Kenya (Coast): Day 4 – the road back to Nairobi Story
…happened because Tabu was pretty sure – but it was odd to get this e mail out of the blue. But then Andy came down in October 2010. First time he came to studio he was very business like. He had a checklist that he wanted to go to. He wanted to get his to do list out of the way. He was very business like. Then in the evening we went to slippers to watch Winyo. We pumped some Tuskers into Andy and then relaxed a bit. He opened up more and we liked…
Kenya (Coast): Day 2 continued…. Story
…erformance… Sengenya The most energetic group by far, brought the house down, with wonderful dancing. Led by Munyaka Chimega, they danced in the style of Sengenya (which bears their name). Non-stop dancing, multiple songs and they didn’t want to stop (but we ran out of video!). Fantastic energetic dancers that we’ve only captured on video…. …and all the kids joined in… https://youtu.be/m0eG1EcIpNM The kids By now you know, we are surrounded by…
Lake Turkana Cultural Festival 2011 News
…ltural cooperation and exchange, both in the preparation and in the course of the Festival. During the three days Festival, representatives of the Rendille, El Molo, Pokot, Samburu, Turkana, Gabbra, Dassanech and Borana present their respective customs and living conditions, spectacular traditional costumes, arts and crafts, dances and music to each other and to visitors. Combined with the stunning geographical characteristics and the very limited…
Reflections on the pilot phase by Pato News
…as all showered and packed shortly after.I had breakfast and by 6:30 I was out of the house. Nairobi has serious traffic jams and to get somewhere on time one has to leave early. When I arrived at the studio Steve was already there and the rest of the team joined us later and as per Steve’s itinerary we left at 12:00 sharp hihihi. We split in two groups, four people per car. The first car was being driven by our director Tabu and he had Jimmy, And…
Reflections on the pilot phase by Willie Bembe News
…being a magician after tearing down our studio so we can use the new equipment. Jimmy is an amazing song writer I realise. We say farewell and they are off to the airport with a promise to return. Willie Bembe 11 April 2011 Nairobi…
Discovering music roots with SWP News
…o. At 14, my future music career came to a crashing halt when I was kicked out of the school choir for miming. I wouldn’t dare sing; my voice is just a notch better than a toad’s. My attempt to learn guitar was also thwarted when my finger tips formed that kind of stuff you find on your heels if you don’t wear shoes. I grasped the next best thing: art that I have a passion for, rising to become one of the most read cartoonists in the region. But m…
More Ketebul voices…Steve reports from the field News
…an expected, and the performance by Mwanzele Nyere wa Konde Music Club was out of this world. They performed three songs in the Mwanzele style, a polyrhythmic groove heavy on shakers and punctuated with foot stomping and clapping. Andy manned the recording station, giving us Ketebul engineers a practical run through of the equipment. A moment of magic followed their performance when they were joined by Winyo on an impromptu off the cuff performanc…
Testing the mobile recording equipment News
…and athletic dancing. Katana Bin Kalama is a contemporary Giriama musician and his song ‘Nilipata Mzungu’ is featured on Ketebul Music’s Spotlight on Kenyan Music Vol.4. It’s a great example of the fusion of traditional tribal sounds and rhythms, in this case the Mijikenda, and contemporary Kenyan music. Click on the album cover to have a listen….