It is not so common to see young artists today in Nairobi take up the courage to use their talent to talk about social issues in a way that exudes both eccentricity and pride. However, Dipa Konnection have boldly taken up this mantle.
Emmanuel Jal Talks Everything Music, Activism and Wellness
Emmanuel Jal wears many hats. The South Sudanese-Canadian is a musician, actor, speaker, political activist and businessman. His story is a powerful tale of overcoming challenges as he rose from a child soldier to a celebrated South Sudanese icon.
Confronting Self with Nyokabi Kariũki’s Debut Album, FEELING BODY
“FEELING BODY” is a musical journal, documenting the grief and gratitude of a woman grappling with her body in a time of deep turmoil. “FEELING BODY”, is a grounding movement of music that eats at your soul, it calls your own relationship to self into question tugging at what you knew to be true about your own body.
January Rap Jumpstart
Happy New Year reader, your favorite rap and hip hop column is back. January is normally a month many people use to reset.
UNGANISHA: From being a DIY Electro-Pop Duo to introducing a new sound to the music landscape in East Africa and Europe
Unganisha, a cross-cultural duo that consists of Kenya’s Labdi Ommes (Orutu and vocals) and Bent Waerstad (electronics) is becoming accepted by many in East Africa and Norway as a self-made and highly infectious Electro-pop phenomenon.
Neo Soul Fusion Artist Eli Maliki Speaks Ahead Of His Maliki-fy EP Release
Eli Maliki is a Kenyan Ugandan Neo Soul Fusion musician, songwriter, and live performer. His unique, strong yet mellow style of music is soothing and enchanting. Eli Maliki’s sound is an effortless blend of Soul, RnB, and sounds of African heritage.
Introducing Kaya Byinshii
The best way to describe Kaya Byinshii’s music is a beautiful fusion of R&B, soul and reggae all unified by an experimental vision. Since the success of her first few singles, Kaya has managed to pull together an exceptional body of work with her “(We) Don’t Know Love” acoustic EP and is now working on delivering another well-thought out project.
The Color Man: Discovering Nu Fvnk’s Extraordinary Shades
Nu Fvnk may be known as part of the renown collective EA Wave, but as a solo act, he is compelling, diverse and relatable.
Maya Amolo has Left the Pregame and is Exploring Love in Debut Album, "Asali"
Maya Amolo’s debut album “Asali”, is a departure from what her fans have come to know her for. The sad ballads have been replaced with happy and hopeful representations of her life.
Content House Kenya: Changing Audience Perceptions of Northern Kenya Through Art
Content House Kenya was founded by photographer and filmmaker Jackie Lebo. It is a collection of filmmakers, artists and writers formed to create and distribute content on subjects that were in public interest yet underrepresented in the mainstream media.
September Rap Jumpstart
The Virgos were loud this month, reminding anyone and everyone that it was September. We were gifted good music from across the region, showing the stars will always align for East African rap.
![Creating the Sounds of the Future with Creative Coder [MONRHEA]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7a2870f14aa1ea4fb3ade9/1664742127900-YQ33POHZF1GXIVFOCGVX/%5BM%5D+Main+Image.JPG)
Creating the Sounds of the Future with Creative Coder [MONRHEA]
[MONRHEA] has seen an untapped niche in the space and has chosen to use their music as a tool to explore future representations of music
Sensual, Self-Aware and Soulful Kuiyu Takes Pride In Being A Multidimensional Artist
Kenyan singer Kuiyu is a multidimensional hyphenate with a flair for music, fashion and everything in between.
August Rap Jumpstart
August has seen a lot of music drop. Our list this month has a heavy drill presence. Rwandan rapper Ngaara gives us a psychedelic trap song, using influences from rock and an assorted number of sounds as motifs to manipulate listeners mood. Bongo rappers Dogo Janja and Rosa Ree give extremely braggadocious songs, with a swagger that shows confidence. The same can be said for Jodye Faneto,who goes all out to attack the biggest names in the Kenyan rap scene.
July Rap Jumpstart
July saw the release of some very dope projects and lovely singles. We feature Effji, a young femcee, who is quickly winning over fans with her confident delivery. Le Ru, Jakk Quill and Big Yasa all dropped EPs. NJERI, an R&B artist earns a surprise mention on this list for her latest single. Other songs from multidisciplinary artistes Mau From Nowhere, Chxf Barry and many more are featured.
The Art of DJ’ing Through the Lens of 3 Powerhouses
In the DJ world, women are fairly scarce. This is certainly reflected in spaces around Kigali where we often see men performing sets and pulling enormous crowds in comparison to their female counterparts. However, to overlook the women carving their space in Kigali’s DJ space would be a grave misstep
Get To Know Tina Ford
Tina Ford is an experienced musician having been active in the music industry for over a decade. Across her work,her soulful rasp uniquely delivers a vocal performance that raptures her listeners , halting them in the moment she creates.
celebrating pride at Ashton Laurence’s Wunderlust Party
Over the years, the support towards the Queer community in Nairobi has grown increasingly and with this, more and more spaces have dedicated their platforms to celebrate love and the beauty that is Pride. Ashton Laurence’s Wunderlust Party (ALWP): Pride Edition – Loud and Proud, has proven to be an experience that reflects this “loudly and proudly”, embracing Pride Month by having Queer artists and Allies alike share the stage to give the most exhilarating performances.
Why we need more women only club nights in Nairobi
From Strictly Silk to The Whine Down, women, non-binary and gender-non-conforming (GNC) people in Nairobi are being presented with new and exciting opportunities to enjoy the city’s nightlife without fear.