rowing up in a
music family; I used to see my dad play
old records on his vinyl player and they would soothe him in the evening. Then technology
and compact discs; DVDS and discs took over.
But a man in Nairobi still holds to the rarities and
forgotten gems called vinyl. Located in a narrow aisle in Kenyatta Market; is
an unmarked stall; famous for playing songs from the bygone eras.
Welcome to the cool retro shop located at stall 570.
Despite having no name; the repute and fame of stall 570 is bigger that any
name. The man behind the counter is the youthful-looking 50 year old James
Murugami who also doubles up as the shop owner; and has been pushing vinyl for
half his life, starting in 1988.
He’s surrounded by stacks of dusty records whose
covers reflect the age of some of his clientele. Though the stall is modest in
its size; its many crates full of great hits from the likes of Franco and Tabu
ley; and even the soundtrack to “Out of Africa.”
To maintain the vintage shop; James sources old
records from people’s home- a task that could be slowly on its way to extinctions.
Prices of records at the shop vary between KSH 150
to KSH 300 and more; depending on their rarity and the cost James incurred
while acquiring them. He also repairs vinyl record players; turntables and
replaces styluses at the shop, charging KES 500 to convert an LP into a digital
format.
For
more info on where to find vinyl records in Nairobi, facebook page Nairobi
Vinyl record collectors or call james-0721 528797
This piece was an inspiration from Nairobi UP
Magazine. and Nairobi Vinyl Record Collectors page
By Embukane Vincent Libosso.