Hey music junkie,

What a week! That was probably the most exhausted I've felt in a long time. No wonder they call it a “weak”.

Don't get me wrong, Kilele was INCREDIBLE. Some would say even better than last year's. But it's hard to enjoy when half the time all you want to do is go home and curl in bed because of fatigue.

By Wednesday, I was so beat I missed the Sound Communities film screenings at Unseen Nairobi - by choice. On Thursday, I hosted the TCHNO panel discussion on “Deconstructing the Kenyan techno sound” with a sore throat. And on Friday, I couldn't host the Climate Convos workshop because my voice had fully checked out.

Talk about a festival experience.

So I did the only thing I could do. Take solo breaks at The Rinse Room and Sand Pit, go home early, and leave late. The lesson here was to pace myself, delegate tasks, and listen to my body. Because you only have one body in this lifetime

On Saturday, a miracle happened. Even though I was at The Mist all night long, I woke up feeling better than I had the previous two days. However, my voice was still gone. How was I going to emcee at the final showcase?

After I gave up on this dream, another miracle happened. At 6pm I went to the rooftop and announced to the Kilele team I was going to emcee with the little voice I had slowly acquired. And that's exactly what I did.

Let me just say that was the best decision I ever made. From all the compliments I got that night from friends and strangers alike, I did a great job. And some people even commended my short and sweet DJ set in between the performances.

As for the music, what an extravaganza! I personally enjoyed ARIF’s dancehall to gengetone showcase, Ngomani’s live Afrofusion music and Afrique Like Me’s party-rocking DJ set. And during the official afterparty, Uganda’s DJ Jeff, Mina from UK, and our very own Karrl made us go wild on the Mist dancefloor till 6AM.

We had reached the proverbial Kilele!

It's now four days after Kilele. And to be honest, my mind or body hasn't recovered yet. I still need five more days of extended sleep.

But if you were there, I bet you already have. Which means you're ready for this week's fun activities. Sindio?

PODCAST OF THE WEEK

Hadithi Hangout: The Twist edition

Have you always wanted to attend Hadithi Hangout or wondered what it's all about? Well for the January chapter, we recorded the whole session for you.

Since it was a few days after the African Twist play, we read about the kings of Kenyan Twist, discovered their international influences, and listened to their greatest hits. And yes, we did the twist dance too! The result: fun conversations and discussions about Kenyan music history.

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

Hadithi Hangout: A Taste of Taarab at Santuri Salon

Now that you know what Hadithi Hangout is like, karibu to the February chapter. This Thursday, we'll be cruising to the Kenyan coast to experience a Taste of Taarab!

As always, we'll read about the history of this Kenyan sound from Shades of Benga, discover the coastal pioneers, and listen to taarab tunes. If you're curious about taarab or Kenyan music in general, this hangout at Santuri Salon is exactly where to quench it 😏

The Jam at Goethe Institut

Can you remember the last time you attended a live music show (apart from Kilele)? This Friday, The Jam is back featuring two soulful Kenyan musicians - Zawadi Mukami and Billy Black. And SnSe aka ½ of Geng Geng (which is having a jam session this Saturday) will be on the decks.

What I love about The Jam is the energy is always electric, the crowd is young and buzzing, and the show is absolutely free. If you'll be in the CBD this Friday night, here's where to be 🙌🏾

AfroGoodness Cafe in Kilimani

Now here's an intimate gathering for families and family lovers. AfroGoodness Cafe is an outdoor event where you connect with wellness, music, and community.

For the first edition of 2025, experience African Trance Music Breathwork with my friend Nathan, a kiddies puppet show (for the children), clothes swap (for both), a vinyl DJ set by Insight Sound and live acoustic music by Udulele and Nathan Okite. The best part, you can carry your own food and drinks, picnic style. And once you buy your ticket, you'll receive the secret location for Saturday 😌

I'm super grateful to have met some of you at Kilele and to hear how much you love this newsletter. Thank you for always reading, sharing and even replying to these emails. See you at the next gig!

Until next time,
Stay high on music
Furaha