Welcome to Music Monday!

Owing to the fact that it is the first day after the weekend and the beginning of the ‘official’ work man’s week, Monday is normally viewed in sort of a negative light. With terms like ‘Monday Blues,’ in reference to having to get over the effects of an easy going weekend, Mondays are dreaded by both young and old be it in school or the work place.

Well, in an effort to break the ‘Monday Blues’ stigma, and to give you a positive outlook to the day, we would like to welcome you to Musical Monday(s)!

We will be featuring stories, music and profiles of musicians and artistes that we like. This will not be a critics review, but just us pointing out the music we like: more like a musical compass pointing you out to the ‘right’ direction from our perspective.

To start us off this Monday, we will feature the group Sarabi.

Sarabi

Sarabi is Swahili for Mirage. It also means, Imagination, Vision and Creation. They describe their music as a vivid representation of our society, and influenced by the everyday happenings. It features traditional Kenyan rhythms, Benga and a blend of Western sounds.

Sarabi was formed in 2005 and has in the recent years emerged as one of the most exciting and sought after bands in Kenya. The Band is made up of 8 young men, hailing from the Eastlands area of Nairobi, who started playing music before they were even teenagers. They have worked together and grown into an accomplished and solid band, with very high levels of professionalism, that is sometimes lacking in bands who are even twice their age.

They have been described by the press as “The next force in Kenyan music,” (Drum Magazine, Oct 2007) and as being “The new face of AFRO-Fusion in Kenya” (BUZZ Magazine, August 2013).

Sarabi released their debut album titled “OYAORE”- A new beginning in July 2013.

They will be on stage this Friday the 31st of January 2014, performing at the launch of Ketebul Music’s Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest.

Retracing Kenya's Songs of Protest E Poster

Be sure to join us and catch Sarabi live on stage where they will perform Fwata Sheria among other of their popular songs.

CLICK HERE for more on Sarabi

CLICK HERE for more on Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest

CLICK HERE for details on Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest launch concert

Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

We dedicate our Thursdays to reviewing and revisiting our past projects, events and generally things we have been involved in.

Today, as we are gearing up to release our latest edition of the Retracing series titled Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest, we shall revisit one of the earlier editions in the series: Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music.

Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music is the 2nd edition in the Retracing series. It was officially released on Friday 17 December, 2010. The launch was held at Alliance Francaise de Nairobi and included a concert that featured performances by non other than the legendary musicians Joseph Kamaru and DK Mwai.

The Retracing Series

Joseph Kamaru in the 1970s

Dk Mwai

The project traced the roots of Mugithi and aimed at answering the following questions:
Why did Gospel music become such a big part of Kikuyu popular music?
Is it true that there is a Jim Reeves, Don Williams or Kenny Rodgers cassette in the home of every music-loving Kikuyu?
Why is it that amongst the Kikuyu rural elite and urban middle-class, one of the nicknames given to a fast-talking know-it-all is “Jimmie Rodger?”
How did the name of the American “father of country music” – Jimmie Rodgers – come to be inscribed in the spoken idiom of the Kikuyu of the 21st Century? Why does Kikuyu urban guitar music carry the riffs of American country music?
Why do virtually all Kikuyu popular musicians wear American Stetson hats and Denim suits, and occasionally, a leather jacket and studded belt?

Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music Front Cover

Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music takes a journey into the roots of Kikuyu music tries to answer these and many other questions. The answers may not be straightforward but in trying to unlock the riddles, Ketebul Music avails part of the archive of Kikuyu popular music in new and accessible formats.

Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest, Preview & Prelaunch Concert

Ketebul Music releases its most recent compilation in the popular ‘Retracing series.’

The Retracing Series

Retracing Kenya's Songs Of Protest

It celebrates ‘protest’ music and those who make it: music that plays an important role in highlighting injustices and the visionaries whose creative spirit and sacrifice makes social change possible.

The project is supported by the Ford Foundation Office For Eastern Africa.

In conjunction with the Alliance Française, Ketebul Music will air a preview of the documentary contained in this multimedia package, which also comes with a narrative booklet and an audio CD compilation of recent protest music, at the Alliance Francaise de Nairobi gardens.

This will be followed by a concert featuring performances by Just A Band, Sarabi, Juliani, Eric Wainaina and Ohanglaman Makadem.

Just A Band

Sarabi

Juliani

Eric Wainaina

Makadem in Ontario Canada

This event will be hosted by John Sibi-Okumu.

Entry is absolutely FREE!

The multimedia package will be on sale at a one time special collectors introductory price of KES 1,000/= ONLY! After that, prices revert to the usual KES 3,000/= price of the Retracing Series collection.

Unsung Heroes Photo Exhibition
In the weeks preceding the launch of this multimedia package, Ketebul Music will hold a photographic exhibition at the Alliance Francaise de Nairobi lobby.

The pictures in this exhibition are a culmination of research and archiving carried out by Ketebul Music over a period of seven years as part of the Retracing Kenyan Music series.This photo exhibition, produced with the support of the Kenya Music Week, pays tribute to musicians who have shaped the various genres of music in Kenya, and influenced our social psyche over the past five decades.

One of the pictures featured in the exhibition: Gidigidi Majimaji

The “50 Years of Kenyan Music” photo exhibition made its debut at the 10th Annual KENYA MUSIC WEEK which took place at the Sarit Centre Expo Hall from; Thursday 12th to Sunday 15th December 2013 as part of Kenya @ 50 Celebrations, and plans to tour the Country for the next 12 months.

Special Offer on Retracing Kenya’s Songs Of Protest Multimedia Package!

Our latest addition to the Retracing Series of documentaries is ‘Retracing Kenya’s Songs Of Protest.’

The Retracing Series

The Retracing Series seeks to document and archive the origins and development of different music genres and themes in Kenya. Previous editions have been:
Retracing The Benga Rhythm
Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music and
Retracing Kenya’s Funky Hits.

Packaged in our usual multimedia format of print booklet, DVD documentary and audio CD compilation, a preview of Retracing Kenya’s Songs Of Protest will be aired at the Alliance Francaise de Nairobi on Friday the 31st of January. This will be folloed by a concert featuring Just A Band, Sarabi, Juliani, Eric Wainaina and our very own Makadem.

Makadem

As a special offer, for that evening only, we will retail the package at a one time introductory collectors price of KES 1000/= only! After that, the price goes back to the normal price of KES 3000/=.

This is your chance to get your copy at a third of the price!

Keep it here for more updates on this and other Ketebul Music events.

Welcome to Singing Wells Saturdays!

In our continued effort to keep you informed on our projects, we will dedicate every Saturday to news and reviews of our Singing Wells Project.

Welcome to Singing Wells Saturdays!

The Singing Wells is a collaborative project between Ketebul Music and our partners Abubilla Music, a record label in London, and supported by the Abubilla Music Foundation, a UK charity organisation.

The Singing Wells Team

The goal of the Singing Wells Project is to record, archive and share the traditional music of East Africa for two important reasons:

This is achieved by making field trips to different regions in Kenya, where a mobile studio is set up and the performers are recorded quite literally in their own backyards.

The Singing Wells mobile studio

Studio set up on the truck for quick recording

The mobile studio set uo on the mountains of Kisoro

By taking the studio to remote communities we can record the music and dance performances of individual musicians and music groups in a relaxed and authentic environment, watched by their family and friends.

The video crew with a large audience behind them

In fact, we usually attract large audiences from the communities we visit. Everyone from the youngest child to the most venerated elder is eager to watch the Singing Wells performances and many join in with the dances too.

Famly members from the village keenly watching the recording sessions

So far we have recorded and archived music from the coast of Kenya, Rift Valley & Nyanza, northern Uganda, east and central regions of Uganda and Kisoro.

To kick us off on this debut Singing Wells Saturday for 2014, we shall share with you the first podcast on the project which gives you an insight on the inception of the project and it’s development to the format that it is today. The podcast features interviews with the two principals of the Singing Wells project: James Allen of Abubilla Music and Tabu Osusa of Ketebul Music.

CLICK HERE to listen and enjoy the first Singing Wells Saturday posting!

For more info on Singing Wells CLICK HERE
For more info on Abubilla Music CLICK HERE

Welcome to Festive Friday!

Happy Friday Ketebul Music friends and family!
Starting this and every Friday we will be sharing and reminding you of the festivals and events where our personnel and signed artists, and those within the larger Ketebul Music network will be attending, showcasing and performing.

We will call this, FESTIVE FRIDAY!

To kick us off this Festive Friday, we debut by featuring our very own Winyo.

Winyo @ The Stage

Winyo will be performing @ MASA| Market for African Performing Arts which will be held in Côte d’Ivoire between 1st and 8th of March 2014. Masa created in 1993 by the Intergovernmental Agency of the Francophonie , is a festival of African Art ( theater , music and dance ) held every two years in Abidjan.

Winyo who is a gifted and talented singer, songwriter and guitarist, has one album/ CD to his credit titled Benga Blues, which was recorded and produced at Ketebul Music Studios.

Benga Blues CD Cover

Winyo started off as part of the critically acclaimed and accomplished trio named ‘Rateng’ (which means Black in Luo), cutting his teeth as the composer, lead vocalist and guitarist of the group. With the group Rateng, they went on to emerge 3rd in the Uzbekistan Cultural Music Festival in 2006. Winyo was instrumental in the writing and composing of the group’s album titled ‘Thumology’, which was released in the year 2009.

Winyo on Stage in Sweden 2013

Winyo derives his music and musical strength from his fore fathers whose African music was rich in melody and traditional harmonies. His musical style ranges from traditional Luo melodies infused with witty story lines, afro fusion and afro jazz, to a contemporary interpretation of Benga, transformed into an authentic acoustic sound. His powerful yet mellow vocals are the icing on the cake that makes listening to Winyo, an almost heavenly experience.

Winyo letting his hair down in Lasi Romania

For more info and updates follow Winyo on facebook: CLICK HERE

For info on MASA, CLICK HERE

Ketebul Music artist Olith Ratego is once again heading to Germany on the 7th of May for a series of performances with German choreographer Morgan Nardi.

Olith Ratego

Olith Ratego and Morgan who have already had a series of shows in Germany in 2012 will showcase 3RD, which is choreographed by Morgan, in Cologne, Dusseldorf and Berlin between the dates of May 9th to May 22. They will also perform at the Sommerblut Festival.

Olith Ratego taking a break during a previous rehearsal in Dusseldorf

Follow Olith on his travels and shows on his facebook page HERE

Bi Kidude, The Icon

The iconic Bi Kidude

Ketebul Music would like to extend our heartfelt condolescence to the people of Zanzibar, and to the family and fans of the legendary Bi Kidude, on her passing. Africa and indeed the world has lost one of it’s greatest and iconic voices.

She will be missed and remembered always.

To read more on Bi Kidude and her music, CLICK HERE

Featured photo by Swiatoslaw Wojtkowiak

Ketebul Music Studio Reconstruction

After almost ten years that has seen music from all the corners of Kenya and indeed from parts of the world recorded within the four walls of our studio, it was time for us to give the studio a facelift.

Some of the international visitors that have graced our studios include the great Mulatu Astatke: father of Ethio-Kenyan Fusion

From Tuesday the 12th of much, reconstruction of the studio began with the first stage being deconstruction. Everything was stripped down, the acoustic treatment, the partitions for the drum booth, the ceilling and even the electrical wiring.

The drum booth gets stripped and pulled down

After the drum booth is pulled down, the riser is demolished.

The acoustric treatment on the walls are stripped and the partition pulled down

The ceilling board and padding is also stripped to pave way for fresh wiring

During the reconstruction phase tha tis due to start on the 19th of March, the walls, ceilling and the floor will be put back otgether and given a better acoustic treatment. Our aim is to improve on the acoustics of the live room, and give it a better live feeling. We are also giving Studio B, which up to now has been a project studio, access to the live room, and also interlinking all the 3 studios including the edit suite.

An openning is made between the sound booth and Studio B to give it access to the live room

We believe all these renovations will improve our acoustics in the live room and consequently our Ketebul signature sound.

Stay up to date with the on going work by logging in to our facebook page by clicking HERE

Catch Winyo Live @ Treehouse Thursday 14th March

Following the release of his debut Cd titled Benga Blues, Winyo is set to do a number of shows to promote the CD.

Benga Blues

On Thursday the 14th of March, Winyo will be on stage at the Treehouse where he will play music from Benga Blues. Winyo will also throw in a special treat by playing new music that he has been working on.

Winyo on stage in Lasi, Romania

Benga Blues will be on sale at the venue, and Winyo will be available to personally autograph your copy after the show.

As always, keep tabs on Winyo, his projects and upcoming shows by following him on facebook.

Click HERE to like his page.