Hey music junkie,

Going to Lamu is one of the wildest things I've ever done. Like seriously. Who just books a bus and travels to a new place 700km away without a solid plan?

But before I made this wild decision, the weekend was well spent. On Thursday, I attended the Braid Fund event at Shifteye Studios - representing Santuri while meeting other grantees/ partners. The free food and drinks made being an artist worth it 😁

On Friday, I recorded a new radio show with my musician friend Ng’at Maler. It's all about the Spirit of Kenyan Music mixtape I made a while back, remember that? We had such interesting conversations in between the cultural songs, and I can't wait for you to hear them.

Baada ya kazi, my sistar and I went upstairs to check out the rooftop. Even though it was midnight, We're Loud Fest day 2 was loud with live rock music by Kenyan band Irony Destroyed and Latin music by DJ Boomboon Kidd. Let's just say we had one rocking time!

After a long night prepping for my QWANI DJ set, I finally got home at 7am. 8 hours later I was at the 2057: Dystopia event by Creatives Garage. A one-woman storytelling play which painted an ugly picture of what Kenya would look like if we cared more about AI than nature and humanity.

As for my QWANI book launch DJ set, I never really got to play it. Why? The staff chased everyone from the Nairobi Cinema hall just when I started, and then switched off the power a few minutes later. Talk about manners.

I was not gonna let this dampen my spirit. So instead of crying over spilt milk, I rushed to K1 Klubhouse and found Brian Sigu and his band performing the rock version of Kothbiro. Was not hexperrerin it.

After being pampered into a punk princess, I played my first DJ set at We're Loud Fest. A break from the heavy rock and roll, it was a soft fusion of Kenyan benga, rhumba and twist. Everyone loved it, given by the number of compliments and people on the dance floor.

The rest of the night was pure madness. Rock bands from Europe, America and Kenya electrified the K1 stage with their bass heavy music. We banged our heads, did mosh pits and even crowd surfed. In short, it was liberating! 🔥

The most fascinating thing about rock music was hearing the African beat in the drums. I could also hear and dance to the swing that originates black music. As mentioned in this article, more proof that all music (including rock) is black music.

My favourite bands of the night were

• Monsters from Switzerland, white haired men with red and white suits who rocked like they were teenagers 🤟🏾

• Death from USA, who were like a living timecapsule as they performed punk rock from the 70s 🎸

• Crystal Axis from Kenya, who's musical arrangements were so beautiful you could cry 🥹

After that night, I officially became a rocker. And because the party don't stop, I'm so looking forward to experiencing more rock this week at the coast. Yup, that's the reason I'm in Lamu Tamu #firsttime.

Coasto adventures part 2 coming next week. But first, enjoy this EP of the moon.

EP OF THE MONTH

Just Chills by Haro Chilumo

How did I discover this indie Kenyan artist, you ask? Through IG DMs of course.

His debut is a 4-track EP that is as tamu as Lamu. From a song about healing to taking love slowly, it's the perfect R&B listen with heartfelt lyrics and smooth vocals. Definitely watch out for this rising star ✨

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

The Spirit of Kenyan Music mixtape on Calotropis Radio

Remember that radio show we recorded on Friday? Well it's finally going live on Calotropis Radio this Wednesday at 5pm so you can hear it!

We played 10 cultural songs showcasing the spirit of Kenyan music from the east coast to the west coast and back. Expect Mijikenda music, Meru magic and Teso dance. We had a silent audience in the studio who enjoyed the music so much I'm sure you will too 🙂

A Band Called Death screening at The Terrace Kilifi

Have you watched A Band Called Death? That's the powerful documentary about the We're Loud Fest 2025 headliners. It showcases how the world’s first black punk-rock band were rejected by the world because of their name, and how 30+ years later they finally gained their fame and fortune.

Before the screening, we'll enjoy vinyl DJ sets at The Terrace from 5pm. And afterwards we might just meet the living members of Death 😎

We're Loud Fest finale at Distant Relatives Kilifi

This weekend is the grand finale of We're Loud Fest. After rocking Lamu, we're heading down to Kilifi for the final concerts this Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, South African kids Twenty One Children, Spanish rockers Command 9mm and Kenyan reggae dub band Asili Dub take the stage. While on Saturday, the punk rock legends DEATH, American band SexFaces and Mijikenda fusion band Afrosimba will close the rocking festival alongside vinyl DJs from all over the world. Plus Hasira Hasara and DJ Raha will play on one of the nights!

Guys, I have so many more storos to tell you but this will do for now. If you wanna check out events happening in Nairobi, join our Telegram channel here. And do something wild, mkay 😏

Until next time
Stay high on music
Furaha