Hey music junkie,

I hope you enjoyed your holiday season as much as I did. Please no happy new years because unlike Gregory, I don't believe the year starts in January. Let's wait until March 21st.

I bet you're wondering, did I spend the holidays in Kilifi? While half of Nairobi was travelling down to the coast, my friends and I made a roadtrip to Kitengela on Saturday 27th. We went to attend the launch of Kajiado Techno Ceremony at Berlin Lounge. See the connection : Techno - Berlin?

Despite the rain, we danced the night away to interesting DJ sets by Kabby Kay, Abanu, Rheina, and BOT 21 aka DJ Rph. While we came expecting techno music, we got deep house, drum & bass, and gqom instead.

At sunrise, we were playing pool inside the neighbouring Tokyo Lounge while sipping muratina #truestory. Monrhea won like all the games, a least I won one. And instead of going home, we decided to go on a little adventure to Athi River.

The plan was simple - buy fruits and veggies on the way, cook ugali and greens, and have lunch together at a local joint. And once the rain rain went away, we walked to the rocks. Literal giant rocks on a hill where you can see the whole of Athi River (the town that is) and the mighty Ngong Hills on the horizon. Or simply lie down and watch the clouds make faces.

Must visit again!

The next day, the fam travelled to Murang'a county where we were welcomed by more rain and cold. While party people in Kilifi were going wild on night 1 of BTB Festival, I was busy having a candlelit dinner because the lights disappeared. While listening to Gikuyu gossip from the family matriarchs.

But hey, I'm complaining. By day 2, I had entered full mathe mode - wearing a dera and a shawl on top while cooking and babysitting. Going on nature adventures with my nephews and nieces in the nearby hills and valleys. And of course, sitting and dancing around a bonfire under the moon and stars on the 31st.

By day 5, I was fulljoying a simple routine of eat chill sleep repeat. And before leaving on day 7, we planted 3 loquat seedlings to leave our mark on the land. Please keep them in your prayers.

The only problem with having your shagz less than 3 hours away from Nairobi is you don't feel like you travelled. But the best part about landing back was listening to Kamarû's Heavy Combination - a new compilation album of the Kikuyu benga legend’s greatest hits. Thank you KMRU.

And now let's make some legendary art together.

OPPORTUNITIES OF THE MONTH

What you gonna do?

• Get funded by the 2026 Seed Award to grow your artistic and cultural practice - apply by 8th January

• Join the pan-African storytellers residency happening this March in Morocco - 10th January

• Showcase your art project at Alliance Francaise Mombasa (for Coastal-based artists) - 31st January

• Travel and work on a creative project in Frankfurt Germany - 31st January

• Live, create art and experience cultural exchange in Malindi - ongoing

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

Acoustic Wednesday featuring Michel Ongaro at Ankole Grill

If you've never attended an acoustic night at Ankole Grill or watched Michel Ongaro live, this is for you. First of all, Ankole is a cozy restaurant full of artistic ambience. And Michel is one of the best Kenyan musicians you will ever experience live.

The music maestro plays multiple instruments, from flute to guitar to percussions even though he's visually impaired. And he plays such tantalizing Afro Latin music you’d think he was half Spanish 😁

Swahili RnB with Didge at Chronos Lounge

Did you miss Didge live at The Christmas Eve concert in Nairobi? Well, the universe loves you so much it has given you another chance to meet the Swa’RnB pioneer. The “Saa Zingine” singer has so much soul oozing out of him it's incredible!

This Thursday 8:30pm, he'll be joined by Kiria on guitar to serenade you and your date with smooth Swahili RnB. This is also the perfect opportunity to visit the new cool club in Lavington, Chronos Lounge 🥂

The People Shall documentary at Unseen Nairobi

No one can forget the GenZ protests of 2024 where we rejected the Finance Bill with our phones, our chants, and our presence on the streets. This Kenyan documentary captures this powerful moment in history where we finally stood up against political power and embodied true people power.

Directed by young filmmakers Nick Wambugu and Mark Maina, you can catch it all month long at Unseen Nairobi. And there's a special donation ticket to support Wambugu’s medical bills as he's still raising funds to seek treatment in India. Here's your moment to also be a hero ✊🏾

And let no one force you to say happy new year when you know it's not. Lol. See you on these Nairobi streets 💃🏾

Until next time
Stay high on music
Furaha