“Kenyans sound like anybody else but ourselves, and the sad part is when we sound like music from other parts of Africa; we’re still not good enough,” says Tabu Osusa (Executive Director and Founder of Ketebul Music). If you are into Kenyan live music, you will most definitely have encountered a tall guy in a hat, standing at the back of the crowd at most afro fusion and jazz concerts in Nairobi. That’s Tabu Osusa — a man with many stories to tell and even more songs to play. He’s a tough critic but also one of the most controversial and sought-after producers in Kenya.
Located at the GoDown Arts Centre, Ketebul’s reception area displays a devotion to African stars. Several life-sized posters of African musicians, who have made a mark in the African continent, including Bob Marley, welcome you to the space. While meeting him at his office; Tabu is quick to share his absorption in unearthing popular and funky olden Kenyan songs and music genres. Off his petite radio, blasts the afro boogie sounds of bands like The Ashantis. “Good afro fusion, very funky chakacha song from the coast,” he says of “Fever” by Ismael Djingo. Steele Beuttah’s “What’s that Sound” is another acclaimed Kenyan you will hear blasting out of his tiny speakers. He praises, “Dunia ina Mambo” by The Mighty Caveliers as “the very best”. All bands that are featured in the documentary: Retracing Kenyan’s Funky Hits. The documentary is part of a series that include: Retracing Benga Rhythms, Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music and Retracing Songs of Protest. “I did these documentaries to stop blaming the young artists on why they don’t play older genres, and regard olden pioneer Kenyan artists as their role models,” says Tabu, adding, “Artists kept on asking, ‘Where do we find such music?’ That’s because all the media feeds young people in Kenya is American music… There was no place where they get the information. You won’t find it at KBC or the museum. But now musicians who want to know more about Kenya’s musical history can find it here.”
It’s a wonder how taxing it must be to put together such a collection. “You have to research,” Tabu explains while weighing in on why it was paramount to go the extra mile, “Kenyan musicians have just become lazy. The new generation of artists should not be playing benga of the 70s but should take it to another stage yet keep it traditional. Like benga, other genres should not be where they are today in comparison to the 70s music. Local genres like mwomboko or ohangla can be transformed into fantastic jazz while taarab and chakacha can be made into great hip hop.”
Established in 2007, Ketebul also has a recording studio hosting artists, mainly recording authentic traditional folk music. It has recorded and signed people like: Winyo, Makadem, Gar Gar Stars and Nyota Ndogo. “Some like Loylangalani Stars come all the way from Turkana. I want young Turkana artists to be inspired by them and know that they can record their music by design as its part of their culture,” says Tabu.
On the last day of January 2014, Ketebul released their latest documentary: Retracing Songs of Protest at the Alliance Française. Tabu says, “It’s not only politicians who have made changes in this country; even musicians have played a role. However, the media and government have been blamed for lack of information, and some TV Shows for brainwashing Kenyans.” By the look of things, Tabu may soon want to start a new project—discovering artists mainly from marginalized communities and regions. He says, “It’s a shame that East Africa doesn’t have big stars, we need to discover artists from all over the country. With the documentaries and the artists we are recording at Ketebul, I want to challenge Kenyans.”
Ketebul is also one of the core founders of Spotlight on Kenyan Music series, a project initiated in Nairobi in the early 2000s by stakeholders in the Kenyan music industry in partnership with the Alliance Française. The program has advanced the development of afro fusion Kenyan music by encouraging musicians from various communities to record and perform authentic music. Successful Kenyan musicians on the live music front today like Sauti Sol, Mutinda, Juma Tutu, Gargar (an award-winning quartet from Garissa, in North Eastern Kenya) and Makadem were exposed to Kenyans and the world music genre afresh, after they were featured in different volumes of the Spotlight on Kenyan Music compilation albums. “Because of the project, these artists are going places, yet we never had a budget at that committee. Most of us were volunteers and yet are creating stars. They are not world stars yet, but we are heading there,” says Tabu.
At the 2013 edition of Kenya Music Week, Ketebul hosted a four-day workshop on retracing the history of Kenyan music and a reflection on why the industry’s genres are experiencing stunted growth. After holding a rare photo exhibition of artists who have helped build Kenya’s music industry in the past 50 years at the Alliance Française Gallery in February of 2014, Ketebul is already working on their next project. Their new documentary will spotlight Kenyan musicians and songs celebrating Kenya’s 50 years of independence. “Kenyan musicians don’t know their history. One time I was in Mombasa and someone said to me that Kenyan music showbiz started with Kalamashaka and I thought, ‘This guy is an idiot!’ – There was live music way before that. If we don’t preserve our culture, then what can we give the rest of the world? Look at the music of the era of Sal Davis; they had shortcomings because they wanted to sound like Americans. However, they were such great musicians that they convinced us because they could play it live. Artists who can’t play live music are really cheap. You could never confuse the African jazz legends like Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba for American artists because of their authenticity. Even if you decide to copy someone’s style or music, you have to own it,” Tabu concludes.
Purchase any of the documentaries at Ketebul or Alliance Française at KES 2,500. For more visit, www.ketebulmusic.org
By Anyiko Owoko-http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/the-sound-of-kenya-2/
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