NAIROBI'Z BLOGAZINE

Monday, March 31, 2014

NYOTA NDOGO GETS A ONE ON ONE ON THE #NTVTHETREND WITH MUSTAFA

#theTrend: Why controversy follows Colonel Mustafahttp://ow.ly/v8Y5X

Thursday, March 27, 2014

KENYA YOU CAN'T BAN THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

It is about time the governors of Kenya’s film industry accepted that our community inevitably is exposed to other cultures and practices of the world. The only difference between us and the West is that they are bold enough to express some of the themes and topics considered to be a taboo in this part of the world. If we can do the same through creative stories and motion pictures, local film makers can get more funding and investors, which will ensure that their productions see the light of day, locally and globally. Following the ban of Wolf of Wall Street by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), a lot of outrage was seen on the Kenyan internet space. However, the movie had been out two weeks prior to the ban. Why didn’t KFCB just move to have it ‘R’ rated? Considering the latest IT developments like piracy and YouTube, the Board should instead be seeking more innovative ways to be relevant to Kenya’s film industry.

After studying the KFCB Guidelines, I have come to the conclusion that almost 80 percent of the content on TV should be banned. Looking through Section Five of the guidelines, for example, content that contains crime, violence and images of dead bodies or seriously injured people depicting violent gangster behaviour are restricted. Their rationale is that they induce, incite, reinforce and glorify violence and terror thereby being against the maintenance of law and order and promote anti-national attitudes. Other restricted themes include sex, obscenity and nudity, occult and horror, drugs, alcohol and other harmful substances, propaganda for war, hate speech and incitement. When you analyze these themes, it is obvious we have watched numerous films and movies from our local TV stations containing such. These themes are the selling points of movies and films so why the double standards?

In 2009 the Kenyan horror film Otto-The blood Bath was banned. Reason: too much violence and bloody dead bodies. How many horror films have we watched on our home screens? Remember Saw? Ever since, we have not seen Jitu Films or any other company attempt to make such a horror film. As a result we have seen some of these producers shying away from new attempts while others seek an international platform and market. When this is done to home-made productions under the guise of censorship and morality, it’s crippling the economy of the industry.

Nigeria’s Nollywood sees the making of at least 600 films annually. Their film industry is the second largest employer in the economy next to agriculture (according to 2012 statistics). Going by that, the number of films Kenyan film industry produces yearly is very low, although the production of local programs is going up. It is high time we borrowed a leaf from Nigeria. Nollywood grew to be what it is because there was a wide population in Nigeria possessing VHS machines and local content to be watched, as revealed by Jim Iyke, one of the richest actors in Nigeria. He also highlights the fact that when their industry started the productions were very jua kali. But the more their audience bought into the local productions, the more support the industry gained even from their government. It is why they are able to host regional/continental film
awards galas like Africa Movie Awards (AMA).

Kenyans can improve and be more successful with the support of governing bodies like KFCB and the KFC (Kenya Film Commission). They should work together and creatively have power to judge films worth investing in and make necessary recommendations. This can result in powerful reproductions of the films and lead to penetrating the global audience. This is just one of the ways KFCB can remain relevant in these innovative times. The local bans stifle creativity leaving our film industry empty and unadventurous. Motion pictures are targeted at different audiences. Kenyan creatives cannot afford to be controlled when it comes to how to tell their stories. After all, audiences have already been exposed to most themes and content creators need to catch up with new trends. If the banning trend persists, we shall just be a territorial industry while Nigeria, South Africa and the rest of Africa penetrate global audiences. Let us build our film industry. Let us invest in it and promote creativity.

Liz Lenjo is an Intellectual Property and Entertainment Lawyer and an Advocate of the High Court. For more on Liz, visit lizlenjo.com You Can’t Ban the Wolf of Wall Street

By Liz Lenjo

http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/you-cant-ban-the-wolf-of-wall-street/

UP EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DJ MILKSHAKE

DJ Milkshake quietly flips through a couple of UP Magazine pages and then states: “No way…that’s amazing. Wow!” The South African DJ is referring to March issue, where the Wolf of Wall Street Ban in Kenya is discussed. He is clearly amused because he says of the film: “I’ve seen it seven times.”

Jameson Live took place on March 14th to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and DJ Milkshake was one of the entertainers who lived up to expectations, playing a wide range of hip hop, dance music with the kind of gusto that would even “turn up” any individual who claims not to “do the party scene.” It’s just a shame DJ Kid Capri’s set was so similar to his, the New Yorker was upstaged by the South African hands down.

The personable South African started off the interview on Friday, March 13, with the back story behind his stage name, DJ Milkshake. “It’s crazy; the name comes from when I first started deejaying. I was out with a couple of friends from university, and we had gone to the bar….and I happened to, after a lot of drinks, order a milkshake and [my friends] just wouldn’t let me get me get away with it…I didn’t get the shake I wanted, they wouldn’t let me order the milkshake. I didn’t really have a name at the time, so I said, okay, I’ll use this one.”

Since 2010, DJ Milkshake has gone on to have his own dance show, The Shakedown, on 5FM which is a popular South African radio station. His twitter feed is a testament to his playful and humorous personality, which must be a selling point for him back home, in addition to his “turnt up” deejaying persona and mixes.

DJ Milkshake is rocking a t-shirt with the phrase “I love haters” and just like Kanye west would rock a Versace suit; he does it with confidence. “You could walk on water like Jesus did or something, and people would say: ‘Oh, he’s walking on water because he can’t swim!’ What I’m saying is, people will always have something to say. What someone has to say about me doesn’t define me or change me. If someone is to say I’m beautiful or ugly, it will not make me beautiful or ugly,” remarks DJ Milkshake.

After his set on Saturday, he might want to put the shirt away because it was all love and no hate at the Carnivore grounds.

Milkshake is a university drop out and speaks frankly on the subject of whether he would go back and complete his studies in Information Systems. “No. I’ve tried to a couple of times, and for the lack of effort, and wanting to go back, I haven’t because I wanted to DJ I suppose,” he reflects simply.

One thing he does have is an ear for music and revealed his appreciation for Kenya’s most famous rap group. “I’ve been following Camp Mulla for a while… shout out to them,” he states. The young group is the only Kenyan band he remembers.

Before the interview ends, Milkshake gives an impressive list of Kiswahili words he knows.“Mischana mrembo”, “Kidogo”, and “Asante” are some of the words he delightedly pronounces. To end the interview, he says: “Give me some shout outs and I’ll give them right back. Follow me @DJMilkshake. I’m single, hola.”

For more info on DJ Milkshake, log onto: www.milkshake.dj

By Josephine Opar

http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/exclusive-interview-with-south-african-dj-milkshake-in-nairobi/

MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW: KCEE’S “HAKUNA MATATA”

ARTIST: kcee

SONG: hakuna matata

So Nigeria is going ga-ga-ga over Swahili. Ice Prince gave us a song titled “Jambo” and in “Number One remix”; with Diamond, Davido proved he could rap in Swahili. Well, Kcee has taken one of the most used lines worldwide from Swahili- Hakuna Matata (no worries) and has made it into a hit-song. Well, in Naija they say “no-wahala” meaning hakuna matata.

This song is both touching and you can see the artist invested heavily on it. The video is well shot; a fast tune and a great clubbing and dancing beat; beautiful is the word- I can’t put it in any other way.

The dressing is all-sexy and refined. The colorful attires and also use of great graphics is timely indeed.

The video is of stupendous quality-justice was done by the director and script-writer (s). The camera-shots are crystal HD-clear. The color scheme, precariously well balanced; and don’t even get me started on the lighting.

It is really such a nice song. And for me, well, it is a hit! What do you think? Is it a hit or a miss for you?

By Embukane Vincent Libosso.