Morgan Heritage to launch studio in Nairobi

Fresh off their success at the Grammy Awards, Morgan Heritage reveal that they are working on starting a studio in Nairobi. The reggae royalty won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. READ MORE: www.the-star.co.ke

Moipei sisters on US tour

image source: connection33.com

Four Kenyan sisters popularly known as the Moipei Quartet have began a tour of the US which will take them to several major cities.


The sisters who arrived in New York on February 18 will provide Kenyans with an opportunity to enjoy their beautiful voices during live performances.

The singers include triplets Mary, Magdalene and Marta as well as their younger sibling Seraphine.

Read more: www.nation.co.ke

You Tube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/MOIPEIQUARTET

70 Yrs of quality music education in Kenya

The Kenya Conservatoire of Music has organized a 70 Year Anniversary Concert to be conducted by Maestro Vijay Upadhyaya – head of musical activities at Vienna University and founder of the India National Youth Orchestra – and will have a varied repertoire presented by The Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra, Students and Staff of the Conservatoire. Also featuring in the program is The Nairobi Chamber Chorus conducted by Ken Wakia. More info: nairobinow.wordpress.com

The Kenya Conservatoire of Music Was founded in 1944 as The East Africa Conservatoire of Music. From a purely expatriate teaching staff and clientele at its inception, the Conservatoire has grown to a student base of over 400 students of all ages and backgrounds in Nairobi.

The Conservatoire exists to promote the teaching and performance of quality music of all styles in Kenya. It’s main focus is to ensure that every interested individual has an opportunity to experience the benefits of learning to play/sing music at an affordable cost.  Source: www.conservatoire.co.ke

Sauti Sol: Native sons sing straight to youth

The members of Sauti Sol rehearse in a cramped recording studio above a chapati restaurant off a noisy highway in Nairobi. Bien-Aime Baraza, Delvin Mudigi and Willis Chimano — the founding members, all 25 — have been friends since they sang together as part of a gospel ensemble in high school. When they graduated in 2005, they didn't want to stop singing, so they formed Sauti Sol. Sauti is Swahili for voice, while sol is Spanish for sun. "Voices of light."

They wrote songs and rehearsed for three years before releasing their first album, Mwanzo, in 2008 — it sold well. When the band made its debut, the music scene in Nairobi was dominated by DJs playing party music. Sauti Sol took a different approach and formed a new sound. Read more: www.npr.org

Sony signs little known, but talented, Xtatic.

21-year-old face, better known as Xtatic, has snapped up a multi-million shilling deal with Sony Music Entertainment Africa, who have named her as ‘one of the most promising’ artists to come out of Africa recently.

Xtatic, whose video ‘Prep Track’ has been doing the rounds since March is being managed by Sony Music and ROCKSTAR4000, who are intent on putting her firmly on the African musical map.

She is the second female hard core rapper to make it big from East Africa, after Stella Mwangi, who is signed up by EMI Norway.
Read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/lifestyle/2012/07/10/sony-signs-little-known-but-talented-kenyan-xtatic/

Kenyan Rapper-Singer-Songwriter Breaks New Ground With Historic Deal

Sony Music Entertainment Africa is proud to announce the signing of rising African rapper, Xtatic, to a multi-album and full management deal.

The deal marks a first for a Kenyan artist and sees the hotshot rapper, songwriter and performer (born Gloria Edna Mecheo) join a global roster of artists on Sony’s RCA label that includes the likes of Usher, Chris Brown, R Kelly and Pink.
Read more: http://www.rockstar4000.com/profiles/blogs/female-hip-hop-sensation-xtatic-inks-deal-with-global-major-recor

Grace Haukwa dancing to fame.

Image Source: nabtry.skyrock.com
Kenyan dancing to fame in US
A Kenyan woman has found fame in the US, thanks to her artistic prowess as a dancer and her work as a music manager.

Today, Grace Haukwa counts among her close associates Congolese superstars Awilo Longomba and Samba Mapangala.

A very talented dancer, who never shies away from any opportunity to do a jig and make her fans happy, Grace is also an acquaintance of top African-American rapper 50 Cent, with whom she has done a number of projects, including charity.
Read More: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Kenyan+dancing+to+fame+in+US+/-/1056/1447018/-/item/0/-/qe6h4fz/-/index.html

Nabtry International Cultural Dancers profile: http://nabtry.skyrock.com/

Broadcast, Film & Music Africa Conference to bring continent’s movers & shakers to Nairobi

The fourth annual Broadcast, Film & Music Africa (BFMA) Conference, taking place in Nairobi, will coincide with the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) taking place over 7-15 July, to double the attraction for creative industry professionals throughout the world to travel to East Africa and experience African film and art.
Source: http://aitecafrica.com/news/view/194

The continent’s leading business & technology event for digital media and creative content is  themed: Innovation, investment and partnerships for local content and service excellence.

The event is expected to bring together over 400 participants, the largest annual gathering of broadcast, film, music and other electronic media and content creation and distribution professionals in sub-Saharan Africa.
Read more: http://aitecafrica.com/event/view/79?symfony=592a0b9ba3b9425e4e6fdac67c4b6831

View images of Oshwal Centre on Flickr.com/photos

Welcome to the Madhouse - The Movie (2012) by NRBLN_BLNRB

Duration 38min* / filmed in Nairobi & Berlin 2010
See and hear what happens when a handful of musicians from Berlin set up studio in Nairobi – and the Kenyans come visiting a couple of months later, in the cold German winter.
Featuring Just a Band, Gebrüder Teichmann, Ukoo Flani, Jahcoozi, Nazizi, Modeselektor, Radi, Mr. Abbas, Michel Ongaro, Maasai Mbili art Centre and many more.
More videos at Vimeo channel

Work starts on Kenyan Olympic anthem

Work starts this week on the Coca Cola Kenya Olympic Anthem after two lucky Kenyans won a contest to take part in creating it, alongside musician and producer Madtraxx.

Collins Okoth from Kisumu and Juliet Karanja from Nairobi were selected from among 12 finalists via a public voting process on national television, which was concluded last Friday.
read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/lifestyle/2012/06/21/work-starts-on-kenyan-olympic-anthem/

Sawa Sawa Festival

The Sawa Sawa Festival, organized by Sarakasi and held during the Madaraka week, has attracted audiences of over 120,000 people (2010) and due to excellent media campaigns, relations and partnerships, millions of others have been reached through PR campaigns and live radio and TV broadcasts. The Festival is usually extensively covered by other (not contracted) media as well.

Sarakasi Trust initiated the concept of the annual Sawa Sawa Festival to create a unique festival with a unique and African identity appealing to the Kenyan public at large while at the same time creating an opportunity to reach out to audiences across age, gender, cultural and economical back grounds. Sawa Sawa aims to promote the performing arts through workshops, meet the artist sessions, technical skill and cultural sharing workshops, community building (theme) activities, media activations and the multi stage multi day concerts. source: www.sarakasi.org

Festival brings funky, eclectic Afro-Latino music to Nairobi
In an increasingly globalised world, it is hardly surprising to find a meeting of diverse musical cultures.

The annual Sawa Sawa Festival in Nairobi this weekend (June 10, 2012) will provide an opportunity for music enthusiasts to sample the sounds of a group that brings together an eclectic range of influences.

Napalma comprises two percussionists from Brazil, a vocalist from Mozambique and a multi-instrumentalist from South Africa. Read on: www.businessdailyafrica.com/Festival brings funky eclectic Afro Latino music to Nairobi

Who is Zubi d'Nova?

A little girl's dream turned into reality at age 14, when she launched a mini-career as ''Mellow Dee'' in Kenya. Having done collaborations with Rigga, Redsan, Vini Banton, Jaymoe, Pentamony, Syd, and other Kenyan stars, as well as lots of press coverage and a music video being played in all of East Africa, "Mellow Dee" was said to be a force to be reckoned with.

She was crowned Miss India Kenya 2004 and Zee Teen Queen - Kenya Chapter. Personal circumstances changed, and she had to leave Kenya.

She is currently based in the Netherlands, but will be moving back to her home in Kenya soon. As an independent artist, she is responsible for the writing and vocals of her songs, the filming of most of her videos, the marketing, as well as the management of her pages! She is also known for being very down-to-earth and keeping a close bond with her fans.

With velvet vocals expressing deep emotions, Zubi d'Nova creates reflective music for the seeking soul.
Find out more at: www.reverbnation.com/zubidnova
You tube channel: www.youtube.com/user/zubitv

Just A Band: No longer just a band

When Just A Band made their debut on the Kenyan music scene in 2003, they were labelled as hippies, unconventional and radical among other related adjectives.

Most radio and television DJ’s wouldn’t touch their music with a ten-inch-pole. Their songs were considered too unusual and their videos too daring.

But considering they describe themselves as “silly”, it is unlikely that they even took notice of the many such comments from their critics. After all, they were just a band.

Fast forward to the present and the three member boy band have more than personified the oxymoron that is their moniker.

Through their unique yet to be described genre, JAB have built a name for themselves as one of the most eclectic musical outfits in Kenya and their growing fan base across the continent seems to suggest an even brighter future lies ahead for the trio.

In March this year, they added some polish to their shine when they were chosen to perform at the high profile South by South West Festival in Texas, USA. read more: nation.co.ke/Features/buzz




Biography: Just A Band is Daniel, “Blinky Bill”, Jim and Mbithi..
Discography: just-a-band.com/discography/

Joseph Hellon now makes a comeback

Joseph Hellon can count on the fact that most people recognise his name, if not his face. The irony is that this fame is less for his sterling music than for the unsavoury public drama involving him and his associates for most of the last two years.

Before that disruption to his career, Hellon played smooth jazz to a select audience every last Thursday of the month at his Runda residence. His love for the saxophone goes back to the time he joined the Starehe Boys Centre band as a 10-year-old..

He made his debut with the album “Zamar” in 2005 followed by “Ekkaleo” released a year later. His last album in 2008 - an amalgam of jazz with the Kenyan music styles of benga, zouk and isikuti titled “Bizkuti.

Despite the sophistication of traditional jazz, Hellon thinks he has found the formula to make the music genre palatable to more Kenyans: “All I have done is adopt benga, which is authentic Kenyan music, by using my skills as a saxophonist “ he says. Read more: Business Daily, Feb 17, 2012

BLNRB Release Concert

The BLNRB project has caused quite a stir: mind-blowing parties in Nairobi, Berlin and Cologne, the international release and reviews for the album BLNRB – Welcome to the Madhouse from all over the world.

Now we are looking forward to its culmination: The BLNRB Release Concert, at the place where it all started: Nairobi! The artists will be reunited again, so for the last time you will have the chance to experience a night of dance and fun with Just A Band, Ukoo Flani, Kimya, Lon’Jon, Nazizi, Michel Ongaro and Radi from Nairobi and Jahcoozi and Teichmann Brothers from Berlin!

To lift your spirit for the concert, get the album BLNRB – Welcome to the Madhouse at Nakumatt, Uchumi, iTunes and local music stores. It contains 18 of the best tracks from the project.
Source: goethe.de/ins/ke

Concert date
Saturday, 10th December 2011, 9.00 pm
Nairobi Railway Club
Entrance Fee 200/= KSh
+254 (0) 20 222 4640
kilian.crone@nairobi.goethe.org

The Documentary
The project will be summed up with a screening of the BLNRB documentary, showing exclusive look behind the scenes, produced by Christian Füssenegger. The screening will start right before the concert, at 8.00 pm. Here's the trailer of the documentary

The History
In early 2009, three bands from the world-reknown Berlin electronic music scene set out to a journey, their destination: Nairobi, Kenya, in East Africa. The idea ‘Berlin meets Nairobi’, brainchild of Goethe-Institut Nairobi and electronic music duo Gebrüder Teichmann, was as simple as it was complex at the same time. Berlin musicians would come to this vibrant East African metropolis and meet, mix and mingle with artists from the local music scene.

The name of the project became BLNRB-NRBLN, a fusion of the colloquial abbreviations of the two cities involved. From Berlin, there were Modeselektor, the hyperactive breakbeat-duo, curious electronic producers Gebrüder Teichmann and Jahcoozi, the multicultural star trio composed of Dubstep, Grime Rave and hyper-sonic Electronica. From Kenya, rappers like Mister Abbas, Kimya and Lon ́Jon or the first lady of Kenyan rap, Nazizi, became part of the joint collaboration. The electropop band Just A Band and blind singer/guitarist Michel Ongaro also contributed their flavors. In addition, six members of the HipHop collective Ukoo Flani from the coastal city of Mombasa were a key part of the body of MCs who would turn up every day and night.

Two studios were established in a townhouse in Nairobi, where everyone in the project worked, performed and lived together. The above-mentioned bands were invited but word spread like fire within Nairobi’s music scene. Quickly there was a frenzy of artists coming and going, the now infamous Madhouse was born. Read on at source: outhere.de
More information on the BLNRB project http://blog.goethe.de/BLNRB/