Do Kenyan Music Reality Show Make A Splash?

I had an interesting conversation with a person i met on the rave in Lang’ata’s Off Road and we begun comparing and analysing the strengths in each of our individual nations.

Don’t get me wrong, i love Kenya and i’m a proud Kenyan but in this one Nigeria wins hands down. Nigerian singers who get a shot at fame through reality shows don’t dull to grab the spotlight. They go for it with Shark-like instincts. Let’s take one Nigerian example and 2 of Kenya’s finest examples.

And for our purposes i selected Chidinma from Nigeria and Valerie Kimani whom i feel is the most talented singer a Kenyan reality TV show has ever brought up and Ruth Matete.
In terms of strictly speaking talent, these 3 are indistinguishable. They are all talented beyond the shadows of any doubts but as always, there shall be haters but we refuse to listen to them or their tasteless opinions. Now nibling let’s go to their star potential.

Chidinma is pint sized and while that doesn’t take away from her talent, it means that she must iwork twice as hard to achieve stage presence. It’s a proven fact that tall people command attention. Ruth Matete and Valerie Kimani aren’t tall by any means but for female artists, it will do. Actually nay, i think they are a match on this one. Yet Chidinma has such stage presence it’s unbelievable! She takes to the stage and you have to put the beer down… Or turn to face her anyway.

Chidinma has been releasing track after track after track and each has been a hit from “Kedike” to “Jankoliko”. Valerie Kimani purposed to ignore the local audience and go for the international music listeners with her approach and inspite of this, her debut album “Baisikeli”. She launched the album and chose to return to Kenya to pursue acting. Then after some issues that unfolded in her personal life, she lost her opportunity to take both East Africa and Africa by storm.

Ruth Matete is still quietly working opn her debut but i’m wondering why it’s taking her so long. Chidinma was “discovered” on West Africa’s MTN Project Fame and both Valerie and Ruth were discovered by East Africa’s Tusker Project Fame. And i threw the gauntlet down by taunting my new found friend about Chidinma’s song Jankoliko in which she chides people for not wanting to hassle for theirs. I’m not saying that Ruth is lazy but the wait since TPF ended is too long for someone to put out a track. And what’s the point of putting out a track before you put out a couple of hits and singles? That’s how album sales dip to embarrassingly low levels.

Ruth should put out material before she puts out an album. Cultivate a following and give people a reason to look out for your album. At this point no one knows what sound she’s going for but an album is forthcoming. No one knows what demographic her music will target but an album is in the pipelines?

Chidinma has become a staple because we know several of her songs. However if what Alpha (another TPF winner) said about the structure at TPF and the type of contract has even a modicum of truth, then EABL aren’t looking to create stars. That in itself would mean that their winners are handicapped coming out because music stars are a product like Tusker and they need resources behind them. From producers to song writers to a marketing engine. But then again, Alpha recanted his Facebook rant so there is no truth in what he said.