Hey music junkie,

Is it just me, or is July busier than previous months? Maybe they should add another statement to the Social Studies/ GHC textbook. The cooler it gets, the busier you become.

First of all, apologies for not receiving the regular email from me last week. It was all written and ready to send, but Beehiiv wouldn't open on the Brave browser for some reason. If you’re reading this, it means I found an alternative 🙂

Because of this, I'll start my recap from last Tuesday. That evening, I watched Bam Bam The Sister Nancy Story at Unseen Nairobi. The 2024 music documentary is all about the first female dancehall DJ (an MC is also called an deejay in Jamaica).

Did you know Bam Bam is the most sampled reggae song, over 100 times? But that's not the most shocking fact. Sister Nancy was inspired to record this timeless track after hearing Bam Bam by Yellowman in 1982. And she sampled the 1966 Bam Bam by the Toots and the Maytals over the Stalag riddim released in 1974. And guess what, none of them got compensated for her cover’s success. Just listen to the original version for yourself.

Regardless, Sister Nancy is now 60+ years old and touring the world - the epitome of an empowered woman who knows who she is and what she wants. She reminded me of another incredible movie I watched over the weekend. In Poor Things, Emma Stone played the most liberated and unapologetic woman I have ever seen. Go watch it - it won 4 Grammy awards btw 😉

Speaking of dancehall, that was the theme for our Jadili Session on Thursday. The interesting panel featured SnSe and Rafiiki aka ARIF, Joe of Umojah Sound System, and Gavsborg - our artist in residency from Kingston Jamaica. He was the perfect person to tell us how dancehall started in the 70s/80s with digital instruments. SnSe and Rafiiki explained what makes gengetone so defiant, and we had a whole conversation about why both genres are all about sex. One word to describe it: controversial!

On Friday, I was battling one serious cold. So I decided to stay home while curious musicians attended the Instrument Makers Lab also at Santuri Salon. It was a showcase of the various instruments made during Kilele Summit. People also got to play with Adam Yawe’s electronic nyatiti nyadebe and multi-horn instrument pararira.

Talk about a mini Kilele.

Saturday was THE big day: The Dancehall 2 Gengetone showcase. But first, I dropped by Studio CanV. That's the new swanky studio space at Kuona Artists Collective where DJs can record sets for free. My set was all about joy, as almost all the songs had “raha” or “furaha” in them. And let me tell you Maina, we had so.much.fun.

After dark, we went back to The Mall rooftop. As the emcee, I bigged up the opening DJs Bizi Bingi and Ng'at Maler who played heavy dub sets on the mighty Umojah Sound System. Sisian performed covers of her favourite reggae songs (including Bless My Room) whereas Nile Dawta performed her own reggae tunes.

My favourite performance of the night was by ARIF and Gavsborg, marking the end of their 2-month artist residency which started in Berlin. Their hybrid live set was a sweet fusion of hiphop, dancehall, gengetone, twist, and everything in between. While Gavsborg DJ set included dirty dancehall tracks you've never heard in your life before 🔥

Thankfully, Sunday was the perfect cool down. Coco Em hosted us for an Artivists meetup which ended up being a sistar circle as we sat in the sunny garden coloring, chatting and sipping herbal tea. And at night, we lit a fire inside, shared one last supper with Gavsborg, and laughed at ourselves until midnight.

The next day was a nice balance of work and relaxation. Outside Dillie and Blinky Bill’s studio during a break, I met a “superstar” Ugandan rapper whom I had never heard of before. It was only way later that I learnt this was Dexter and his dancing father in real life. Wawawawa!

Moral of the story: Watch cool movies, listen to dancehall music, and talk to Ugandans.

OPPORTUNITIES OF THE MONTH

Jobs, residencies and more

• Get a creative internship at Creatives Garage - 25th July

• Join the Fashionomics Africa Incubator or Accelerator Program for upcoming fashion designers - 25th July

• Become the Digital and Social Media Strategist for a holistic and conscious media company - 25th July

• Attend an artist residency for musicians in Mombasa/Kilifi - 28th July

• Join the Artist on Residency programme at The University of Johannesburg - 31st July

• Submit your short story, essay and more to be published on Qwani’s 4th book edition - 5th August

• Become a Podcast and Media production consultant for British Council - 6th August

• Submit your short film to win at CANEX 2025 competition in Algeria

EVENTS OF THE WEEK

Culture Grows Symposium 2025 at Nairobi National Museum

As the Rewind Reclaim Remix Festival is currently ongoing at Goethe/ Alliance, British Council has not been left behind. Just last Saturday, they supported Bien to perform at the world famous O² arena in London. And in this week's episode of The UK/Kenya Season, The Culture Grows Symposium presents film screenings, XR exhibitions, panel discussions, DJ sets and live music performances.

The theme for the 4-day Nairobi event is Heritage in The Digital Age, so expect expert conversations on AI, culture, digital tools, and community. And you can attend any or all of the sessions online or in person, for free 🙌🏾

TCHNO Takeover at The Mist

And on this month’s edition of TCHNO Takeover, we're discussing two opposite worlds of electronic music. What happens when Afrohouse and Techno meet, fusion or friction?

Afterwards, experience Clebz’ stimulating live techno set. And unique performances by diverse DJs from Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and South Africa. Music to take you to a whole new world 🎶

Tupone 3 at Sparrows Creek Ecocamp

This is the out-of-town getaway we've been waiting for all July. After working hard all month long, it's time to breathe, release and heal. And what better way than with nature, community, and good food?

Saturday will be coloured with yoga, art therapy, fruit potluck, dance session and more. At night we come alive with bonfire stories, sweet muratina and live music by Cheif Matigari. You might want to camp over because the next day we're going to relax at Oloolua Forest 🌳

No matter how cold and busy it gets, remember there's always opportunities to commune with friends or reconnect with yourself. So take them when they show up. I wish you endless warmth, healing music and the freshest dance moves 🕺🏾

Until next time
Stay high on music
Furaha