WIN A TICKET TO SEE NNEKA LIVE IN KENYA

NNEKA LIVE IN CONCERT
Opening Performance By Dan Chizi Aceda
Hosted By Buddha Blaze
Venue: Treehouse, Museum Hill, Westlands Nairobi
SATURDAY 4TH February 2012 (7PM)
ENTRY: 500/-

Advance Tickets are avilable at Goethe Instiut - Nairobi. To win a ticket all you have to do is answer this question: Advance Tickets Online: http://tixpress.com.132.blankserver.com/artiste.asp?eventid=124

Press Conference: Thursday 2nd Feb, 3pm Venue: Kilimambogo Conference Room Nairobi Safari Club, University Way

WHAT IS THE NAME OF NNEKA’s LATEST ALBUM?

The first 20 people to follow and reply this question on this blog automatically stand a chance to win a ticket to see Nneka Live in Kenya. Good on you.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/323638384335360/

Nneka ft Nas - Heart Beat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp5FdsaP2QU

A bit about Nneka


Nigerian songstress Nneka grew up in the Delta region, and later relocated to Hamburg - Germany. Her first album was Victim of Truth (2005) followed by No Longer at Ease (2009). She impressed Lenny Kravitz, he invited her to be supporting acthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif on tour. In 2011 she released her third album; a multi-faceted and “politically conscious”, a potpourri of Reggae, Soul, Afro, R&B and Hip Hop.
Daughter of a Nigerian father and German mother; Nneka Egbuna follows the footsteps of Fela Kuti and other artists who use music for community. She is setting out for an East Africa tour to Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zanzibar. Some regard the powerful vocalist Nneka first as an activist, and then as a musician. “If there were no pain in the world, I wouldn’t sing,” says the soul singer

Nneka is internationally well known and has performed all over Europe, USA and is getting Africa to know her. She has toured with award winning Nigerian star; 2Face. She has made songs with top rappers such as Nas, Damian Marley and toured with Knaan. Nneka is the future of African music.

www.nnekaworld.com

EXHIBITION FOR AFRICAN HIP HOP IN NEW YORK

By Buddha Blaze pics by Jesse Shipley

MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN ART - NEW YORK

Jesse Shipley from the Museum of African Art in New York has embarked on an initiative to showcase the rising phenomenon that is African hip hop. Hip hop in West and South Africa has been given the shine it deserves but its East African hip hop that has lagged behind in the exposure – this doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. So Jesse Shipley arrived in Nairobi January with his South African compadre Dzino from Rage Productions to have an exterior look at the budding hip hop scene in the city of Nairobi. Their aim is to see artists in Kenya who are using hip hop as a tool of communication and innovation and empowerment.
POINT BLANK EVUMBI

Spark Africa put together an African Hip Hop Exhibition Meet Up which included meeting all the players, innovators, illustrators, artists, b-boys, activists and personalities influenced by hip-hop and using it as a tool to address political issues. This also includes artists and personalities who are merging their creativity with modern technology in order to get their message across to their audiences. Hip hop as we know it is not all about shouting down in a microphone but it also needs a sense of sophistication in terms of being technologically ready and innovative enough to be used as an activism tool for now and the future.
SPARK AFRICA

The African Hip Hop Exhibition Meet Up led us to Pawa 254 to meet a successfully innovative hip hop artist in Kenya; the gospel influenced scholar and former member of Ukoo Flani Mau Mau – Juliani. This is an artist from the inner city Dandora slums of Nairobi, he has catapulted hip hop into the realms of corporate Kenya without compromising anything that he started out fighting for many years ago. Pawa 254 is a creative centre founded by photographer Boniface Mwangi who is also influenced by hip hop. This centre houses many creative people and gives them an opportunity to focus on their creativity.
JULIANI AT HIS BASE IN PAWA 254



BONIFACE MWANGI AT HIS OFFICE PAWA 254

After being inspired by Juliani and Boniface Mwangi at Pawa 254 we head over to Sarakasi Dome – the current home of WAPI the biggest hip hop movement in Africa where many artists started their careers. It is here that meet Point Blank Evumbi a hip hop scholar, illustrator, cartoonist and lyricist. This is the kind of multi-talented artists that will dictate the future of Kenyan hip hop. We also meet a whole group of other upcoming hip hop artists including Abbas, Checkmate, Moroko, Kimya, Alai K and many more. We headed out to one of Nairobi’ hip hop studios – Phoenix Records where we met with owner Flash.

ABBAS a.k.a DOOBIEZ INTERVIEWED BY JESSE SHIPLEY

FLASH AT PHIENIX RECPORDS


The African Hip Hop Exhibition Meet Up proceeded to Just a House; the studio of Jus A Band a group that defines Nairobi genius creativity to meet group members Bill and Muli. These are some amazing voices in Kenyan music using innovation and technology to make the most amazing music. They went viral with Makmende a few years ago and still leading in creativity. We also check out Kibera; the home of Octopizzo and graffiti writer Bankslave who give us a tour of their neighbourhood. In the slums of Kibera we find what hip hop has been doing in the community through graffiti and positive music. Kibera is not just a slum.

OCTOPIZZO IN KIBERA


GRAFFITI WRITER IN KIBERA PEACE BASE


JUST A BAND AT JUST A HOUSE

The African Hip Hop Exhibition is coming up soon in New York; keep it here to know which artists were chosen from each country in Africa to participate in this initiative by Jesse Shipley from the Museum for African Arts. It is important to give the African hip hop scene an international face because the genre has given a lot to the continent including inspiring a voice of change, reason and development. Hip hop has been involved in politics, social change and even inspired advertising. Hip hop has given to many what would have never been given to them. Hip hop has built careers, characters and families. Big Up! Hip Hop.

MY LECTURE AT THE PRESIDENTIAL MUSIC TRAINING CAMP

Pics by Spark Africa and PPMC



It was a beautiful sunny day and the venue was Greenfields Hotel in a serene part of this mountainous county which overlooks one of the highest points across the African continent. Highly exciting than that were over a group of over 80 talented and enthusiastic music students from all over Kenya who had gathered at the hotel to seek knowledge on how they could further their soon to be full-time careers. The Permanent Presidential Music Commission had been kind enough to invite me and I see this as an opportunity to help young people getting into the music industry to be fully prepared before they even venture in.



The one thing I have observed in the industry is that when musicians start out, they only think about how they will make money and be rich. What I have often advised them is that the money will not be made unless they are passionate enough to be able to receive it. Talent in the music industry is only 10 per cent of the work it the rest is how ready an artist is and how committed they are to make it. I gave the story of how a five minute chat between Nigerian artist DBanj and mega superstar Kanye West led to a signing on his label Good Music. They coincidentally met at a Dubai airport; DBanj was ready and he looked the part.

DBanj was mistaken for Kanye West when he walked into the airport because Kanye was on his way too. Dbanj waited for him and within five minutes let him sample his music. He was at the right place, right time and was so ready for big things. Most artists rely too much on talent but we live in an era where talent can be learnt so that’s not the overriding factor when it comes to success in this competitive and cut throat industry. So organisation is an artist’s best chance at winning. I made the student understand the importance of having the basic management tools they can have cheaply before even venturing into the industry.



I’ve met many artists wanting to succeed but don’t even have a biography of themselves. I mean the industry is so demanding that you may not have time to play for every record and business executive you meet. You need to be able to drop them a brief bio and music in the quickest time possible. The people who run the music industry don’t have the time to listen to your millions of stories about what you have done. If they can’t read it then it’s a waste of time. Now many up-coming artists may not have the funds to pay someone to write them a bio so they need to write their own bio but always remember to write as a third party.
Your bio has to have the five second attraction rule – it takes that much time for anyone who is going to change your career to get interested. Your bio must first have an interesting and artistic look so if you want to play around with fonts that’s okay – it shows your personality. Secondly your introduction must be brief and to the point – where you started music, your influences, your story. Your story will always sell you.


Some artists such as Knaan, 50 Cent and Emmanuel Jal have succeeded mainly because they sold their story well. If you have a deep story it should be at the top of your bio. That’s what will catch the needed attention.
Thirdly the photography in your bio must be of the highest order even if it’s not done professionally; its must show your full character. If you are into fashion that must come out flawless. If you are a performing artist then the picture must show you playing an instrument, if you sing about environment then look like you care for it. Keep it classy yet simple. After the photo, put in your bio the highlights of your career so if you played in high school choir let it be known. Your bio must be the most basic description of yourself in five minutes of meeting someone; Remember the people who will make you real money don’t have the time

THE PRESIDENTIAL MUSIC COMMISSION & ITS DEDICATION TO MUSIC

By Buddha Blaze, Pics by PPMC


THE PRESIDENTIAL MUSIC COMMISSION TRAINING CAMP IN MUSIC

In my years of working in the music industry, there has been a presumption that government is uninterested in the plight of musicians leave alone acknowledging the music industry. In Kenya, music has always been viewed as a secondary career, not something that would be considered a proper life choice. Times have slightly changed; the last few years have been testimony that music is a viable career worth investing in. The government has shifted its stance and is slowly opening its mind set. This has been attributed by the successes of the many Kenyan artists such as Eric Wainaina, Suzanna Owiyo and Nameless.


MUSIC STUDENTS LEARNING PRODUCTION

I recently had an encounter that has changed my perception of government’s view on music when the Permanent Presidential Music Commission invited me to give a lecture at their annual Youth Training Camp in Music at Greenfields in Nyeri. The dedicated ladies and gentlemen at The Presidential Music Commission are visionary civil servants who have dedicated their time and effort in getting music to earn its importance in Kenya. Mr. Wanjohi who is personally involved in sourcing entertainment for the President during major state functions has also used his position to slowly influence the way government views music.



MUSIC MENTOR SUZANNE GACHUKIA IN SESSION

With support from the departmental head Mr. Thuku this office is changing many things. The department is not only involved in VIP entertainment – its expanding to touch mainstream musicians. The department is involved in research of music activities in the country, documenting music activities and laying the foundation and support of upcoming and existing musicians. Their mandate is to do research, preserve and support. The annual Training Camp in Music is one of those initiatives that I was amazed to see even takes place. The music camp was begun in 2008 to help raise the standards of music in Kenya.


VOICE LESSONS BY KAVUTHA ASIYO

Every year the camp takes place in a different part of Kenya – music students with talent and enthusiasm come from different parts of Kenya for a 10 day music camp to develop the music skills in management, audio engineering, marketing, marketing, performance, song arrangement, song writing, production, choreography and much more. The PPMC invites mentors, well known musician, managers and industry practitioners to impact the upcoming musicians. The department has managed to place music in the government program Vision 2030 geared to enhance music in Kenya and make it relevant to economic development.

PHYSICAL TRAINING & CHOREOGRAHY LESSON BY BILLY SADIA

The department is also involved in re-writing the Kenyan music policy and including new methods in which to look at the music industry. The mission of this policy is to create an infrastructure for the growth and development of music while providing a basis for interactions with music as an educational, cultural and economic activity. All in all with all the problems facing the Kenyan music industry today can only be rectified by a good music policy which puts everything in perspective. I wish to thank everyone at the Permanent presidential Music Commission for their dedication and work ethic is unusually noble.


MUSIC POLICY