Africa
Kenya | Big Brother Hopeful Threatens to Commit Suicide
By Grace Kerongo – The Star
ONE of Kenya’s hopefuls at this year’s edition of the BBA Hotshots, Elle Ciiru, has threatened to commit suicide.
However, the actress hasn’t given any reasons to her suicidal note posted on her Facebook page on Friday.
“Fighting to not commit suicide so kindly let me be. Work continues but I need to be left alone for a while. I invite abusive men to beat me to death please,” she posted, as her friends and fans moved-in swiftly to advice her to drop her deadly wishes.
Nya Migwi Mbuthia told her: “Elle, please talk to someone. You may not know and feel like it but God loves you. I pray right now that whatever weapon formed against you tonite, and in your life, will not prosper in Jesus name, the name that is above every other name. What is your number?”
Melissa Annie Muigai wrote: “Elle Ciiru you are loved. You are accepted. You are valued. You are appreciated. You are special. You are favoured. We are rooting for you!! Cheering you on. Don’t believe the lies the devil is whispering in your ear. Believe in yourself. Keeping you in my prayers.”
Amani Maranga posted: “I’m with all your other friends here. There is a better day coming….#PushOn.”
“Pray, pray Elle Ciiru. God loves you so much. He has good things in store for you. Believe and seek His face and for sure, you will see Him. Let peace, love and prosperity be your portion. God bless you,” wrote Grace Mokaya.
Wrote Mugendi Ann: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. God is faithful won’t let you be tempted beyond what you can bear but instead provide a way so that you can stand up under it 1Corithians 10:13…God loves and is concerned about you. Be strong in the Lord. Praying for you dear. All gonna be well in the name of Jesus.”
The post has since been pulled down.
MUSIC INTERVIEW: New Penzi Amani Song “Milele Daima”
Since her arrival on the scene, she has caught the eye of quite a number of producers and fans. Her music is full which makes her a force to be reckoned with.
I caught up with Penzi Amani before she embarks on the official release of her song to talk about her, her music and what she has in store for us in future days.
It’s safe to say that I love her.
Q: So, for those out there who might not be familiar with your name, tell me a little bit about yourself
A: First off, the Lord is my savior and I love God and through the talent he has given me my desire has always been to share my experience of Him to the world so everybody understands how beautiful he is.
I am an African girl from Kenya but living in the USA for now as I pursue my career as well as my music.
Q: Let’s talk about your new song ‘milele daima’, can you give us any details about that?
Milele Daima is a love song to God that I wrote. I was just having a moment with Him and I thought, its one thing to be loved by Him but how often do we respond with kind words. I wanted to serenade Him. So it came into being, me loving Him.
Q: Will there be a video though or is the song just something for the fans to listen to?
A: Yes the video’s official launch is on 09/19/14. Check it here www.reverbnation.com/penziamani
Q: So have you ever thought about doing maybe a collabo or EP?
A: I have toyed with the idea, definitely something I foresee happening but i am giving myself time to grow in the industry.
Q: And what is one artist right now that you would like to work with?
A: Many artists, I would especially love to do something with Christina Shusho, she is anointed and one of the most iconic women for me. She is a unique artist of our time and so genuine. I can relate to her; she’s someone that I literally love. Her music is real, it speaks of real life situations. I can apply her music to myself not to mention the beautiful melodies she makes.
Q: That is awesome, hope she gets to see this and reaches out too. Now transitioning a little bit to a different topic. Has the Kenyan (and African) diaspora appreciated the local artist based here such as yourself?
A: I believe so. I have gotten great responses from them. I do however believe that we the artists need to allow ourselves to grow in excellence and just be authentic Individuals. I have learned that diaspora audience craves “home”. If we minister to them and present ourselves as simply Africans they will definitely receive us.
Q: What inspires you the most when preparing to write a song?
A: Life. Most of my music is inspired by what I am going through/thinking about. That coupled with what God is saying to me about it is how I write my music. It might be a personal experience or a friend’s experience, or just something going on around me as I observe.
Q: Is there anything you would like to add for your fans out there?
I love you, I am honored to be the vessel that brings the message of hope. “For God so loved the World that He gave…” Himself, His love, His Kingship. There is so much love in Him we would never know what to do with and He desires a relationship with you and me.
For more from Penzi Amani:
Kenya’s Sauti Sol Nominated for MTV Europe Awards
Afro-fusion group Sauti Sol has been nominated by the MTV European Music Awards for the Best African Act 2014 Awards.
With only a little over 53 days left, Kenya’s Sauti Sol has officially been nominated for the upcoming MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA).
Vying for Best African Act, Sauti Sol goes up against Davido, Diamond, Goldfish and Toofan.
The prestigious EMAs will be held at The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, United Kingdom, on 9 November 2014.
Off of the success of the steamy NISHIKE video, which was nominated as the Most Gifted from East Africa at the Channel O Music Video Awards 2014, Sauti Sol’s MTV Europe Music Awards nomination comes as no surprise.
To vote for Kenya’s Sauti Sol, click here
URGENT APPEAL FOR BONE MARROW DONOR
Nathaniel (Natnael) is a boy from Ethiopia who was adopted by a family in Tacoma, Washington state after losing both his parents.
He lived in an orphanage for 3 years until 2010 when he was adopted and moved to the U.S.
In 2012 Nathaniel was diagnosed with Philadelphia Chromosome Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a very and high risk type of Leukemia. He had typing (genetic testing) done to check his bone marrow type for a possible bone marrow transplant in 2012 and there were no 10 out of 10 matches.
Transplant is risky even with a 10 out of 10 match, but without a 10 out of 10 match it is even riskier.
The best bone marrow match for Nathaniel in the worldwide database was an 8 out of 10 from an unrelated donor (which would increase the risk that his body would reject the transplant and that it would fail).
At that time it was decided that Nathaniel should have chemotherapy treatment instead of a transplant. He had high dose chemo for about 2 1/2 years and his Leukemia went into remission after the first couple months of treatment.
Unfortunately, his cancer came back last week. As a result, he likely will need a bone marrow transplant.
Bone marrow typing is based mostly on ethnicity.
Nathaniel’s family is looking and appealing to people of African origin who are willing to be tested to see if they are a match for Nathaniel and donate if needed.
Testing is very simple, free, non-invasive and can be done at home. Request a testing kit from www.Bethematch.org, fill out the simple paperwork, swab your cheek, and send it to Be the Match.
Donorship is fairly non-invasive and requires a physical exam as well as some blood draws. That is all! The cost is paid for by the person receiving the transplant.
Please, please consider looking into being typed and being a donor if needed. Nathaniel’s or another African person’s life may depend on it.
Pleas contact us to donate. Give a gift of life to someone.
Victoria Kimani’s ‘Prokoto’ Video Is Out, Watch
Kenyan diva Victoria Kimani has finally released the much awaited video for her great track ‘Prokoto‘.
The track, which is a collaboration with Tanzania stars Diamond and Ommy Dimpoz was shot in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, making the video represent East Africa to the fullest.
The Prokoto dance competition held soon after the song was released saw hundreds of candidates offer what they believe should be the official Prokoto dance, finally the “Nae Nae” inspired dance move is revealed in this not so serious fun and colorful video.
Watch the video
Zimbabwe’s Afro Jazz star Dudu Manhega Artist Dudu In Italy Performance
AFRO Jazz star Dudu Manhega starred at the ‘Songs from African and Mediterranean Skies’ concert held at Sardinia’s Arena Fenicia of Sant Antioco on Friday, concluding a “month of jazz and more” on the Italian island.
Hundreds of people attended the show where Dudu teamed up with Enzo Favata, the internationally renowned Sardinian saxophonist.
Describing the concert, the local La Provincia said, “melody, energy and polyrhythm, modern jazz and traditional music gave rise to a sound very engaging, particularly originality and freshness, the clouds and the skies of the Mediterranean with a thousand shades of Africa”.
The ‘Songs from African and Mediterranean Skies’ project sought to bring together, in Dudu and Enzo, two musicians from different continents who, in their artistic careers, have intertwined the traditional music of their respective countries with modern music such as soul and jazz.
Enzo Favata, on saxophones, and Marcello Peghin on guitars joined Dudu on stage backed by her group which comprises drummer, Blessing Muparutsa, pianist Nick Nare, the Joshua Kwesha bassist and percussionist Othnell Moyo.
Dudu also wowed the crowd with her self-created colorful outfits with which she aims to encourage African women to embrace modernity without losing contact with their history and traditions.
Closing what he described as an “extraordinary performance”, Enzo emphasized that perhaps too often “we are accustomed to trust only what we know but sometimes it is appropriate to accept new experiences that will not disappoint us”.
Dudu is however, not new to Italy, having held a series of tours in the country in recent years. She also sang Pope Benedict XVI, during the seventh World Meeting of Families in 2012, representing the African continent.
Friday’s concert was the last leg of the tour in 2014 Sardinian Favata-Manhenga collaboration but there will be a sequel, with a CD, a winter tour of the Sardinian group to Zimbabwe and, in 2015, a new Italian summer tour.
Dudu is a true Zimbabwean jazz icon whose style is influenced by great African and jazz singers, and the dignity of her delivery is a credit to her and to her country, wherever she goes.
Her music has been accurately described as ‘an afro jazz adventure’ – a fusion of genres: afro, contemporary, Zimbabwe traditional, township, jazz, afro, Latino, and a cultural cross-breed of Zimbabwe’s Manica, Mashona and Matabele rhythms and melodies, with energetic stage work, and sizzling vocals.
Music Video Debut: Mayonde’s ‘Isikuti Love’
New Kenyan Artist Mayonde has released a brand new Music video to her single ‘Isikuti Love’, a track blossoming with Kenyan Summer vibes reminiscent of younger and purer love.
The video features recognizable characters such as Kevin ‘Makmende’ Maina, Mugambi Nthiga, Trina Mungai, Muthoni Hunja and Wangui Ngugi. Delightfully set at the Rooftop of Nairobi’s sprawling Creative Hub, Pawa254, Mayonde and her gang of friends bask in delightful weather, under the rays of smiles, sunshine and blossoming love.
There’s light choreography on the Music video, which adds some spice to the amazing video quality, brimming with simple, subtle yet appropriate angles, zooms and filtering that are sufficient to make it a smoldering piece that can warm up this July weather.
This is Mayonde’s second Video after the equally visually commanding ‘Rise’.
Mayonde attributes her Musical prowess to listening to the likes of Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott and Just a Band, which would convincingly explain the Jazz, Afro-funk, 80s pop feel to ‘Isikuti Love’, tethered with her sweet and mellifluous vocals.
Watch the delightful ‘Isikuti Love’ video:
South Africa: What is Kwaito?
This week, we decided to forego our usual themed show format and just play some random and assorted records without any fixed agenda. While this makes for an easy show format, it doesn’t make writing the accompanying blog post very easy!
But then we noticed that we’d kicked off with a couple of tracks that might be described as ‘kwaito’. This genre, which might not be familiar to our international listeners, is one of several indigenous styles of music that South Africans have created to supplement the more familiar styles of rock, reggae, folk and jazz in which we have also bred our fair share of brilliant exponents. But, as Hugh Masekela might say, enough of blowing our own flugelhorn, let’s get down to brass tacks: What is kwaito?
Well, it is an urban musical style from South Africa’s Gauteng province which emerged in the mid-1990s.There are various theories regarding the etymology of the word, the most obvious being that it comes from the Afrikaans word kwaai which directly translates as ‘angry’, but is more colloquially used, including by non-Afrikaans-speaking South Africans, to mean ‘really cool’. For example, one might say: “Have you seen Sipho’s new wheels? Man, that car is kwaai!” or “Jislike, that party last night was kwaai! That DJ rocked!”
An equally plausible theory is that, coming from a similar root via Afrikaans, it derives from the so-called Tsotsitaal word “amakwaitosi” which means ‘gangster’. Tsotsitaalis a sort of patois spoken in the townships around Johannesburg by, at least originally, the criminal underworld. (Incidentally, if you haven’t seen it already, Gavin Hood’s film Tsotsi [based on an Athol Fugard play] will give you a glimpse not only into the subculture but also expose you to the glorious Kwaito soundtrack.)
So those are the possible origins of the word, but what does kwaito actually sound like? In one sense, it is very similar to UK House music. But on another level, it shares themes and sounds with US gangster rap and hip hop. Perhaps it is a merger of the two: the ghetto life lyrical themes and vocal aggression of rap/hip hop with the danceability and production values of House with its focus on beat and bassline.
Fresh New Music: ‘Fantasy’ By VKP
As we all know and have heard from the previous music by VKP (Vijana Kwenye Pulpit), they have got their own style of pushing gospel music, often singing about life situations but with the hope to celebrate or overcome them.
That is precisely the premise of “Fantasy” their excellent new track.
Watch the official video to this track here
Audio: Produced at the Homeboyz Studios by Saint P
Open Doors Co-production Lab Will Focus on Sub-Saharan African Cinema This Year
BY
With support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the Open Doors section aims to support directors and producers from countries where independent film-making is vulnerable. This initiative focuses on a different region every year and operates in two modes.
On the one hand, the Open Doors Co-production Lab selects 12 film projects from the chosen region, and offers the directors and producers involved, an opportunity to work on their pitching techniques, and to meet with potential partners, mostly from Europe, to foster support for their projects, which would otherwise be difficult to complete.
On the other hand, in order to introduce the Festival audience to the cinematographic and cultural landscape of the chosen region, a number of films are selected each year to be part of the Open Doors Screenings.
Mashariki 