Tusker Project Fame Coach Blasts Kenyan Singers And Advises Them On Pertinent Issues
Kenyan music seems to be lagging behind when compared to that from our neighbours and this perhaps explains why few Kenyans have hit international scenes with their pieces of art.
Diamond Platinumz is a perfect example to use here as the Tanzanian is taking the world by storm, despite his songs being Swahili, a language only spoken in East Africa.
This explains why Tusker Project Fame coach and veteran afro-jazz singer Achieng Abura has taken issues with Kenyan artistes.
Speaking to the Buzz over the weekend, Abura said that Kenyan musicians have failed to be trendsetters and that they are third-hand when it comes to ranking across East Africa.
“We are on the right track. The problem is that the industry is flooded and artistes are not willing to move their talents forward. We follow artistes from other countries like South Africa or Tanzania. We do not want to be trendsetters. Kenyan artistes must fight to take the lead. There’s need for more input from government to ensure that the industry is regulated, monitored, institutionalised and well co-ordinated. Musicians are not protected. The government needs to secure the industry because it can employ a lot of people.”
Abura has urged the musicians to step up their game and make the Kenyan industry proud and famous.
The veteran singer and coach also narrated why she left the gospel industry for Afro-jazz music, citing that the gospel industry has been corrupted these days, unlike before when gospel was strictly gospel.
“My first album was launched in 1992. Initially I was doing gospel music but I changed because I loved hearing people like Miriam Makeba and I liked the afro-jazz beat in their music. Those days gospel music was not as it is today. There was no room for experimenting because people were not open to new ideas, they were so judgmental. I could not mix jazz and gospel, it was not acceptable. If you were a gospel singer it would strictly be that and nothing else. Today we even have Lingala Ya Yesu, that’s why I decided to shift to jazz.”
She says she draws her inspiration from Miriam Makeba, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama.
“People who have inspired my life are Prof Wangari Maathai, President Barrack Obama and Nelson Mandela. Musically it is Miriam Makeba.”
