Renowned ‘Nation’ Writer Hits Out At Pioneer Kenyan Musicians
‘Kenyan artistes are cowards’. Those are not my words but NMG’s Buzz Magazine editor, John Muchiri. According to the distinguished showbiz writer, Kenyan urban music pioneers are not utilizing their full potential in music.
Here are his thoughts;
Our very own established artistes have refused to man-up and take the world stage they already have on their table.
Up-coming artistes are overtaking them every day, just because they are afraid of making those tough and daring decisions that every other artiste in the world does to break out into the international market.
What am I talking about?
I’m talking about Redsan, Nameless, Amani, Wahu, Daddy Owen, Rufftone, Nonini, P-Unit, just to mention but a few.
If there are artistes who should now be rolling in the same league as HHP, D’Banj, P’Square, Lizha James, Gal Level, 2Face, among others, are the Kenyan artistes I have mentioned above, and many more.
All the artistes have been in the industry around the same time. But you cannot compare their success in the showbiz industry.
Nonini & Nameless
For instance, my good friend Nameless. I respect his hustle, and everything he has done to keep the Kenyan entertainment industry abuzz. But with a name out there across Africa, Nameless has confined himself within the Kenyan and East African market. He is not daring to venture outside.
I was in Lagos, Nigeria, early this year. In one of the clubs located at the city’s Victoria Islands, I had an opportunity to get to the DJ booth and requested for a Kenyan soon to be played. The first song the DJ played was ‘Sunshine’ by Nameless and Habida, before playing ‘Tokelezea’ by Shantell and Abbas and ‘She Say Dat’ by Wyre. Later on he played Camp Mullah and Sauti Sol.
What Nameless needs to know, if he doesn’t, is that he has a big name out there in different African countries. He won big during the 2009 MTVBase Africa Music Awards, MAMAs, held in Nairobi. Together with his wife Wahu, they were sold to the African market through the awards that were broadcast across over 40 countries in Africa.
Let’s all agree that as Nigerians came to Kenya during the MAMAs, they took all the glory, even though Kenya won the most important awards. Most Kenyans only knew few Nigerian artistes like P’Square and 2Face Idibia, before the awards in 2009 held at the Kasarani gymnasium. But right under their noses, Redsan, Nameless, Nonini, Wahu, Wyre, among others, watched D’Banj, MI, Naeto C and other Nigerian stars launch their names to the Kenyan market. And when they went back to Nigeria, they channeled all their next music releases to Kenya and East Africa. These same artistes have Naija Nite in Nairobi every year, not for Nigerians living in Kenya, but mainly for Kenyans who love Naija music. Sad.
And the rambling continues in part II
