Hey music junkie,

This past weekend was full of major lessons. One of them was “It’s not about how good you are at something, but about who you know”. Here's what I mean.

On Wednesday night after work, I attended another Kulture Klub Night at The Mist. Being Pride Month, the first film was Haus of Andeti, a short documentary about the burgeoning ballroom dance culture in Nairobi. It was also Kawira’s first film which wasn't perfect but it was worth it. And all she had to do to get it screened was to ask the right people.

And Kymani designed such a beautiful poster you'd think it was the official cover art. Even I had to get one for my bedroom wall.

And then we watched the main feature, Dakan, a Guinean film from 1997. Which was (fun fact) Africa's first gay film. It was funny but also tragic, as the family of one guy tried to ungay him using traditional medicine. Did it work?

Watch the 1 and ½ hour film on YouTube to find out, then talk about it with a friend like we did 🙂 

On Thursday, I was busy working on my Drunken Lecture. Which took way longer than I thought - I was exploring more than 10 Kenyan genres across 100 years! In the evening, I did a mock online presentation for the organizers - which I passed. Then continued refining it while listening to The Clearing live on Calotropis Radio 😅

Baada ya kazi, sherehe. Friday allowed me to let loose. And so I did as DJ Shock and friends unleashed all the bass and garage music at Zahabu, from 4pm till midnight. Afterwards, the dancehall and mainstream hits deterred me from The Mist. But when Mr Kolours from Nigeria played funk, disco and house, I was right there in the midst of it💃🏾

Saturday found me still at The Mall. Where I helped set up Mia Nane at Santuri Classroom as they recorded their freestyle rappers performing live. And in the afternoon, we had Board Jam at The Salon. Amulak Karanja and Stenje played faya Kenyan tunes while 20 of us played fun board games. Including Snakes & Ladders (with prompts whenever you encountered either), the ever competitive Monopoly, and a strategy game called QUONTA made right here in Kenya.

And when darkness fell, you were either at The Mist or at the rooftop where Crystal Axis and other Kenyan rock bands went all loud 🤟🏾

On Sunday, we had more events at The Mall. At the Salon, Global Creatives Hangout brought together art vendors, online creators and musicians to mingle. Because your network is your networth, you dig?

My favourite part was the evening panel discussion which featured a filmmaker, photographer and a model. They all emphasized that collaboration (with the right people) is sweeter than doing a project alone. Also pass the baton to someone else, remember people are looking up to you whenever you want to give up, and become your biggest fan 🙌🏾

After learning, networking and buying cool art, we went upstairs for the afterparty. At 9:30pm, we were right in time for the last set of Marinade by Marienation. Geng Geng were one-minute men, playing one gengetone or kapuka song for one minute or less before moving on to the next. And with the way people were dancing, you would think it's a Friday night everything’s alright.

Proof that it doesn't matter what (Sun)day it is - as long as there's faya music Kenyans will get down!

Moonday felt like one of the biggest days of my life. I was going to give a whole lecture on Kenyan Music History to a crowd of smart millenials I barely knew. And they were going to ask me questions 😳

The minutes before 7pm were so nerve-wrecking. I had to do a breathing exercise with the whole audience in order for all of me us to relax. Feeling more balanced, I took them on a musical journey from the early 1900s till 2026. Which took way longer than the allocated 40 minutes because I had too many Kenyan sounds and legends to talk about.

To keep the noisy crowd engaged, I played some song snippets and cracked jokes too. For example, while pointing at one pic of Mobutu Sese Seko, I commented “Oh, I thought that was Bien.”

After the applause, the audience asked me more challenging questions than I expected. Why do we need Benga as a Kenyan sound, what about forgotten communities such as El Molo and Teso, should we tell AI to create a unifying Kenyan sound for us?

Sema weh!

Before leaving Beer District, I talked to a number of new faces who said they learnt a lot and were surprised at how many Kenyan sounds there are. Beyond genge, kapuka and gengetone. If you'd like to discover them too, here's the presentation (with a playlist at the end for you).

Or watch out for the recorded video on Drunken Lectures’ YouTube.

SONG OF THE MONTH

UA - Marioo za Sofiya Nzau

There's one Tanzanian who's obsessed with Kenya right now. From Bien to Nameless and now Sofiya Nzau, Marioo has created another cross-cultural collaboration between the two East African countries - the same way Mass High unites Kenya and Ethiopia.

UA is all about reassurance, loyalty, and the willingness to stay in a romantic relationship even when things get tough. My favourite part is when Sofiya switches from her usual Kikuyu and sings in Swahili, bongo flava style. Also the Afrohouse production is quite catchy! 🎶

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

Fête de la Musique at Alliance Francaise

Since 1984, France has celebrated World Music Day every year on 21st June. In 2026, we celebrate Fete de La Musique in Nairobi on Friday night. With a hybrid performance featuring 2 singer-instrumentalists and 1 DJ.

Come experience Japanese queen Anyango who learnt how to play nyatiti in Siaya, plus Nabalayo with her soulful vocals and Obokano (nyatiti’s bigger cousin). Who'll also perform some jams with DJ BBrave from Ghana/France to create an electrifying fusion we haven't heard before 🔥

LaSauce at Chronos Nairobi

And in that spirit of it's who you know, I got this gig right after Drunken Lectures. I've been following LaSauce for months so it's a dream come true to finally be on the lineup. Curated by BBrave, it's a pan-African dance party that happens regularly in Accra, Kampala and Nairobi.

For this edition, I'll bring the fun Kenyan music flavours you know me for, from banging benga to gengetone (safi). And BBrave will take us to Central and West Africa with ndombolo, kompa and more 💃🏾

International Yoga Day at Kanga Studio

21st June is not only World Music Day but also International Yoga Day. And on Sunday, you can flow through different yoga sessions with different teachers - from hatha to vinyasa to yin yoga. Or take a break in the garden with breathwork, thai yoga massage, and connection games.

It's a family friendly gathering as well with kids’ activities, a wellbeing market and DJ music! With a friendly ticket price for all, you'll be so proud of yourself for taking this time to heal yourself 🧘🏾‍♀️

May you be intentional with where you go, who you speak to and what you listen to. Because it makes all the difference. See you on a dancefloor or a yoga mat near you 😉

Until next time
Stay high on music
Furaha