A piece of Kenyan musicians say they don’t seem to be getting sufficient assist from their followers, when it comes to streaming and shopping for music. Some followers opine, nevertheless, that quite a lot of Kenyan musicians don’t churn out music that’s as much as customary, that’s, price their time and pennies.
Nonetheless, stakeholders throughout the Kenyan music scene blame the media for what they time period as giving airtime to approach an excessive amount of international content material.
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— ITS DON JAZZY AGAIN. 🐘 (@DONJAZZY) September 27, 2022
Regardless of the blame recreation going round, it’s evident that there’s a drawback within the Kenyan music business and it must be urgently addressed.
The Eric-Omondi issue
Eric Omondi, the self-styled ‘president of comedy in Africa’, has launched into a journey he says is supposed to save lots of the state of affairs. For months, he has been ranting in regards to the native music business being “useless” and the necessity for a re-awakening. He says, in not so refined phrases, that Kenyan musicians are ‘lazy’ and that he’ll ‘whip’ them [metaphorically, I presume] if that’s what is required to get the business’s groove again.
To attain his mission, Omondi says that all Kenyan live shows have to be headlined solely by native artistes. In line with him, international artists who’re introduced in to carry out within the nation should curtain elevate for his or her Kenyan counterparts and never the opposite approach spherical.
Eric Omondi isn’t someone who might be able to say something about this [music] business
He additionally insists that Kenyan artists have to be given VIP therapy, just like that of their international counterparts, together with the extent of pay. In November final yr, he was dramatically arrested exterior parliament buildings in Nairobi, after he tried to stage a protest demanding that the Home cross a Invoice requiring all Kenyan media homes to play at the least 75% native content material.
Omondi insists that Kenyan musicians will not be doing sufficient “showbiz” – which basically means the theatrics an artist will get concerned in to construct up hype for a venture launch or keep related (He insists we should always not name it ‘clout’).
The Apple Music record solely served to offer Omondi extra ammunition. He took to Instagram on the very day and addressed Kenyan musicians saying: “There isn’t any shortcut, you’ll have to hearken to me by drive. Since October final yr there have been 26 main live shows, 23 have been all headlined by international artists. Till you hear this may solely worsen. The components is easy and I’ve mentioned it one million instances; Showbiz! Showbiz! Showbiz!”
Do the artists truly need Eric Omondi’s assist?
Bien, who was the one Kenyan on the Apple Music record, has on a number of events informed Omondi to maintain his nostril out of the music business enterprise.
In response to Omondi’s rant on the Apple Music record, Bien mentioned: “…the place is your Netflix comedy particular or no matter metric they use to measure success in comedy? You’re taking out your steam on music whereas comedy is on its deathbed.”
Extra just lately, when Omondi trashed the three-day Oktoberfest live performance the place solely Kenyan musicians carried out, Bien mentioned: “The true Eric Omondi is now exhibiting. If the music business grows you don’t have any relevance. I’ve by no means understood why you want us to fail so that you can win. You will have run out of jokes.”
You will have a sound level of combating to guard our business, however the way in which you might be approaching it generally is simply […]
Khaligraph Jones, certainly one of Kenya’s greatest rappers, just lately mentioned: “Eric Omondi isn’t someone who might be able to say something about this [music] business.”
Singer Masauti had beforehand informed Omondi that he solely speaks to get likes and feedback on social media, whereas Nadia Mukami mentioned: “You will have a sound level of combating to guard our business, however the way in which you might be approaching it generally is simply […]! Cease making it an Eric Omondi combat, it’s an business dialog.”
Rapper King Kaka additionally shot on the comic saying: “I don’t know what you’re going by means of, however please preserve my identify out of it. I pray that you just discover peace.”
What Nigerian artists have been doing…
Nonsizi Agnes, the co-founder and CEO of public relations company Terazo New Media, says Kenyan musicians will not be investing in advertising their music as a lot as their Nigerian comrades. In line with Nonsizi, lack of correct networking capabilities in addition to clueless traders is what’s killing Kenyan music.
It’s not that now we have dangerous music, we’re simply not pushing it sufficient
“The one factor the Nigerian musicians have been capable of do is to market their music for it to cross borders. I really feel our Kenyan artistes don’t make investments sufficient in advertising their music; they don’t community. The explanation as to why Bien could be in that record is as a result of he is an efficient songwriter, an incredible artist, and on prime of that he’s in a band that networked correctly. It’s not that now we have dangerous music, we’re simply not pushing it sufficient,” she tells The Africa Report.
“For instance, Nigerian musicians like Davido and Wizkid have full time publicists within the UK and the US…they even attain out to us [Kenyan publicists] after they launch music to assist them promote it. They go all out, and I’ve met lots of them who – even earlier than they hit – they arrive down right here to check the market. What number of of our artists have even crossed right here to Uganda or Tanzania or Rwanda?”
Nonsizi additionally provides that Kenyan music doesn’t cross borders as a result of a few of the artists aren’t inquisitive about international markets. She says numerous them have restricted imaginative and prescient.
Music producer Riccobeatz, who’s behind the tune ‘Utawezana’, which turned fashionable through the pandemic, agrees with Omondi. He says to assist the Kenyan music business regain its misplaced glory, the cap on airplay of native music must be handed in Parliament.
He opines that the extra Kenyan music is performed on Kenyan radio stations, the extra residents will begin to embrace native artists. He, nevertheless, disagrees with Omondi’s strategies of getting this message out.
“The Invoice to play Kenyan music must be handed first, as a result of if the followers are fed quite a lot of Kenyan music they may prefer it. There’s quite a lot of good Kenyan music that doesn’t get to mainstream media, it’s provided that we play them consistently that the artists will get the numbers and elevate the business.”
“[…] quite a lot of what Eric Omondi says is smart, however there are occasions when he tends to go a bit too far. Nonetheless, when he says Kenyan artists have no idea do showbiz, that’s true, however that’s additionally as a result of the Kenyan viewers doesn’t purchase these foolish stunts. Additionally, Eric is aware of that his relevance sort of goes away with out making noise about Kenyan music.”
