Month: September 2012

SisQo, Demarco and Wayne Wonder have not so long ago held shows in Uganda. And now Sean Paul and another Jamaican, Konshens, are set to perform the in Africa’s Banana Republic.

Singer Spence AKA Konshens, one of the hottest artiste in Jamaica will be performing live in Kampala on October 5, 2012 at Kyadondo Rugby Grounds and a month after Sean Paul is also expected to return to Kampala for a show.

Sean Paul’s show will be sponsored by Nile Breweries and it is reported that all necessary documents have been finalized and he will be in live concert at Lugogo Cricket Oval on November 9.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Oliver Twist hit-maker, D’banj and comedian Basket Mouth will also be going to the country. All these will be competing with the local artistes who equally have album launches.

Just why do these international artistes skip Kenya opting for our East African neighbours?

Creme De La Creme’s apparel line seems to be the in thing, the brand to be seen in nowadays. It’s been about two months since the trendy clothing line started, and the response has been quite impressive.

Nameless was recently spotted rocking a red Epic Nation Classic T-shirt. Gospel DJs Krowbar and DJ Sadic have been rocking them almost every Sunday on their live gospel shows.

Epic Nation Apparel recently did a limited edition of Classic Snapbacks and they  got sold out in only 3 days. Camp Mulla’s Shappaman Kass was spotted wearing the classic snapback. Taio Tripper donned one during the Channel O O News live recording that took place at KICC.

Nigerian superstar, Wizkid was also seen wearing the limited edition Epic Nation Snap Backs. Does that mean that we shall soon be seeing the brand in Nigeria? Seems the brand is going places. Check out the photos of a few celebrities wearing the snapbacks below.

Yung Kass

Taio Tripper

Wizkid

Wassup folks!! Here is top of the morning;

#1 Esther Arunga accuses Hellon of inc*st. Find out what transpires.
#2 Did you know Kiss FM’s Linda Nyangweso is also a musician? Check out her latest song.
#3 Socialite Huddah Monroe poses topless. Check out the photo HERE.
#4 Take a look at Maina Kageni and Jimmi Gathu before they got swag.
#5 And it Starts Again. Esther Arunga Hits Out at Hellon.
#6 Wizkid, Banky W, Khuli Chana, Goldie and Skales were recently in Nairobi. Check out these photos.
#7 Take a look at these celebs rocking Octopizzo’s new T-shirts.
#8 Did you know Mbusi started off as Ghetto radio’s tea boy?
#9 Another Jamaican reggae star is coming to Kenya. Find out who.
#10 If you own a computer, you’d be foolish not to download this entertainment app.

 

Now you know. Have yourselves an amazing day and of course keep it Ghafla! for more entertaining news.

Octopizzo surprisingly dropped in on Ghafla! and we convinced him to at least do a Ghafla! discussion, which turned out to be more like an interview. He decided to explain why celebrities do not like going into the CBD.

The reason? It’s always the fans. Fans with madharau. Fans who want celebs to pay matatu fare for them. Fans who just won’t let you breathe. Fans who want free CDs. It’s always the fans.

The usually stone-faced rapper turns out to be funnier than expected. He talks about star-power, different music markets and social media.

He also speaks about how he has never let fame get to his head, “Mi u-star haijawai ni-ingia. Na hiyo ndio kitu inatu-mess kama ma-artistes. Sijui siku itaniingia (Stardom has never gotten to my head, and that’s what messes us artistes up. I don’t know if it will ever get to me).”

Check out the discussion below and see Octopizzo like you have never seen him before.
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For the last one week, we have been concentrating on the most influential people on Twitter. Here is an interview we had with one such tweep. Mbusih shot into fame thanks to some explicit imagery from gore to local content (if you know what I mean).

Check out what the seasoned tweep had to say about his life on Twitter. Warning: the guy has a lot of f**ks to give. And he blames controversial tweets on his artistic tastes. Read all about that and more below.

Ghafla!: Where do you get the time to tweet so much? Don’t you have like a day time job?

@Mbusih: Hehehe, I am still a student man. On my last sem, classes ni asubuhi so I have time to idle around. I am not working

G!:  When did you join twitter? Why did you join Twitter?

@M:  I joined twitter kidu 2009, August hapo. I used to be a MKZ addict. Some bugger used to report my photos, I don’t like following rules, man. F**k that sh*t f**k! At one time, my account was suspended for a month for uploading disturbing photos. A pal of mine, @mokayah introduced me to Twitter, I have never looked back. And I love Twitter ‘coz I can tweet and upload whatever I f****ng please, hehe.

G!:  What has been your best Twitter moment(s)? What has been your worst moment(s)?

@M:  My best Twitter moments–f**k, I don’t have. But my worst ni 2010 when I was going through a hard time, hehe. I will not talk about it, I was really tweeting sad sh*t.

G!:  Are you as popular on Facebook as you are on Twitter?

@M:  Hehe, in MKZ ata sijulikani, f**k that sh*t. I even don’t know how I was addicted to that sh*tty sh*t.

G!:  Have you ever been laid through Twitter? If yes, how many times? Would you date a chic you have met on Twitter?

@M:  Hehehe, I must not answer that, son, hehe.

G!:  How many tweefs have you had so far? Can you recall the most epic/controversial one? Do the tweefs affect your personal life? How often do you engage in tweefs?

@M:  The only tweef I had is with a lass called @wanza. Since then, I have not engaged myself on a serious tweef. I take nothing on Twitter seriously. It’s all sh*tf**k in the name of having fun. Kama kuna tweef, my work is just laughing, hehehe, nothing else, hehehe!

G!:  What do you think about the tweeps you follow in general?

@M:  They are awesome tweeps. I may not follow everybody back but I reply all mentions. And sh*t, I don have that bigwig sh*t where you just talk to tweeps you consider relevant.

G!:  How do you come up with the sometimes crazy, controversial or explicit tweets that you come up with from time to time?

@M:  Hehehe, I think it’s exposure to the musical content I listen to: black death metal and some dark sh*t.

Massakku is one of Kenya’s twitterati and is credited for being among the guys who brought the playful tone to Twitter. He stopped by our offices recently and he explained why he doesn’t tweet jokes but rather tweets stupid.

Clearly this guy has lost it and a spot-check on his Twitter handle proves that. And if you think am kidding check this; Conje’s roommate at Mathare. I don’t tweet jokes, I tweet the opposite. Asked about what he thinks about the serious “elite” guys on twitter who blame tweeps  like himself for bringing jokes to twitter, Massakku had this for them, “Those guys were too serious for life. Twitter is a social network, you can say what you want. Data bundles ni zako, sema chenye unataka.”

 

“Mtu hatakuja apa kukuambia ati tweet like this, tweet like this. Pesa ni yako, we bundles ni zako ongea chenye unataka,” he added. Massakku laughs it off when asked whether he mixes his tweets as in sometimes tweets stupid and other times intelligent. Well, that means Massakku goes full throttle on stupidity. Now you know. If you are the guy who likes “crap” follow @masaku.

 

Check out the interview below;

The week-long SAMOSA festival is back! This year (2012) it will be taking place from 22nd September to 29th September 2012.

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Two 1-day workshops will be held at the GoDown Arts Centre on the 20th and 21st of September. These will offer the youth from Mathare, Kangemi and Kibera a chance to experiment with music and poetry.

 

On 22nd September, the Sidi Gomas, a group of Sidi musicians from Gujrat, India will make their inaugural performance in Kenya at the Alliance Francaise. ”These African-Indian sufis have maintained their cultural link to Africa through ritual dances and music. Their performance will showcase a cultural interconnection that contributes to Kenya’s unique triple heritage,” Farrah Nurani SAMOSA 2012 Festival Director.

 

On September 23rd, a cricket tournament at the Karura Forest. This will be the third event, and it is aimed at enhancing youth participation and bringing together various community groups. This is being organised by SAMOSA Play.

 

SAMOSA’s Mobile Cinema will run for 3 days from 24th September to 26th September in Mathare, Kangemi and Kibera. In it being run in conjunction with Informaction, a civic education organisation -established by Maina Kiai, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association-. SAMOSA Mobile Cinema will showcase films depicting various positive cross cultural themes. The films will be shown to the public, and local entertainment groups will perform prior to the film show as part of the festivities.

Mid week of the festivities, on Tuesday 25th September 2012, the festival will present a theatre production Tides at the KNT. (Kenya National Theatre) The production will depict various cultural responses to corruption in Kenya. Tides is written by BBC award winner and internationally acclaimed playwright Kuldip Sondhi.

 

The Festival then moves on to two customised productions/presentations. The first is Hadithi. Hadithi explores the ancient art of cultural storytelling, bringing oral literature to a new generation and expressing oral storytelling traditions in a modern light. It will feature prominent Kenyan poets who will interpret these traditional and ancient expressions into Slam! Poetry and music, bringing together the two artistic forms in a culmination of adaptive artistry. The show is set in the Courtyard of the Kenya National Theatre.

 

The second customised production is the Concert in the Forest:, SAMOSA String & Sculpture. This pre-finale event will be on 27th September at the club grounds in Karura Forest. It will be a blend of Asian, Western and African vocals as well as instruments -the nyatiti, obokano, orutu, violin, Indian santoor and guitar.

 

The festival’s grand finale is entitled Pigo la Moyo: the Heartbeat of Kenya is her People. It will be headlined by international act Sidi Goma featuring the Slum Drummers and Dhol Xtasy. It will be a highlight of African percussion, Asian dance and universal rhythym, celebrating the best of worldly culture, music and art. This promises to be an explosive finale to a multicultural festival that will include lots of engagement with the audience. The finale is centered around a patriotic theme: the Kenya Kwanza, Mkenya Daima and I am Proud To Be Kenyan are slated to strong carry out numerous activations and engage the audience in the finale.

 

This promises to be a festival with a little something for everyone. To find out more about the festival, the costing of different events and where you can buy the tickets check out the festival’s official website here.

We all LOVE our samosas and samosa chaat, whether its the beef or the vegeterian variety. So when I heard there was a festival that was an ode to samosa’s, I was like ‘GAFSJJHWCDFCSMAVS!!! WHERE? COUNT ME IN!’

SAMOSA stands for ‘South Asian Mosaic of Society and the Arts’. Did it get you too? Acronyms are the devil. Lesson learnt. Still intrigued after that little misconception? So was I. SAMOSA Festival is the premier and ONLY multicultural music, art and culture festival in the region. It highlights some of the best music, visual arts and cultural initiatives and productions in the country on a diverse platform.

Why ‘South Asian’? The festival was initially a mechanism to channel the Kenyan South Asian population’s contribution society in regard to cohesion and integration initiatives. Today, however, the brand is no longer an exclusive reference to the South Asian population – it has evolved to feature cross cultural productions and events that showcase the best of Kenyan culture, with the South Asian influence as an integral part of Kenya’s unique triple heritage (African, Eastern and Western).

 

The festival’s primary objective is to promote the message of cohesion, integration and pluralism by facilitating ‘cultural encounters’. It aims to reach out to as wide an audience as possible, irrespective of gender, race or class. It uses performing and visual arts, discussion forums, fashion, food and music to create cross cultural awareness and interaction, develop a national identity irrespective of the ethnic backgrounds and expose the nuances within each culture in a non-offensive, creative and vibrant manner.

 

The week-long festival will be running from the 22nd September to the 29th September. Some of the festivities will be free and open to the public while some of them will be ticketed-entry concerts/venues/exhibitions (tickets range between 500sh for students with ID to 1500 for adults). Find out the entire schedule for the festival here.

Advance tickets for the ticketed events are available at the following outlets:

1. Gigiri: Westlands Sundries
2. Muthaiga: Muthaiga Media Store, Mobil Plaza
3. Parklands: Alkash, Diamond Plaza
4. Westlands: Monty’s Wines & Spirits, Sarit Centre

                   Savani’s Book Shop, Westgate Mall

5. Town: Alliance Francaise

            The National Theatre

6. Hurlingham: Bookstop, Yaya Centre
7. Karen: Que Pasa
8. Junction Mall: Mo Moviez

 

SAMOSA Festival is a non-profit entity (proceeds go to charity) for the IKSAH trust, and is also the ‘cultural arm’ of AwaaZ magazine. The festival is officially endorsed by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the Ministry for National Heritage and Culture.

 

This is going to be one amazing cultural hodgepodge of a festival that you should NOT miss! (Sidenote: Go ahead, have a samosa today, you know this article has you thinking about it!!!)

If you thought Madtraxx was done, think again. This guy unleashed his latest track Na Na Na over the weekend and from the look of things this jam is gonna receive mad airplay.

Madtraxx features RedRepublik’s MuTash Afrik in this new single which has heavy flow and sturdy words which he is apologetic about. Strategically releasing it on Saturday 15th the same day he celebrated his birthday, Madtraxx said the song is his birthday gift to his fans.

The self-titled  Super Producer, Super Deejay, Super Emcee burst into the Kenyan Music scene as an artiste in 2007, taking the airwaves by storm with his first single, “BODA BODA”. Some of his songs that have taken the country by storm include Round Hii Si Mchezo, Poa, Mezesha, Big Shot, Get Down, Skamaress, Fire Fever, Ita Waiter and most recently Make You Dance featuring Uganda’s Keko. Madtraxx is also famed for producing the first ever Kenyan Olympic anthem.

 

Check out Na Na Na below and join in the celebration.

Tired of the same old routine every Wednesday? Looking for something more exclusive, more swanky, more romantic, more stylish? Well this right here is it for you.

Le Rustique. A beautiful restaurant located in Westlands, that opened its doors since 2002. Why is this different from anything else happening on Wednesdays? 

 

Get this: Since the restaurant opened in 2002, it opens for dinner only ONCE A WEEK. Yes, you read that right, once a week. On Wednesday nights.

 

What does this mean? You have to book your reservation well in advance, because understandably, they work only on reservation and not on walk-ins. Every week before the Wednesday dinner service, the entire menu is posted online (check out this Wednesday’s menu). You get to know what will be on offer and roughly the direction your palate will take on that particular night. If all this doesn’t scream tasteful exclusivity I don’t know what does!

 

Well, lucky me, I happen to have a table for two this Wednesday 19th September 2012, and will be filling you in on how that goes (the dinner that is, not the date!). 

 

Just thought I would share this little gem with all our Ghafla! readers out there who aren’t of the STRICTLY SUFFERERS mentality that our dear uncle Chim Tuna subscribes to.

 

To make your reservations you can visit their website, or you can call +254721 609 601 or +25420 262 2927. Go ahead. Treat yourself to something special this Wednesday (or next seeing as its only once a week).

After the culmination of the Safaricom Live event in Meru, Safaricom and the celebs did not just pack their bags and leave for Nairobi. Rather, they decided to do something for the community. The Safaricom team alongside celebs put a smile on the faces of Kinoru Primary School pupils. The pupils whose school hosted Niko na Safaricom Live tour received gifts and entertainment from the team.

Led by the Mt. Kenya Area General Manager, Safaricom donated Ksh.70,000 in form of a cheque aimed at purchasing books for the school. Meanwhile Sauti Sol, Jaguar, Camp Mulla, Jimmy Gait, Wyre and Size 8 engaged the pupils in songs and dance.  

 

Comedian Jalang’o not only tickled the pupils but was also at hand to enlighten them on the importance of education. Kinoru Primary School was part of a Community Social Responsibility project for the Niko na Safaricom Live artistes planned for every town.

 

S/O Safaricom and Kenyan Celebs for making a difference in the society.

One Vibe Entertainment brings you the Unite the People concert on Saturday, the 6th of August at Central Square in Oginga Odinga Street, Kisumu. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. and goes late into the night.

Unite the People will feature performances from international reggae sensation, Clinton Fearon who will perform alongside Kenyan musician, DNA. Others to perform on the night include Shamir, Sol Afrique, Nebulazz, Malfred, DJ Edo Gee, Davy Ranks while Refigah will emcee.

Advance regular tickets will go for Kshs. 350 and Kshs. 500 at the gate. Advance VIP tickets will go for Kshs. 1,500 and Kshs. 2,000 at the gate. The VIP ticket includes drinks and access to the artistes. For more info, call 0733 844 924 or 0722 979 860 or 0733 506 813.

As Capital FM celebrates its 16th birthday of existence, here is a back in the day photo of its pioneer presenters.

From extreme left is Suzanne Kibukosya, Jimmi Gathu, Dj Pinye, Maina Kageni (foreground), Maina Kageni, David Muriithi (DJ D-Lite) and Bob Kioko.

 

Happy Sweet 16 Capital FM.

I know it is incomprehensible but yes, these guys have never performed on the same platform together. So as a show of “esprit de corps” for their hood, the K South duo, Bamboo and Abbas are set to hit the podium for the first time ever in Nairobi.

Buddha Blaze, one of the biggest hip hop heads in Kenya is also on course to join the event when the two take to the stage. Regrettably, this will be an exclusive event where only the who-is-who in this entertainment industry will be allowed in. On the decks will be the biggest Deejay in Kenya now, Joe Mfalme.

Further, there are also plans in the offing to bring rappers Bamboo, Abbas and Prezzo to work on the same project. Adopting the name, “Three Kings”, the project is expected to be a hit considering the track record of each of the artiste in the project.

 

More details to follow… Keep it Ghafla!

Holla folks!! It’s a fresh start on this Monday morning. Here is top of the morning;

#1 Find out how conmen are using fake celebrity profiles on Facebook to steal your money.
#2 Stella Mwangi’s topless photo has been released. Check it out HERE.
#3 On Thursday night there was a funds drive in aid of boxer Conje. Find out how much Sonko contributed.
#4 A top Kenyan music producer is thinking of quitting the trade.
#5 From Alai to Itumbi: Twitter celebrities exposed!
#6 Check out this video. It’s currently the most viewed in the country.
#7 Five things you must never say to an artiste. What are they?
#8 Here are the 9 of the worst friends to go out with!
#9 Prezzo snubs haters. Find out how.
#10 Nonini outlines 10 tips on partying & raving safely.

 

Now you know. Have yourselves an amazing day and of course keep it Ghafla! for more entertaining news.

My colleague Jeff recently did a piece on the most influential Kenyans on twitter.

And it was quite the informative read which you can find here. But what it didn’t cover is the personality types of most of twitter’s celebrities but don’t worry, i got you covered there.

 

The Adult
This has to be the one of the few balanced individuals on twitter. They attract people to them because they are a voice of reason in the sea of madness that is twitter.
This individual is witty, sarcastic but uplifting ergo following them comes naturally. @SunnyWords -Sunny Bindhra is a fine example of this.

 

The Attention Seeker
This individual is usually female but of late, lads have begun adopting the technique to get followers.
Depending on the time of the month, they are either gay, bi or simply confused. They tweet garbage along the lines of “I am horny” or “I am feeling like having…”
This individual is usually as immature as a 4month feotus and they are as batty as bat excrement! They crave attention and seek it any way they can.
This individual is usually a pain to follow and i usually end up unfollowing tweeps who even dare to retweet them. This individual lacks intelligence and reading their tweets induces murderous rage in those of us with a modicum of intelligence.

 

The Troll
This individual is funny and intelligent but they have a dark sense of humour often bullying less intelligent individuals. They are highly opinionated and woe unto you if you voice a stance different from their’s! This chap is quick with the insults and tweefing is part of their morning exercise routine.This type of twitter celebrity is negative and mistakes negativity for “keeping it real” as Nali put it.

 

The Groupie
This is the person constantly posting pictures of themselves hanging out with the who-is-who and constantly posing with the celebs duckface. Their claim to fame is partying with the stars.

 

The Business Man
These are the chaps who are on twitter to do business. They often tweet about whatever business it is they are engaged in and carry out real-time transactions over twitter. These guys are focused on their bottom line and are quick on the uptake -enough to see twitter’s commercial application. Dj Creme is a good example of this and so is Dj Joe Mfalme.

 

The Politican
Actual politicians posting political rhetoric they are too spineless to actually implement. (I really do not like politicians, Kenya needs leaders, not clowns).

 

The Jester
These guys are twitter’s class clowns and though they come off as harlequins, these guys are hilarious often seeing the funny side of everything. They offer genuine comic relief with their quirky take on life. And they are as intelligent as an Einstein/Hawkins love child raised by Dave Chappelle would be! Look for Masaku and Crazy Nairobian to get what i mean.

 

The Creatives
These are the pseudo-creative bunch that by my estimates do more tweeting than art. Don’t get me wrong, there are real creatives on twitter who organise real projects (Etsy Art Party are a positive example of creatives on twitter who came together to do something). The rest just talk about poetry and art and craft without anything to show for all the hot air they were blowing.
@wamathai and @Kkenita are fine examples of real creatives on twitter. Wamathai lifts up unknown talent and Kenita actually walks the talk when it comes to art.

 

The Social Reformer
By far my best twitter celebrity. They are patriotic to a fault. These guys bleed red, black and green! They love Kenya and have taken to twitter to agitate for change. They fight for the down trodden and they speak without fear. Boniface Mwangi is a shining example of this, and so is Ole Itumbi and believe it or not, Robert Alai.

These are guys doing what they believe is right for the betterment of Kenya as a nation.

As a non-drinker have you been to a bash where guys are drinking and you being the teetotaler you are didn’t drink and ended up being the joke of the party? Well, worry no more because tonight the Splash Water World is hosting the “All Grown Black and Red Party” for you and guys like you.

Complete with a poolside, the event is purely a non-alcoholic and Gospel music affair. Some of the activities lined up for the event include a video launch by Gospel artist, Psalms from B4C. The artist will be launching his “Am Gonna Make It” video alongside Loyte.

You will also be able to pose an absolutely FREE professional photo shoots with Gospel celebrities in the industry. For the “September Babies”, you will have a chance to pop non-alcoholic champagne as well as cut a birthday cake specially made for you guys.

The organizers have adopted a black and red colour scheme as their theme for the event. This is definitely a party for you who is looking for to some “unblemished entertainment”.