About

This is how it all started

When I was fourteen years old, I played ice hockey and invested in it as a future opportunity for careers, beers and hot women. But then on an icy day in January, between the hits and the jabs that an unexpectedly tall teenager unprovokedly gave me, I found myself lying on the ice with blood running wondering if there was no easier way to women’s hearts than this. So I went home and saw the guitar hang on the wall and I could hear it say to me ” Why not try to be a rockstar?”.

I called up my good childhood friend Johan and we started a rockband called The Invaders. These were the times when none of us could play any instruments. I remember the first time we got the group together we sat down and draw the stages and the directions that the spot where supposed to shine.

I started out as a bass-player and we wrote some songs and played live for the first time after a couple of weeks rehearsal. After a couple of months the guitar player quitted and I switched to guitar and became a singing guitar player. I never really liked to play the bass. We played like this for 4 years. 

After the Invaders split up I started a band called Stockholm Dolls. We had my dear friend childhood friend Maria on the drums and I think we had one gig and then I quitted the band.

Back in Sept 1985 I got a phone call and that was a drummer called Paul and he asked me if I wanted to play rhythm-guitar with them. The name of that band was Scabby Hyenas. I joined and played with them for a year and then I quitted. I got myself a full time jobb, girlfriend and decided to call it a day.  

This was also the time when I gradually shifted focus from rock to more funky orientated music. I have begun to listen to Prince, Rick James, Cameo that all hugely impacted me.

In December 1986 I received a call from a guy who I gave my phone number to in a cab when I was on my way home from club hopping. This was Stu who had been seeing me performing with The Invaders back in the days. He himself used to play guitar in a band called The Weed. These guys could play some hard serious rock! He asked me if I wanted to sing in a funk band that he was going to start.

In February 1987 I became a full time member in SAY What as the lead singer. We had BJ on bass, Stu on guitar, Jake on keyboard, Fredrik on drums and me on vocal. We got a girl called Mio on background, (actually she replaced me as a lead singer cause I went to the States for six months without telling the band and when I came home I was fired).

During this period they played at the Hard Rock Café in Stockholm and that is the only gig that I missed) and Daddy Dee on percussion. Our aim was to play some original funk and not covers like all the other band did in Sweden. 1990 we won a nationwide contest and recorded a single.

In the same time me and Johan from the Invaders period started a studio project that we named The Boobie Brothers. It was most a fun idea to try to write some hip-hop oriented rock, pop songs that we had. To our surprise a major label showed some interest in the material and we did two songs on a compilation called Swedish Rock Graffiti.

We had over 17 people coming and going through a 10 year period of time and finally the band (SAY What) splitted. We did the last gig in June the 6th 1997.

In 1992 I started to collaborate with a guitar player that I had been knowing for a couple of years. He is in my opinon the best guitar player from Eritrea. We started to write some songs for singers from Eritrea and record them. It came singers from USA, Germany, Holland, Eritrea to Sweden for they wanted us to write and produce the music for them. It was a new experience and I learned a lot in arranging songs. I played guitar, bass and keyboard in three band simultaneously, one of them was MHRS.

These years really made me realize that it was music that I want do. So in september 1993 I quitted my job and went in Backbeat Studio. The owner was a DJ that I met when we was recording for a TV-show in 1991. He asked me if I wanted to help him out in the studio. That I think is the best choice that I ever made. It took me three months to understand how the mixer, computer, tape-recorder, effects and the keyboards worked.

The first song I wrote completely by myself in that studio was a song called “I’m Loaded”. It’s a song that most of my friend label as a mid-eighty-funk-warning. Like I care. I like it and that’s good enough for me.

The third song I wrote was ” Turn Me On” and that was the song who got me a record deal with Stockholm Records. The producer was the late Denniz Pop and Max Martin. In 1997 that song climbed the charts up to number 20 on the Swedish single list. During 1997 I spent my time in EZ-Studios working day and night with D. Papalexis and Rami Yacoub recording my first solo album.

In 2004 we started the band SAY What again this time under the name SAY What Sthlm. To this day the band still jams and write some new material. I have myself started to publish and release songs again after a couple of years of hiatus in the family life segment. I have since 2016 written, produced and released 2 albums and several songs

 

 

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Discography

Here are all the songs that I have released. Click the image for a larger version. You can find the songs on all major streaming sites. And if you want to support my art you can buy my CD’s on Bandcamp.

If you want to hear more songs (demos, covers and live versions ) sign-up and you’ll get access to these gems.


Albums

Louder Than Normal

My third album. Written, produced and performed by myself on all songs. It was released in January 2021.

Coz I’m Kahsay

My first album. Wrote most of the songs myself. Produced by Max Martin, Denniz Pop, Rami Yacoub from Cheiron Studios in Stockholm.

The Funky Man

My second album. Written, produced and performed by myself except for two songs. Additional production by Lars Chriss and CFM.

Singles

Time

A song about time. What it means and how it affect us all. This is the only thing we can not get more of. None of us.

Let Me Be Your Lover

The last song I presented for the record company before I told them that I didn’t want them to release my first album. I took the master and left them due to different opinions on how to promote my music.

Life Sucks

I wrote this song sitting in a coffee shop thinking that everything in life sucked. Wich it did at the time. Had no job, had no girlfriend, had no money and on top of that had my dad recently died in a drowning accident… For what’s its worth: life can and should suck sometimes so one can see all that’s good also. Do you agree?

Soulmate

This song is one crazy creation. It started with an odd drum beat and guitar riff that came to me while jamming in the studio. The aim was to keep it as simple as possible – a feeling of first takes on everything.

Dance With Me

A song about the joy dancing gives me. I hope that the nod to the late seventies and eighties is accepted as a celebration for that era. I also hope that the song gives you the urge to stand up and move to the beat.

What’s Wrong

A song about feelings of emptiness and the consequences that can give in terms of sleeping disorder. I wrote this song when I was in a non creative state of mind and was having problem with just song writing. I’d like to think that many of us recognize these feelings. We are not alone.

Slow Joe

The song is about the importance to be cool and do things slowly. In these time and age we tend to do everything fast and in a hurry. As if we want to do as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. And what is that good for? For whom are we doing things in that pace. At the end of the day it is not the fastest that counts, it is with what quality you live your life that counts.

Mask

A song about how we all are hiding behind a mask. Sometimes we just want to have someone we can be full transparent for. When people are looking at you what do they see? Do they really see the inner you? Do you want them to?

Yes I Do

This song is based on a dream I had. In the dream I was on my way to my wedding. Dressed sharp, nicely cut nails, freshly brushed theets and in a great mood. Suddenly a woman approached me and started to question me and my mission and if I was really sure about this marriage thing. Stating that I should really consider my options.

I’m Not Falling

The song is about how important it’s to keep your dreams alive and strive to achieve them. I wrote the song the same evening I was informed that one of my bands former drummer was killed in a car accident, leaving wife and family behind. I was devastated and tried to put my feelings and I wanted to celebrate his life and one thing he did was living to the fullest.

Gracefully

With a groove delivered by a funky dude dancing in the club in a brand new yellow suite? Kahsay is one rare funky fella’ from a near by galaxy on a mission to spread the holy groove. In this song , Kahsay goes really funky and down with the beat. The song is about the feeling you get when you’re down and dirty and move gracefully with the groove.

Clap Your Hands

A demo I did back in the day – that I decided to rerecord and release as a more serious song. Just one riff and improvisation in the studio. I had the lyrics written already and I think I was 14-15 years old when I wrote that lyric.

Stay funky!

Losin’ It

Another funky release from me. This time the MOOG bass and the guitars is the foundation for the song. And the story is about a man that wake up and find himself in the same room as his other self. A weird story about losin’ it… not at all close to me

Funky Man

The song is about a really funky man – think Morris Day and you got a mental picture about the man I try to describe in this song. I woke up one Saturday morning with the guitar lick in my head.

Me Myself And I

A raw blend of funk, rock and perky guitar lick tied together with a tight vocalist and melodic chorus. Just “Me, myself and I”. This guitar lick came to me one Sunday morning.

You’re The Only One For Me

I’m back with a brand new danceable pop song with a catchy melody and hook. In this single ”You’re The Only One For Me”, I sing about a woman that means everything to me. It’s a feel good song about love, affection, attraction and the pure joy to be in love with someone that loves you back.

Funk You Up

Are you ready to be funked up? In this single “Funk You Up”, Kahsay goes once again really funky and down with the beat. The song is about a man that have the rhythm, groove and beat and by just following him on this four minute journey you’ll have enriched your life.

Sexy, Sexy Lady

The story behind this song is one of a kind. I was sleeping. Deep. I jumped out of bed, humming the melody to the chorus. Booted the keyboard, inserted disks and at the same started to write down the words in my notebook. I programed drums, added bass line and chords. Got hold of a tape recorder and then sang the newly created lyrics as a first draft. And then I went to bed.

Annie

My first single since 1996, Annie a collaboration with Lars Chriss from Lions Share. Released in 2016. This is the one song that got me to write and compose music again after a couple of years of hiatus doing nothing musically.

Drives Me Crazy

This song is kind of weird since I have been writing on a song originally called “Wet”. And not wet as in rainy wet, rather only on one leg wet because one is down under pressure and life sucks so much so even the dogs pee at your legs.

Excuze Me

I had a thing (still have actually) back in the days when I was going nowhere without a notebook and a pen. When ever the inspiration hit me I was ready. This song came about first with the imho cool fraise “Excuze Me – this is my planet too”

Coz I’m Kahsay

During my “My Name Is Prince”- era I wanted to write a similar song. This is the result and is also the title song of my first album. About a man who doesn’t need any permission from anybody.

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About

This is how it all started

When I was fourteen years old, I played ice hockey and invested in it as a future opportunity for careers, beers and hot women. But then on an icy day in January, between the hits and the jabs that an unexpectedly tall teenager unprovokedly gave me, I found myself lying on the ice with blood running wondering if there was no easier way to women’s hearts than this. So I went home and saw the guitar hang on the wall and I could hear it say to me ” Why not try to be a rockstar?”.

I called up my good childhood friend Johan and we started a rockband called The Invaders. These were the times when none of us could play any instruments. I remember the first time we got the group together we sat down and draw the stages and the directions that the spot where supposed to shine.

I started out as a bass-player and we wrote some songs and played live for the first time after a couple of weeks rehearsal. After a couple of months the guitar player quitted and I switched to guitar and became a singing guitar player. I never really liked to play the bass. We played like this for 4 years. 

After the Invaders split up I started a band called Stockholm Dolls. We had my dear friend childhood friend Maria on the drums and I think we had one gig and then I quitted the band.

Back in Sept 1985 I got a phone call and that was a drummer called Paul and he asked me if I wanted to play rhythm-guitar with them. The name of that band was Scabby Hyenas. I joined and played with them for a year and then I quitted. I got myself a full time jobb, girlfriend and decided to call it a day.  

This was also the time when I gradually shifted focus from rock to more funky orientated music. I have begun to listen to Prince, Rick James, Cameo that all hugely impacted me.

In December 1986 I received a call from a guy who I gave my phone number to in a cab when I was on my way home from club hopping. This was Stu who had been seeing me performing with The Invaders back in the days. He himself used to play guitar in a band called The Weed. These guys could play some hard serious rock! He asked me if I wanted to sing in a funk band that he was going to start.

In February 1987 I became a full time member in SAY What as the lead singer. We had BJ on bass, Stu on guitar, Jake on keyboard, Fredrik on drums and me on vocal. We got a girl called Mio on background, (actually she replaced me as a lead singer cause I went to the States for six months without telling the band and when I came home I was fired).

During this period they played at the Hard Rock Café in Stockholm and that is the only gig that I missed) and Daddy Dee on percussion. Our aim was to play some original funk and not covers like all the other band did in Sweden. 1990 we won a nationwide contest and recorded a single.

In the same time me and Johan from the Invaders period started a studio project that we named The Boobie Brothers. It was most a fun idea to try to write some hip-hop oriented rock, pop songs that we had. To our surprise a major label showed some interest in the material and we did two songs on a compilation called Swedish Rock Graffiti.

We had over 17 people coming and going through a 10 year period of time and finally the band (SAY What) splitted. We did the last gig in June the 6th 1997.

In 1992 I started to collaborate with a guitar player that I had been knowing for a couple of years. He is in my opinon the best guitar player from Eritrea. We started to write some songs for singers from Eritrea and record them. It came singers from USA, Germany, Holland, Eritrea to Sweden for they wanted us to write and produce the music for them. It was a new experience and I learned a lot in arranging songs. I played guitar, bass and keyboard in three band simultaneously, one of them was MHRS.

These years really made me realize that it was music that I want do. So in september 1993 I quitted my job and went in Backbeat Studio. The owner was a DJ that I met when we was recording for a TV-show in 1991. He asked me if I wanted to help him out in the studio. That I think is the best choice that I ever made. It took me three months to understand how the mixer, computer, tape-recorder, effects and the keyboards worked.

The first song I wrote completely by myself in that studio was a song called “I’m Loaded”. It’s a song that most of my friend label as a mid-eighty-funk-warning. Like I care. I like it and that’s good enough for me.

The third song I wrote was ” Turn Me On” and that was the song who got me a record deal with Stockholm Records. The producer was the late Denniz Pop and Max Martin. In 1997 that song climbed the charts up to number 20 on the Swedish single list. During 1997 I spent my time in EZ-Studios working day and night with D. Papalexis and Rami Yacoub recording my first solo album.

In 2004 we started the band SAY What again this time under the name SAY What Sthlm. To this day the band still jams and write some new material. I have myself started to publish and release songs again after a couple of years of hiatus in the family life segment. I have since 2016 written, produced and released 2 albums and several songs

 

 

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