band leader at the Niko na Safaricom Live Tour 2003, and rose to be the music director for the same. He then met different artists and became their music director. He’s the CEO of Pacho Entertainment, and has just released his first album, Ceduction.
 

1. You’ve had a lot of success as a music director and producer. Why did you decide to put out your own album? 

This album and many more to come are my own expressions. For years I have been privileged to produce songs for several artists. These have gone on to become hits across different platforms, and I’m grateful for that. To be able to evolve to the next stage in my career, I had to take a risk and get out of my comfort zone. So far, the reception has been great, and I believe that it’ll only get better. My relationship with Nyashinski stretches beyond music and business. He is not only a friend but a brother.

2. Is it difficult for you to juggle being a musician and a music producer at the same time? Do you find that you have to resist the temptation to micromanage things? 
First, it is important to differentiate the two: A producer is a musician. What I am doing right now is becoming a composer and a performer of my own catalogue. Being able to fuse the two has resulted in my project CEDUCTION. Like any other advancement in career or life, there will be times when you learn, re-learn and unlearn, and I believe that is the path I am on right now. I have a wonderful team who diligently and patiently support the vision. I delegate most of the responsibilities, however, the only thing I don’t delegate is composing. Sometimes they say I’m being a perfectionist, but I guess that is what has got me this far.

3. Often, people pull you in different directions, and constantly want things from you, whether it is money or time or freebies. How do you deal with this? 
I am always honest from the get-go about whether something works or not. It saves a lot of time and expectations. My success hasn’t come easy, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have people extend an arm of support. If I can and it aligns with my values, I extend the same grace to someone who needs it, because I know what it feels like to be in need of help. Of course, with fame, there are those who believe that you’re rolling in money and come with some outrageous requests. Letting them down can prove difficult, but it must be done. At any point in time, whether you do good or not, there will always be someone who doesn’t agree with you. I’m grateful to my family and team who keep me grounded and are always ready to hold me accountable.

4. Where can we find your album?
Tell us why you named it Ceduction - a portmanteau of your name and the word seduction?
The album is available on all digital streaming platforms such as Boomplay, Audiomack, Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube. Ceduction has an interesting birth. I was first called Ceduction by Maina Kageni and Shakira aka ShaksTheBrand. They called me that on separate occasions, and both had the same reason, that the music I had composed was massaging or seducing their ears. While recording the tracks and selecting which artists would be part of the project, the themes of love, celebration, unity, and community came into play, and it was only right that all these emotions formed the art of ‘CEDUCTION.’

5. What genre are you thinking of exploring next that is unlike what you’ve done so far? What would you like to see differently done in the industry as well? 
My creativity isn’t defined so I can’t talk of genre, but I know it will be another of my many expressions. I believe that is what has made me standout, because I don’t necessarily conform to one genre. I can experiment with different sounds if it is captivating and can be commercialised.

For the industry, I would like to see more love, unity and togetherness that will evoke empowerment. I have used the Ceduction album to express that for the East African region and hope that it’ll be the benchmark for us and what we can achieve collectively.