MUSIC PRODUCER TK-2 & DIRECTOR HAMZA OMAR PUT MOMBASA-BASED ARTISTS ON THE KENYAN MUSIC TIMELINE

#MUSIC: A FOCUS ON MOMBASA

There has been this buzz around town that the Kenyan showbiz industry is dying. Like really? Where do you live? Nairobi is leading the way but also is Mombasa following. The progress might be slow but the growth is steady! Our focus has been in Nairobi, but a lot of great stuff is going down at the coast Mombasa.

In making a record, the music producer serves much the same role as a director in a film. The unsung heroes represent a powerful, and often unheard, perspective of the state of music in Kenya.

When referring to the rising standards of music production in Mombasa at the coast, the likes of Peter Magic and TK-2 spring to mind. These heavyweights are now helping in the shape of music production at the coast and in Kenya in general.

With the age of great music, rhythm beat and melody- that ‘good to hear sound’ requires a great video to accompany. And one man who stands out is Hamza Omar of One Point One Montage. His passion and aim is to fill a niche in the music industry with professionalism and creative finesse- producing music videos for international audience and with good quality.

Both Hamza, TK-2 and many other Kenyan producers and music directors are involved not only in producing, directing music and framing art and the artist behind it; but also successfully pushing the boundaries for music in Kenya.

These great minds have their heads beyond the stars and feet steady on the ground, as they continue to reinvent the metaphorical wheel that is music production in Kenya.

Check out this work by TK-2 and Hamza.

By Dogo Embukane Vincent Libosso.

Looking For Your Next Plan? KenyaBuzz Now Has An app For That!

KenyaBuzz had its day out on Wednesday June 11, 2014 at the Serena Hotel’s Amani room. The events, movies and lifestyle website launched the Raha App which filters the KenyaBuzz website for the most comprehensive, convenient and reliable local entertainment guide.

The event slated to start at 6pm saw eager exclusively invited clients and friends of Kenyabuzz arrive way ahead of time. Mellow music was provided by the DJ on site as guests arrived, mingled and sipped on cocktails and bitings before the official start of the event.

Event MC Andrew Onyango’s deep, sensual and late-radio-show-host voice signalled the start of the scheduled festivities. He played the Kenyabuzz Raha ad, which was well received by all in attendance, on a huge projector in the room. After a few anecdotes here and there, the MC gave the attendees the opportunity to sample the app for themselves, as the ad was played in a loop in the background.

Microsoft, which had partnered with KenyaBuzz for this launch, had set-up stands with their current devices pre-installed with Raha all around the room. The Kenyabuzz and Nokia staff took guests through the steps of how Raha works on both Windows and Android platforms before helping them download it on their compatible personal phones.  

“I cannot wait to show this off to my friends,” Heer Raja said of the app whose slogan is Fun At Your Fingertips. PR exec Ngugi Muthoni couldn’t wait to use Raha to find a plan for the coming weekend.

Then came the speeches: “The Kenyan social scene is energetic and shows no signs of abating” said the KenyaBuzz Managing Director Damaris Agweyu. “KenyaBuzz Raha is positioned to serve the needs of both those seeking to be part of this scene and those in the business of creating it.”

Moses Sitati, Developer Experience and Evangelism at Microsoft Mobile Devices Group added: “The number of users accessing the internet in Kenya via mobile phones has been increasing exponentially. Looking at the last statics shared by CCK, Kenya has over 13 million users on mobile internet. This presents great demand for local content. We have been working with local developers to bridge this gap and we are receiving a lot of interest from the public on our platform”

Agweyu then introduced Lee Mungai, the KenyaBuzz Raha app creator who gave a practical demo of the app functions. Kudos to him, his presentation wasn’t too techy to lose the audience’s attention (read our in-depth app review here).

KenyaBuzz had been running a competition to publicize Raha on Twitter and Instagram. Social media users had been asked to tag KenyaBuzz with photos showing the fun things to do in Nairobi using the #RahaZaNairobi hashtag. Charlie Ulocha was presented with a brand new Nokia Lumia 520 for his winning photo at the launch.

Guests began leaving at leisure around 9pm after a fun night of networking, flowing drinks and giveaways which included Nokia laptop bags and swanky KenyaBuzz mugs and pens. An after-party – whose details I won’t divulge- was held at Club Hypnotica in Westlands. What happens at the after party stays at the after party .

17 Jun 2014 | By Wangechi Maina

http://www.kenyabuzz.com/lifestyle/looking-for-your-next-plan-kenyabuzz-now-has-an-ap

EASY TAXI APP SET TO DIGITALISE NAIROBI TAXI WORLD

#EASY TAXI

This is a small cut from the Diary of a Taxi Driver series: “I have been swerving potholes and drunkards on these roads for the last ten years and witnessed scenes etched forever in my memory. Last night, a girl fell flat on her face and managed to laugh as she picked herself up and left her dignity in the puddles. She straightened her muddled dress and tried to balance on unbelievably high heels. She looked like those newborn giraffe calves learning to walk and you had to admire her ambition.

I’m sitting in traffic, drumming to Ken Wa Maria and chuckle when I get flashbacks of these funny incidents. Many customers using the Easy Taxi App means that I get jobs regularly and nearby my parking spot. It’s a win-win situation. It hasn’t stopped the strange happenings on these streets though…”

Nairobi is unpredictable right? Well, we all have our plan-B and most of the time it is that cab guy during those matatu strikes, rain-induced traffic jams, fate nights or even at the grocers, or a night out with your boys or girls.

Well, let’s just say your cab guy is your wing man- your Robin Hood in a Batman story. Well, but Nairobi, at times dubbed ‘Nairobbery’; it is hard to trust someone and hence finding that loyal and reliable can guy ain’t that easy.

Well, a new company that started in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2012 is here with the solution. Easy Taxi is the world’s largest booking app and I snow available in Nairobi Kenya.

This app is quite intuitive and easy to use. It is available for Android, Ios, Windows and Blackberry 10 phones and there is also a web application you can use.

Picture this: an app that tracks your location through GPS; scans around for a taxi that is available near you and assigns the closest driver possible. Well, if you don’t want that selected choice, one can reject and the driver can also reject you.

And that’s not all- once you select a cab, you receive a notification with the driver’s photo, his mobile number, the type of cab he is driving and the vehicle registration number. You are now free to call each other with specific pick up instructions and aid with navigation. Through Waze and Google Navigation; the cab guy is led to you and can’t get lost.

Nifty right? Well, is it safe I hear you ask? It even gets better. Easy Taxi takes all the cab drivers through a vigorous vetting process to ensure rogues are not involved. Also, in case you hailed a cab and find that you are no longer need it; you can terminate the call out.

A change is definitely looming. With the public transport going digital, Easy Taxi is a great game changer to the market and well I guess Hon. Mututho can relax because having a night out will no longer include “drink driving”.

-          For more information, please visit facebook.com/EasyTaxi254>https://www.facebook.com/EasyTaxi254

By Embukane Vincent Libosso.

KQ’S SH15B DREAMLINER OFFERS UNRIVALLED FIRST-CLASS EXPERIENCE

#AVIATION

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 15^th 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!

By Captain Embukane Vincent Libosso.

MATATUS PREPARE FOR CASHLESS UNITS MOVE; AS DEADLINE NEARS

#DIGITAL PAYMENTS & REFORMS

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Matatu owners lose a lot of money through extortion from cartels, bribes to police or even embezzlement by employers,” says Mr. Samson Kimutai; the Matatu Owners Association (MOA)  chairman.

Well, in just over a month’s time, you might find yourself unable to board a matatu if you do not have a Near Field Communication-enabled card as public transport makes the final shift to cashless payments.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) deadline requiring all passenger service vehicles to exclusively use a cashless fare system lapses on July 1^st. the directive is expected to go live in the capital first; before being rolled out in phases in throughout the country.

Matatu owners are optimistic that electronic modes of payment of bus fare in public transport will be the magic bullet that streamlines the chaotic industry; which is worth an estimated sh 205 billion.

Will history repeat itself? This however is not the first time Kenya has tried organizing its public transport system through digitizing fare payments.

Megarider; the earliest form of a cashless fare system; saw commuters buy monthly scratch cards that were redeemable in the then vibrant Kenya Bus Services (KBS) vehicles.

the system; which was popular in the 90s; enjoyed success until it was quietly phased out as a string of financial woes hits KBS and led to its eventual collapse.

In 2009, Tata motors and the Ministry Of Nairobi Metropolitan Development launched Smart Buses, an idea that became stillborn after large-scale deployment became impractical.

Google, through its product Beba Pay, launched in partnership with Equity Bank, leads a growing list of telecoms and financial providers including- Safaricom, Family Bank, Master Card and Visa-keen on tapping into the opportunities in the sector.

-by Embukane Vincent Libosso.

BuyMore Kenya Set To Launch A Student Discount Card At Daystar University

#TECHONOLOGY

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icture this: a discount card built for students and one that can give students particular discounts in stores around the institution. Sounds like a dream right? No, wrong. And the shock, the discounts are unlimited for a card that costs KES 300 a year; renewable at the same subscription.

Well, this is what BuyMore Kenya wants to bring on the table for Daystar students. The start-up company at Strathmore University is a discount system built for students in various universities, colleges and high schools.

Led by Tony Kuchio, John Adams Opiyo and James Bukusi; the pilot is currently running at Strathmore University b using an electronic card; linked to an NFC chip that can give students particular discounts in stores.

And it is not just at restaurants; the card can be used for discounts at electronic stores; movie theatres, social events, photography and the list goes on and on. These businesses are in partnership with BuyMore.

Given that it’s an electronic card; it is able to create a breakdown trail allowing the user (student) to see how much money they have saved over a period of time, and in extension, enables merchants and anyone looking to break into the student market to see where the students spend most of their money.

With the start-up already scaling their discount card to various other universities in Kenya and later on East Africa; the estimated market pool of college and university students in the country stands at an estimated 1,200,000; and that potentially triples when scaled to the EA community.

Rumor already has it that BuyMore plans to roll the pilot launch at Daystar Nairobi Campus Valley Road; before heading to Athi-River campus. But you know those are just unconfirmed rumors and speculations and who knows what will happen. But this card will be a great relief saving platform for students.

BuyMore makes money on the sale of the card to students via a subscription model. They also sell the NFC enabled phones to the storeowners and sometimes make a fee off that.

To Tony, John and James- Daystar awaits the BuyMore cards.

-Nairobi’s UP Magazine named BuyMore as a tech-startup to watch in 2014. Find them on Facebook and twitter @BuyMoreKenya.

By Embukane Vincent Libosso.

KTN’S THE BIBLE SERIES GENERATES INTEREST ON SOCIAL MEDIA

@stellakagendo: red sea drama: Pharaoh versus Moses and his people. The parting of the sea is spectacular #the bible

@wachukamugo: brilliant idea for KTN to air #The Bible, something we can comfortably watch with the kids. Easy way to learn the Bible

@Laura_Onchiri: hehe! So this show “The Bible” on KTN, the guy acting as Samson is black with long dreads. Lol!

@Mcmark_G: wait… Moses should be speaking like Dennis Oliech. The Bible overlooked that important detail.

@EdwinQul: damn this programme called #The Bible is so epic. Kudos to the director.

@SupaNovastir: @KTNKenya, I am glad from the #The Bible series. Great decision. Kids can at least have something useful to watch. I am enjoying as well!

@BettyOmoro: @KTNKenya, this is the best thing you have done this season.

photos courtesy of: The Bible series Facebook page