Month: January 2013

Kenyan artistes and the swag. Don’t you just love them. We do!

 

Trapee poses with Toyota MR2. He even chills out with Avril in the next photo.

 

PS: The ride belongs to one Supasta Babyone, a musician at Ogopa Deejays

 

Surprises surprises! Man, there is no telling what this rapper will do next. Rabbit has always impressed. There is no doubt about that. But what makes him better than most of the other Kenyan rappers is the fact that every time he drops a new track, he comes in way better than the previous track.

 

I won’t even play around. I’m seriously impressed with this guy’s flow, style and approach in music. Rabbit is just a one of a kind rapper in his own league and standards.

Kaka Sungura has once again released a hot track and this, well atleast according to me, is by far the best I have heard and seen from the rapper (though I have just realised that I say this every time he releases a new track). Yes, he is that good and anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly not a hip hop head.

 

This track is on point in every level. From the beat, lyrics, video quality, concept of the video, story line, goddamn it! Rabbit killed it on this one. Track title, ‘last hope’, and now it begins to make a lot of sense.

 

Very unique as compared to most Kenyan hip hop tracks that kind of have the same beat or rhythm. With this track, he’s managed to level up to the International standards of music without loosing his Kenyan roots, therefore creating a mind blowing work of art for the urban hip hop heads.

Enough said. Check out Rabbit’s latest video below. You won’t be disappointed.

It was reported earlier today by Pulse that Willy Paul will now be charging Kshs. 100,000. Mambo Mseto’s Willy M. Tuva invited the gospel music artiste on his Citizen Radio show to explain the move.

Apparently, the money the singer is asking for is actually for a good cause: “Ni ya kuchangia orphans. Tunanenda kila children’s home tuki-donate. Hata ukiwa na idea ya children’s home, unaweza tuambie tutaenda.”

“Hauoni ni kama kuna wasanii wanaoweza taka collabo lakini hawawezi pata fedha hizo?” Willy M. Tuva asked. “Wale wanaweza watatoa. Kama huwezi toa, ukuje na unga,” Willy Paul responded.

“Kwa hivyo nikikuja na unga, napata collabo?” Tuva asked. “Bora tu iwe haujiwezi,” Willy Paul clarified.

Rapper Octopizzo has been known to engage in community projects in his Kibera neighbourhood. And now he has joined another cause. Octo is urging his fans to support the work of the Nairobi Hospital’s Gender Violence Recovery Centre.

“Kibera, my backyard has been the hotspot for Gender Based Violence and Sexual Based Violence for many years. Thanks for the hard work of the dedicated men and women of Gender Violence Recovery Centre, there’s hope for my baby girl.”

He adds, “I believe in the safety and the rights of women and children, I support the humanitarian work being done by Gender Violence Recovery Centre. I visited the Centre, Nairobi Women’s Hospital at the Adams Arcade branch and was touched by some of the cases they deal with on a daily basis.”

“You can join and support GVRC and NWH by supporting all their Facebook initiatives. I urge all my fans to support them by liking their page and engaging them on this social ill,” he concludes.

If you are an events person then you definitely know Grace Makosewe (@Makosewe), if you don’t, she is the brains behind Nairobi VIP, the company that brings you high-end events like Kitenge Festival and Shoe Lounge, in other words, she is the perfect definition of a socialite (forget about the ones you’ve heard/read about). Anyhow, this lovely lady now joins the “Capital Family” as a presenter!

Joining Cess Mutungi on the afternoon show, “The Jam”, Gracey (as she likes to be referred to) made her debut on Capital FM yesterday “to talk about 2013 & whatever they want” (in her words). It’s worth mentioning that the show turned out to be one the best “Jam” show going by the feedback from listeners on Twitter. Today, it appears the deal has been cemented because the boss himself, Mr. Chris Kirubi declared on Twitter, “Due to the great show we had yesterday,this lovely lady @Makosewe is officially a @CapitalFM_kenya presenter. Welcome aboard! cc. @thejam984”. To Grace, he said, “The people rooted for you and I headed to their pleas…You’re responsible to them.I know you won’t let them down @Makosewe cc. @thejam984.”

Grace now takes over from Maqbul who moved to the morning show, “Capital in The Morning”, after the departure of Chris Foot. Grace has extensive creative experience both in the Kenyan and European fashion industries. Locally she has worked as wardrobe stylist at the society editorial, Drum Magazine, (East Africa) and as a Fashion Editor for lifestyle magazine, True Love, (East Africa). She is also a trained makeup artist and has had vast experience working in a fashion & style capacity in television.

Ghafla! congratulates Grace and wishes her the very best in her new assignment.

Ringtone is the only Gospel singer to have publicly endorsed DPM Uhuru Kenyatta for presidency and affiremed support for his TNA party. He had even declared interest to run for the Dagoretti North parliamentary seat before chickening out. That, however, does not mean that he has withdrawn his support for the party. Recently he flew the branded TNA chopper to Kyeni, Mukurweini  and Runyenjes for political rallies. Take a look;

 

Before taking taking off

 

Aerial view of Nyeri from the chopper

 

DJ Nruff is an award-winning DJ who has also worked as a radio and television show host. From next week, you will see him in different light as he launches his debut single.

In the track, Doing It Right, he features Calvo Mistari, Jay A, Petra, Carl Tha Truth and Nessa. The track comes out on Monday, 21st January.

The producer and entertainer has performed all over East Africa and in major world stages including a 25-state U.S. tour. Keep it Ghafla for the world premiere of Doing It Right.

Last year, Google released a report showing the most searched terms in Kenya in 2012. One of the fastest growing search terms in the country was the word “Tubidy,” which came in 4th position. Tubidy is the name of a new music download website which has grown to take over the Kenyan online community, overcoming competitors such as Waptrick.

The thing about Tubidy though, is that it is run under a dark shroud of secrecy by a company named “Mobiventura.” However, let’s just take a look under the hood and explain to our readers how the whole thing works(trust me, I’m a web developer:)

 

– First of all, the videos and MP3s on Tubidy are NOT uploaded by users. Tubidy grabs videos from YouTube, converts them into mobile friendly formats for video and music. Proof of this is in the fact that all Tubidy’s preview images are the same as those found on YouTube videos.

– Secondly, because Tubidy grabs videos without permission, that means that they are in violation of copyright laws against not only YouTube, but also the artists whose music it distributes for free. This results in them playing a cat and mouse game they play where YouTube occasionally blocks Tubidy from scraping their content, but Tubidy find a way around it eventually, and the cycle continues. This is why from time to time, you find that Tubidy might not be updated. That is why Tubidy is run in secret.

– Despite all this, you have to give it to Tubidy, who have created one of the most user-friendly music download services around. You just go to the site, search for a song and download it instantly. No logins, no CAPTCHA forms, no scrolling through multiple screens like Waptrick, just simple and straight to the point. And the downloads are Fast. As. Hell. That is probably the main reason why they have “succeeded,” despite doing no marketing.

 

*For those of you who want to download Kenyan music legally, you can buy Mdundo.com scratchcards from local artists.

 

It is Friday and the Ghafla Allstars are feeling excited. Reason being, we are about to interview two of the most consistent and very much relevant rappers of all time, Bamboo and Abbas better known as K-South.

We are about to have the privilege to interview these two great legends for a couple of minutes and find out what is really going on around them as individual artistes and as K-South.

A lot of issues and controvies will also be tackled in this hot interview so keep it Ghafla.

Once again producer Provoke has proved that cream always rises to the top. According to SoundCloud, the chilled out house song, “Heaven & Beyond”, produced by the very talented Provoke had the most plays even before the mastered version was uploaded.

Done by Gifted Population featuring J-smiles, the non-mastered version of the single was released earlier on last year and managed to garner a massive 600 plays in just one week of its uploading. This made the artistes to take down the song and release it later when we got a mastered version.

The song has a relaxed feel which is created by the great hook done by Singer J-smiles popularly known from his works with 2-5-flow outfits. This song marks the turning point in Gifted Population’s career as it is with the single that they began taking music seriously.

Listen to the song below;

Realizing the problem of shortage of books in schools, Kiss 100’s Caroline Mutoko has set out to identify some schools in Nairobi to donate textbooks to. Targeting mostly schools in slum areas since they are the ones that are in dire need, Caroline is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying such schools.

The radio queen targets both primary and secondary schools to donate to them. So, if you have any information about any school experiencing an acute shortage of books they badly need, get in touch with her on masomokamili@yahoo.com clearly indicating the Name of School, Location in Nairobi, Name of contact teacher/Principal and Phone Number.

 

 

The hot news of today is that Maina Kageni is off to Nation Media Group. If you don’t know, click here to find out about the scoop. Now we’ve found out that he’s going to be writing for Nation Media Group’s new bi-weekly sports publication, Sporton! Here is an excerpt from his first article:

WOEFUL ARSENAL WERE BOXED, BULLIED AND BATTERED AT HOME

 

Size 8 situation

I’ve got a new telly show I’m starting called “Ujinga Ni?” and you are all a perfect fit. What was Laurent Koscielny thinking grabbing Edin Dzeko around the waist with both hands in the six-yard box knowing full well he was the last defender?

Kijana, this isn’t a Mugithi dance. From then on, Arsenal were boxed, bullied, brutalised and battered. But just like that one pal with the Size 8 situation, you just shake your head and walk away but stay friends just coz your other friends like him(sigh!)…

 

For the rest of the article, grab yourself a copy of Sporton! today. It’s only 30bob.

Sonko last year appeared in–his pal–Jaguar’s music video for Matapeli as a shoe-shiner. The first-time MP and now Senator aspirant has always supported local talent, and the evidence is on his Website.

This is will be the tech elections, where people show-off how technologically forward they are than their opponents (unlike the 2007 election, where it was about showing off Hummers and choppers).

And Sonko, “the real youth”, has not been left behind. He has used his site as an evidence cache for what he has done for his constituents so far. The project is well-meaning but the captions are hilarious.

Below, check out the best ones we found with the accompanying captions.

 

SONKO SUPPORTS TALENT

 

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: SPONSORED HUNDREDS IN BEAUTY COURSES

 

SONKO MOURNS WITH HIS CONSTITUENTS

 

SONKO THE NATIONAL TEAM BIG FAN

 

SONKO INSPECTS PROJECTS ON HIS OWN

 

SONKO PROMOTES PEACE… WITH HIS ALL

 

SONKO SEEKS JUSTICE FOR THE OPPRESED

 

SONKO LOVES AND PROMOTES SOCCER

 

SONKO WANTS THE YOUTH TO CHANGE

 

SONKO CAN EVEN CONTROL TRAFFIC

 

SONKO – A FAMILY MAN

 

SONKO HAS ALL TRADERS IN MIND.

 

PAYS LUNCH FOR 3000 CANDIDATES

 

BAILS OUT MRC MEMBERS

 

SONKO…. SENATOR WA NGUVU !!!

 

SONKO ANA MAFANS WENGI

 

EVEN FELLOW LEADERS LOVE SONKO

 

SPONSORED DRIVING STUDENTS

 

SPONSORED MASSAGE CLASSES

 

“SOLDIER”

 

 

 

Soulful gospel singer, Neema Ntalel is back. She will today release her latest single, Tambourine.

Tambourine is a song that praises the Almighty for all that He has done for us. Its speaks to each and every one of us reminding us to take time to Thank God for His mercies thus we need to take our Tambourines and shake them for Jesus and give thanks for all that he has done for us.

A Praise song like no other that takes Praising God to a whole new level. The Kora award winner’s return single was produced by Silvastone. Keep it Ghafla! for a listen as it drops.

With greatness comes appreciation and gospel artiste Willy Paul has put a price on his.

After releasing chart topping songs, it is now evident that Willy Paul is indeed a hit maker. No matter the situation surrounding him, he somehow manages to create tracks that capture both the attention and love of his fans.

 

All his collaborations have topped charts and he is just getting warmed up. That is probably why gospel artist are now lining up to seek collaboration opportunity with him.

Well, he is not about to let his hard work and long time nurtured talent go unrewarded, atleast for a good cause.

 

“I am working on new projects and I will be charging Sh. 100, 000. It shall be for a worthy cause and not for personal interests. I hope to do big collaborations in future and I see those funds coming,” Willy Paul told Sheila Kimani of Pulse Magazine.

What do you think about this?

Amidst all controversies, Willy Paul has displayed strength and dedication through progress. Clearly, nothing can slow this gospel artiste down and he is not about to stop.

 

That just goes to show how good he really is as an artiste and being as young as he is (19 years), I brighter future is imminent.

In an interview with one of the Pulse Magazine writers, Sheila Kimani, Willy Paul opened up about his life and family and what has brought him all the way to where he is right now.

 

It was touching to find out, through this interview, that Willy Paul considers popular producer J-Blessing as his father. In his own words, “J-Blessing is the father figure in my life. I owe him a lot because he held my hand and guided me when I needed someone to. He was even there for us when my dad passed on. He is the greatest gift to my family.”

 

This explains the close relationship this guys have had for a long time.

Word has reached us that tomorrow, Maina Kageni starts a new job at the Nation Media Group!

At NMG, Maina Kageni will become a columnist for the Nation, writing sports articles for the Daily Nation newspaper. Whether he will retain his radio job, remains to be seen, but remember Maina had announced his planned retirement from radio late last year. Maina himself seems to have confirmed the rumours of the move, posting on his social media profiles that he is “Starting his new job tomorrow.”

This will be Maina’s third medium through which he spreads his message. The man started out as a budding TV presenter(pictured) then moved on to radio, and now is going into print.

What do you think of this move for Maina Kageni to NMG? Leave your interesting or creative responses in the comment section below:

 

UPDATE: In Maina Kageni’s First Article For Nation Media Group, He Picks On Arsenal

He has cut himself a niche in the radio world for being one of the top radio presenters. However, it has emerged that Mbusii or Mbusideh as he is popularly known is also a singer. Few hours ago, the Ghetto Radio presenter released his first song alongside Lion after much speculization on when it would drop.

The song is called “Hakuna Mbrrrrcha” and basically talks about the peace and stability in the country. Adapted from Fadhili Williams’ “Kenya Nchi Yangu”, the song has a Reggae tune (as expected) with its lyrics borrowing heavily from the slang that Mbusii uses on air.

Without much ado listen to the song below;

 

 

In yet another case of song plagiarism, an upcoming rap artist is accusing Mombasa-based songstress, Nyota Ndogo of “snatching his song” (in his own words). Kachela Kroma was astonished to know that Nyota Ndogo has been cooking something from his production.

The song in contention is “Tunataka Amani” which both artists have done with the same title. According to Kachela, he wrote and recorded the song alongside his fellow artist, Bunsen B, during the post-election turmoil experienced in 2007. The Nairobi-based rapper also says the song was produced by Jesse Bukindu at Ketebul Production, now known as Ketebul Music.

Kachela alleges that Jesse is well known to Nyota Ndogo and that he has even done a couple of songs for her. He goes on to claim that Jesse plays his songs to studio visitors including other musicians (such as Nyota Ndogo) and that’s when he suspects his song was hijacked.

Over to you Nyota Ndogo…

Two of Kenya’s top artistes, Muthoni the Drummer Queen and Octopizzo have been featured National Public Radio’s blog. The feature focused on the two heavyweight’s place in the urban music scene concentrating on their partnership Vile Inafaa.

About Muthoni, the said, “In Nairobi’s dance scene, blogs bubble about her spark, and she is revered for the flexibility of her style, from a capella to dubstep.”

On their video for Vile Inafaa: “Illustrating how U.S. rap has become a template for urban living everywhere, the visual tropes fit accepted hip-hop conventions–but with an African twist in the energetic stomping lines of dancers.”

They also got wind of Octopizzo’s controversies and the commendable work he does for his community: “But whether or not Octopizzo flirts with somber powers, a la Robert Johnson, he is also involved with the NGO Uplifting Men and Youth in Africa, mentoring and doing arts education among the kids of the slums.”

In conclusion: “As the Drummer Queen and her consort Octopizzo rap about the comfort of cash the vaunting, incisive energy of their determination and the bravado of their skills are eloquent of a new generation that is rising in Africa.”

You can read the rest of the article here.

At Ghafla! we never forget about our fellow Kenyans outside Kenya. This is a list showing appreciation for those who are getting their hustle on from uncharted territories. Leggo:

3. Sheikah, who lives in Dubai

Admittedly, many of you may not have heard of her. That’s because this chic is a new entrant to the Calif Records stable. With beauty like that, she’s set to take over the diasporan recording industry. Give her latest song a listen below. It’s called “Mali Mbele”

 

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2. Naomi Wamboe, who lives in the States

 

 

What’s most admirable about this girl is the hard work she put into getting her image right, before coming onto the music scene. She went through a massive weight loss programme, which took her from looking like this:

 

 

To looking like this:

 

 

Such hard work deserves recognition. Here is her latest track, “Paradise,” featuring Kanja, the African King:

 

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1. Stella Mwangi, who lives in Norway

 

 

This woman has to be seen to be believed. I saw her in real life for the first time at a Mdundo.com event, and to say I was stunned would be an understatement(although there was a time we showed her without makeup, which is another story, but hey!)

Here is her latest song, “Shut it Down”

 

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I didn’t believe it when I laid my eyes upon this photo. Took me back to some really good memories though.

 

Check out Kantai and fellow rapper, Eyez having the time of their lives. Key word… EYES!

 

Click photo to enlarge.

Popular radio presenter, Mbusii, will today release his first ever track, titled Shotta Dance. The track will be done on a brand new riddim known as the Ambusideh Riddim.

As we wait for the track later today, the Ghetto FM radio presenter is already looking for a dance for his debut single. The challenge starts immediately after the single is released so that people can come up with appropriate moves to go with the riddim.

Shotta Dance is a collaboration between the Kijana Mpyenga Mwenye Mapose and Moha the Lion. The song comes only a week after it was recorded in Kajiado.

It’s been a while since I last heard a catchy tune from Boomba Clan and I’m still yet to. But it seems as though one of them is hard on his grind.

 

ViqUniq is still around and well. Doing music with the same kind of humor that made us fall in love with the Boomba Clan style of music. Displaying his acting skills while at the same time narrating a hilarious yet pitiful story, ViqUniq hits back with this new track titled ‘Mattress Account’ featuring Qevvianno.

Now, when you check out this video, which is by the way embedded below, please watch carefully, and this especially goes out to the ladies, as it briefly takes you through what most guys have to go through just to impress women who, most of the time, are just there to enjoy that process and that alone.

 

He touched my heart this guy with this new song. As I nodded my head all through the video to this hilarious and factual track, I emotionally reflected back to these similar moments I wished I hadn’t gone through. Damn the power of the booty.

Here, take a look. Maybe you might relate.