What do you get when you
incorporate three of Kenya’s best music video directors? You get one hell of a
hit music video called “wanabonga”.Calvo Mistari of Team Mistari
in a rather characteristic fashion; has set the bar high- bringing three
amazing directors together to give us an amazing video.
The directors; Kimunya
Chris, VJ-One and Edu-G; have done a fantastic job in this clip. Shot outdoors;
with different scene locations; the directors did an amazing job balancing the
video exposure and also the shots blend in well with the words- a clear
indication of a well edited job.
On the chorus’ vocals is Amileena
and she sings like an angel. This is a definite hit for me and I am
feeling this jam and video. It speaks of all the haters who will talk ill when
you do great and all that is well captured in the dramatized scenes. Calvo Mistari
and team; kudos- you guys keep on setting the trends and raising the bar higher
and higher!
Kenya is experiencing something of a creative explosion in
the music industry. It is just no longer artists trying to outdo each other and
compete; which is healthy for the industry; but also producers and music video
directors- and all this is what will push Kenyan music to great heights. The future
seems bright that’s for sure.
This past Sunday, 15th June 2014; I joined two
great artists- no, make that three and a great team for an indoor music video
shoot downtown Nairobi. Being a Father’s Day; and these entire people father’s
in their own way; the hype for the shoot had already been created on the social
media and hence it was all systems go.
This was the #Lazima Watii remix video shoot that
saw Wakuu
Music Familia feature Ramzey Siele. Their names sounding
new, but their flows, all local; incorporating sounds and styles from the
present.
The video brings together a great team. Directed by Mr
Keemss; the transitions and new talent will blow your mind. The light
exposure is al well balanced and the HD feel is just what it needed to go even
bigger and viral.
The editor/videographer is by Yahoo Edits and you can
already start speculating what to expect. Many are waiting to see his mastering
and final piece that will be out soon. This clip will draw you in not just
because of the flows and rhymes that are hard like Mohammed Ali’s punches; but
also the use of dancers who do crazy stunts and flips.
Everything in the video is fast and this blends in well. Sisqo
Reloaded dancing flips will leave you on the edge of your seat.
The song is predominantly rapped in Swahili although Ramzey
flows in with a great English rap. This is a good feel video- no pun intended.
And after long hours of getting the perfect shots and the
Director calling it a wrap; way past 11pm; it was a shoot worth attending and
being a part of.
And as Ramzey finishes in the song with a clear message punch-
“these rappers will never feel the same again! Your radio (and TV) will never
be the same again”…need we say more?
-Photos and behind the scenes footage shot courtesy of- Frank
Kibe and Rocow piddey
After a stint in the U.S; former Kubamba host Joyce Omondi
is back with a new music video- “Uinuliwe”. The song; a worship; is
off her new album “Conqueror” which she is working on and will be released soon.
The indoor-shot video is a simple yet inviting clip that
manages to draw the audience’s attention to a well-balanced video. The director
deserves a lot of credit for controlling the light exposure that eventually boosts
the overall quality of the video.
Noticeable also is that the scenes in the video are well
supported with the lyrics in the songs- which show the video was well edited.
When his new video dropped- “pita naye” in May; he
got everyone talking about his new style of dancehall. Boniface Kimani aka Fi
Di Twisky’s style of music is inspired by dancehall and R’n’B genres with a
touch of hip hop and dance. His style resembles his icons TOK and Wayne Wonder.
The video is a reflection of how he has spent a great deal
of money- working with big names in the industry. The “whine up” star latest
single pita naye was produced by Saint P and the video done by Andrew
Macharia.
Some argue whether Fi Di is a new kid. He was a member of
the award-winning Air force Dance crew that made it to the Sakata Dance
Competition and also made cameo appearances in different music videos.
Then came the fame, the popularity and several nominations;
and the group was a force to reckon with. Teaming with Wyre; they did a tune- ‘Kode’
before the crew split over disagreements.
After the split; Fi Di went ahead to release his debut
single, “dance with me”; in which he features yet another female dancer; Emma. The
song got relative airplay landing him gigs in Mbarara; Uganda; where he
performed with Jose Chameleon during the launch of his album “Valu Valu Extra.”
Coming back to his motherland Kenya; Fi Di has since gotten
a recording; marketing and distribution deal. He now puts his best foot forward
as he takes on his passion for music. He is definitely an artist to look out
for so watch this space!
-additional info from his interview with The
Pulse Magazine.
One of the best political and social issues commentator on
radio; Radio Maisha’s Papa Wellington Nyongesa says; “the leaders we choose are
a reflection of who we are (the voters)!”
These two were at it again; Nairobi
Senator Sonko and Nairobi Women Representative Rachael Shebesh.
After the ignominy of an alleged quarrel at a city hotel;
one would have expected them to lie low like an envelope, but did they? Not these
two. Social media again has it that they caused a breach of peace at some club
in Nairobi. Guns were drawn and shots were fired. How come they are not behind
bars? One wonders and pray, what were they fighting over this time?
But these two have not been short of any drama. Just recently
Sonko showed how he could wrap the president around his little finger anytime
anywhere; when he had the president on speaker phone to address those whose
houses were being demolished.
Shebesh and Sonko were also involved in another drama that
saw photos leaked allegedly of them in compromising situation. Rumor went
around that the two were secret lovebirds and at one point it is said they were
not Seeing Eye to eye; before they appeared to say that they had buried the
hatchet.
Shebesh was also involved in a slap drama with the Nairobi
Governor as Sonko went ahead to fight a winning wall and throw stones.
And did you see what Sonko had on when he went to meet the
Chinese officials who came to give us a present?
Or was it fair what he did the day the late Tom Mboya’s
son-in-law lost his seat for hours? Him together with a relative of those
people who brought us the above present; danced to the “Luwere” tune in
celebration, then posted the clip on social media.
As if that wasn’t enough, he went ahead and posted another
clip of him harassing a receptionist at a hotel in the UK when he went to show
his support to our Hague three.
Did you see his head? Yes, at the back, of course, I can’t
be talking about his forehead. A great artist had curved a great sculpture-
many thought- only to see the sculpture and claim it’s the Nairobi Senator.
And what of his photoshpped photos? Not the ones he claimed
people had him photoshopped with another woman. No, I am talking of the one he
had himself photoshopped with Mandela and had the guts to post it on his Facebook
page?
So, should we accept him and have that in the past and move
on? Noooooo, we are not going to accept and move on, we will take the money
when he dishes it out, but we will not allow him to go mad while in power. And while
at it; we will also pray for Shebesh.
Satan, I know you are responsible for this, you are boring,
you are stupi…..hello? Helloooo? Oops, he just hang up on me! He did not even
wait for me to get to the Aromat part! Nkt!
-this story was in great part inspired by and borrowed from Beryl Wanga
Itindi’s piece #BRING BACK OUR SONKO
A fortnight ago, 287 Kenyans, some flying for the very first
time, got a memorable and rare treat from the national carrier Kenya
Airways, aboard the carrier’s newly acquired Boeing B787-8
Dreamliner. Well, my attempts to put up the KQ-stickers on my parent’s
car for the competition were unfruitful, but my friend had the rare treat-
flying for the very first time. Here is his story as told to me…
“The two-and-a-half hours round-about Kenya demonstration flight
started at the KQ hub in Nairobi’s JKIA. The plane is only Africa’s second
Dreamliner, after Ethiopian Airlines acquired one last year. It brings advanced
technology in the aviation industry.
On take off; the futuristic jetliner nosed its way towards Thika,
through to Magadi and lunch was served as the plane flew over the Amboseli
National Park. The beautiful Mount Kilimanjaro panned before
excited flyers as they took out their smartphones, cameras ad tablets, clicking
away at the “roof of Africa.”
The plane flew over Mombasa- Kenya’s first capital and
headed for Malindi. The crew and passengers, who comprised of travel
agents, tour operators, journalist, KQ staff and corporate executives,
had joined the lucky few with birthdays falling on May 15th for a truly
unique celebration.
The crew, including the pilot, Captain Eugene Musindi, was all Kenya,
and KQ CEO Titus Naikuni mingled with passengers during the flight to get their
opinions of the carrier’s newest addition, which takes its fleet to 46 planes.
KQ has ordered nine such aircrafts, with six of them to be
delivered this year. Naikuni who is about to retire, said the
Dreamliner is poised to make its long haul debut in early June with scheduled flights
on the Nairobi/Paris route. Besides Paris, Shanghai and Beijing
routes will also be considered once the ordered Dreamliners arrive. A West
African route and Bangkok/ Honkong route has also been established. First
class flight experience aboard the Dreamliner is here guys!
or me as a writer; I remember the
first time I heard H_Art the Band perform at the Pawa-254 during a regular
event now on poetry and music dubbed Fatuma’s Voices (read it here-
http://nairobizblogazine.blogspot.com/2013/08/backstage-pass-with-hart-band-ask-my.html).
Tracing that and how I went ahead to blog and write about their new sound-music
from the heart (H_Art) meeting poetry, and the other day, I couldn’t be proud
to see the band get featured on #TheTrend.
Mark Masai did an awesome job
interviewing and hosting the boys. Sing such a band get featured on a major TV
station such as NTV was massive for me. And their performance for their hit
single “#Uliza Kiatu” just blew me away literally.
#TheTrend; a highly followed evening show; provided
that much needed platform to highlight where Kenyan music is now going- and
what followed, fans in their legions and numbers online tripling on the social
media!
“So where are we now watching H_Art the Band?” The
age of youthful musical bands is here with us. It is a season when artists are
not only releasing records but also bringing together all the elements
together: music from the heart; rhythm, beat, poetry and melody; to create that
‘good to the ear’ sound.
We have moved from “throw your
hands in the air” stuff. The question is, are we ready to embrace this change? The
show on #TheTrend also featured Poet Teardrops- a performing spoken word
artist. Check him out!
