Mendelssohn In Nairobi: Diary of a Violinist
It had been about three months since I played in an orchestra.
Beyond Nairobi’s Shadow: Ace Bornzilla’s Vision for Naivasha’s Musical Renaissance
In his Odinare Rap Challenge entry, Naivasha based rapper, Ace Bornzilla, makes a declaration, “Toka Vasho finest hip-hop beat assassin nimesign”, a declaration one might mistake for the usual verbosity hip-hop artists throw around in an attempt to portray a bravado that they might not necessarily possess. In this case however, Bornzilla is not just […]
Music Alone Shall Live: On Fela, Bob Marley and Tolkien’s Evangelism
When I was eight years old, I visited my favourite barber Boni’s shop at least once a month. This was the only way I could get the latest issue of Supa Strikaz. Back then, when you could get a clean shave for 20 bob and the blue notes were still in circulation, Boni would buy […]
Clark The Keeng’s Musical Coup D’etat
I like to think of opening acts at music concerts as starter meals. Typically, starters are consumed in anticipation of something else. They are meant to whet your appetite in preparation for the main meal. But what happens when the starter is so good that you want to have more and more of it at […]
The Duality of Wangechi: ‘Emotional Gangster’ Album Review
Since Wangechi stepped into the Kenyan rap scene with her unique flow and energy, and lyrics containing a confessional frankness, she has on occasion been tipped as the artist to challenge the hegemony of male rappers in the industry. Her first two projects, the mixtape Consume: Chakula Ya Soul, and EP Don’t Consume if Seal […]
Remembering Grandmaster Masese, King of the Obokano
I knew Grandmaster Masese well. Not only was he my neighbour at one time, he was also my comrade in arms.
Keeping E-Sir Alive
For a brief moment in 2003, my favourite musician, E-Sir, would come back from the dead. It had been a few months since the news had reached us through the smuggled Palito Scan radio sets we hid from the pervading eyes of the teachers on duty. The news had broken me because I had loved […]
A Reminiscence Of P-Unit In 11 Parts
I “Wahenga walidedi, wakaacha watoi. Watoi hao hawangeitwa wahenga, so wakaitwa wagenge.” — Bon’Eye, 2008 I received the news of Sauti Sol’s impending breakup with joy. I was hosting some friends for lunch when someone, glancing at her phone, gasped. “Sauti Sol have announced that they are taking a break.” Around the room, there were […]
Nine and a Half Short Notes on Faustin Munishi (A Brief History of Gospel Music in Kenya)
1 My mother’s answer leaves me disappointed when I ask her about the musician whose cassettes we listened to every Saturday morning. I want her to say Pastor Faustin Munishi because that is the story I have in my head: my mother, the weekend, chores, laughter, music, Munishi. But she says, blankly, as she goes […]
Diary Of A DJ: The WhineDown
“Aki mum, it wasn’t even that short…” This is how I found myself being my own defense lawyer, on a Sunday afternoon phone call with my mother. You see, my mother doesn’t watch her WhatsApp stories, but my father does. And in a good marriage, there are no secrets. As my father swiped through the […]
