Hey music junkie,

I'm currently writing this from the cushioned floor of an apartment in Kilifi. Yes, I'm still here guys. Recovering from the longest and probably most beautiful weekend of my life.

As I mentioned in the previous email, I stayed back after Baitu Series 3.0 to attend Kisima Wellness Festival. And wow, I was not ready for what was about to happen.

As a volunteer, I had two jobs: to help out the practitioners during their healing sessions. And to attend as many sessions as I could in my free time. All for free.

And that is exactly what I did. We started on Thursday noon with a sacred kaya ceremony where Mijikenda elders sang and danced with us on the baobab deck. Before blissing the 4-day event.

After that, we experienced anything and everything wellness Beneath The Baobabs. From energizing sessions like hatha and partner yoga. To learning how to do ayurveda and thai yoga massage (ask me for one).

The sound healing sessions had us lay on our backs for a whole hour while listening to live instruments and vocals. In the middle, the immersive sounds transported us to worlds within and without. Some of us even fell asleep due to the deep relaxation.

One of the most interesting sessions was coaching with horses. Yes, horses were present and they helped us reflect on our lives just by observing them. It's like they were our mirrors (insert Justin Timberlake’s voice)

But the best part of Kisima hands down was the music sessions. Over lunch, we were serenaded by the soulful sounds of Zaituni Wambui and June on The Moon. And at night, South African singer Anne Jangle and Kenyan reggae artist Lavosti uplifted our spirits with his conscious music.

Oh, and I cannot forget to mention Sito Reno. The world musician from France enchanted us by singing, playing over 5 instruments and looping all of it on stage. A true one-man band.

Meanwhile, DJ Shayur allowed us to connect with each other on the dancefloor during Contact Improv, Biodanza and Ecstatic Dance. Basically, dundas you only experience at Kisima. By the end, our hearts were left full of love and light 💖 

Just because of how magical this wellness festival was, I'm currently writing a full review for the blog. Stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, you can watch my Instagram stories to see all the fun in action.

I'm looking forward to coming back to Nairobi for these upcoming events. Let's explore them together, shall we?

OPPORTUNITY OF THE MONTH

CDJ workshop at Santuri

As you probably know, I recently graduated into an event DJ when I played at Geng Geng. And if you’re like me, you know if you want to play major gigs like Blankets & Wine and Beneath The Baobabs Festival you need to know one thing: How to use CDJs.

That's why this Santuri workshop starting this weekend is super timely. Facilitated by the lovely tutor who taught me how to deejay in the first place, Shock will help us get confident behind CDJs. And get ready to start rocking those big shows in 2025!

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

Climate Convos: Inawezekana at Santuri Salon

Speaking of Santuri, this Thursday we're back for the second edition of Climate Convos. This is the unique show I emceed back in October which combines Kenyan music and environmental consciousness. Basically, dunda with a message.

Expect fresh performances, climate conversations and healthy snacks from 7pm. While we remember our role in changing our world for the better. Because as one of Mashariki Vibes’ tracks says, Inawezekana.

Kambaboy Koncert at Creatives Garage

Next door at Creatives Garage, Mbithi is having a special show this Friday. Kambaboy Koncert is an exclusive live-recorded and up-close performance of the Kenyan rapper who effortlessly blends hiphop with African sounds.

The hip Nairobi rapper will perform all our fan favourites, from “Aye” to “Sister Mutheu” to “Masaa ya Mabeer”. If you love live music, intimate concerts and fun discovery, this show is for you!

Makadem @ 20 safari concert

And to crown the weekend, this show is gonna be LEGENDARY. Only because it's a 20-year celebration of Makadem’s long and colourful music career from 2004 till 2024!

On Saturday night, the world touring artist will take us through all his musical personas, from Mr.Lolova to Mganga Mkuu to Nyatiti King. Did you know Makadem started as a reggae artist in Mombasa? Come hear and witness this epic evolution of one of Kenya's greatest musicians.

I'm actually excited to come back to Nairobi and experience all this Kenyan music magic live with you. Save me a seat, okay? And I'll tell you more juicy stories about Kilifi 🙂

Until next time,
Stay high on music
Furaha