Hey music junkie,

How are you feeling this Dezemba? Excited, drained, or surprisingly relaxed?

I'm actually a mixture of the 3. Excited because of the events coming up before the year ends (which I'll share in a few). Drained because of all the events that have happened so far, weh! And relaxed because of visiting the countryside last week.

Yes, Jamhuri weekend found us living wild and free in Tala Kangundo. Every day was different. Thursday started with yoga and meditation on an open field (I was the facilitator) and ended with an Afrohouse DJ party with Obwakss and friends. But the highlight was doing a fashion show and photoshoot in the forest. We all looked so gorgeous in Shiko’s African jewellery and Kenyan-made outfits, pics coming soon!

On Friday, the village elders blissed us with home-brewed muratina. And we enjoyed a sweet gluten free cake made by my sister Sense. In the evening, we took a walk to the stream, drank fresh spring water and sang to the ancestors as the moon rose. It was majik!

And on Saturday, we hiked all the way to the top of a hill, enjoyed scenic views of Yatta Plateau, ate mûthokoi one more time, and travelled back to Nairobi. Mahn I didn't have energy to attend Geng Geng as planned. All we could do is sleep and recover from that nature adventure.

Being surrounded by trees, hills and community reminded us that east or west, home is best. There is so much abundance once you step out of Nairobi and into the countryside. Just try it for yourself during these holidays, and see how relaxed and refreshed you feel.

It's the final weekend before many of us travel upcountry to see our relatives. Or to Kilifi to reunite with our party animal friends, hehe. Before then, let's have one more sherehe in Nairobi.

PLAYLIST OF THE WEEK

The Kenyan Sherehe

In the spirit of The Kenyan Sherehe, what's your soundtrack for this season? I created a special playlist just for you to get into the party mood. Because Dezemba only comes once a year!

Enjoy these 11 Kenyan anthems from your faves, including Watendawili, Charisma and Elsy Wameyo. As you get ready to have the time of your life this weekend!

EVENT OF THE WEEK

Hadithi Hangout: Shades of Benga at Santuri Salon

This Thursday, I’m so excited to host the final Hadithi Hangout of the year. That's our intimate book club at Santuri Salon. And we're reading the beautiful big book that is Shades of Benga!

Together, we'll discover what benga is, who pioneered it, and why it's THE Kenyan sound. If you love Kenyan music and want to dig deeper into our forgotten history, then join us for free!

Jal Gua Festival at Koda Nairobi

After experiencing Emmanuel Jal's music video shoot last Monday, I discovered how cool of a guy he is. And that he's hosting another event at Koda Nairobi this Friday. Before he performs at Beneath The Baobabs Festival on New Years.

The second edition of Jal Gua Festival will headlined by the renowned DJ Miishu from Canada, Tandrah Souls from Mexico, and our very own Juliani from Kenya. If you love Afrohouse music, immersive sound and African fashion, then see you on the dancefloor!

Blankets and Wine: Kenyan Summer at Kasarani

For the final sherehe of the season, Sunday is Blankets and Wine time! This Kenyan Summer edition boasts a 100% Kenyan lineup led by Nyashinski the GOAT, the legendary Necessary Noize and the bad boys Wakadinali.

I'm personally excited to see Watendawili for the second time (after their album release)and Idd Aziz for the first time. With shuttle bus options from CBD, Westy and Ngong Road, getting to the festival has never been smoother. And with 2 grand stages and 16 incredible acts, we're going to be talking about this Blankets for ages!

Whooo! What an eventful weekend that is. Hope to see you at one or all the above as we sherehekea one more time in the city.

And if you'd like to send me a Krisi gift, you can do it here. I'll be sure to toast the muratina to you 🙂

Until next time,
Stay high on music
Furaha