The Cruelty Of Kenyan Entertainment: The Struggle Of The Has Beens

Kenyan entertainment is a scene filled with sharks and tuna. Ironically, one shark is called Tuna. The thing I have found to be most unique about Kenya’s entertainment scene is the rate at which we run through celebrities is scary! A person could be hot this year and by next year, struggle for a feature on an upcoming artist’s track.

The sea is even more rough for socialites. Last year, everyone wanted to know more about Pendo. Whenever we’d talk, This year, no one is bothered. It’s as if she didn’t exist. Which is sad given how often i used to pester her asking her to put out music while she had everyone’s attention. And that can leave anyone jaded; being a 21 year old hasbeen.

Kenya’s entertainment scene is littered with examples of singers and musicians who were at the top of the apex at one point or another only to be knocked off when they got complacent. you know the type, they walk into events expecting attention and constantly talk about the glory days when “kukuwa celeb ilikuwa kitu cha maana!” -the type exclusively found at open bar events.

And then in Kenya, there are those who for one reason or another, left for the diaspora. Whenever they return, they do so to find that the entire landscape has changed. And Kenyans are an unforgiving lot. They refuse to recognize you. If anything, when they do, it’s simply to spite you with offhand remarks or backhanded compliments.

Kenya actually has the distinction of being the only country in which the landscape is littered with 21 year old has beens! What notoriety! But in a way I guess that this is a good thing -silver linings and all that- because it means that one must always strive to be relevant and that keeps entertainment sites such as Ghafla at the heart of entertainment! Not just as reporters but as trend spotters and analysts.