Kenyan Record Labels Are A Joke! Find Out Why Uncle Chim Tuna Believes This To Be True!

I have been watching Kenyan record labels for a time now and I am convinced that they are a complete joke. For sometime now I have been embroiled in arguments with Baba Ghafla about the state of Kenya’s musical scene and we are pretty much at loggerheads about my opinion.

But allow me to prattle on a little longer and I’ll be able to convince you why Kenyan record labels are a joke.

For starters, entertainment is a business. Getting involved is both capital intensive and time consuming not to mention labour intensive. But in Kenya, getting a record label going only needs a computer, a microphone, fruity loops and speakers. There are no real investors in the music sector and the players have refused to evolve. Look, there is nothing wrong with having just the equipment I’ve mentioned above but once you grow you should plough back the money into growth of your studio. I know studios where 5 years down the line, the music producer is still the same one guy that started out with a computer, microphone and speakers.

Another reason I say that Kenyan record labels are a joke is that they are tailor made to produce for only one individual or group. A certain artist falls out with his record label and forms one of his own. Not a bad play actually, this move is brilliant if you can sign on other acts who go on to produce hits. but that isn’t the case in Kenya. Here, the artist produces a song for himself or maybe 3 then disappears and the record label is forgotten.

<There is nothing wrong with starting from here but you have to be working your way up to something>

And the final reason I feel Kenyan record labels are a joke is because they don’t bring out new talent. I have rarely heard of Kenyan record labels and production houses looking for talent which they then build into stars. Examples that come to mind are Mejja and Calif records, Grand Pa Records is doing it and uhm… Yeah, there’s… Get my drift?

Music is big business. Invest in it not just monetarily but with talent and good management. Hustle some money. Find a willing investor. Or if you have faith in your dreams, take a leap; take a bank loan to finance your dreams. Find the talent, nurture it. Hire the right team. Don’t just work with your boys because it will be simpler. But above all, be professional.

How many record labels were hot a few years ago but have now fallen off? How does a record label fall off like an artist? How does a company only exist for a season? You have to be kidding me! Long term is the key word here! Longevity!