Save for the likes of Sauti Sol, Khaligraph, Willy Paul, Octopizzo, Nyashinski, Victoria Kimani and STL, I doubt most Kenyan musicians are known beyond our borders and who is to blame?
You see, we live in an age where an artist doesn’t have to rely on mainstream media. i.e. TV, radio and newspapers, to grow his or her fan base. As such, we’ll spare the mainstream media in this discourse.
I strongly feel like blame should be apportioned equally on the artists themselves, producers, DJs, fans and video directors. In my opinion, all these people are sleeping on their jobs.
These parties are supposed to play various roles to ensure that Kenyan music transcends our borders but they are slacking.
Also read: Kenyans are to blame for not giving local musicians enough support
For instance, why can’t our producers make beats that can be enjoyed by foreign audiences or people who are outside Kenya?
Why can’t our video directors make good videos that are worthy of being played on international music TV shows? Why must they overcharge artists for good videos?
Why can’t our deejays, especially those who play in popular clubs, have Kenyan songs back-to-back on their playlists? Why are they biased towards Tanzanian, Nigerian and South African artists?
As music fans, why are we not requesting and/or buying Kenyan music? Why are we not showing up for events to show Kenyan artists that are solidly behind them?
Lastly, when will our artists stop being lazy? Why can’t they be proactive? When will they learnt that the biggest secret to success is consistency?
We’ve had this conversation so many times. It has gotten to a point where it is tiring to even talk about these things. It’s time for change!
What are your thoughts on this? Who is to blame? Please leave a comment below.
