The Retracing Series on KBC Tv: Kikuyu Popular Music

Over the past 3 weeks Ketebul Music in conjunction with KBC TV have been airing our Retracing series of documentaries. These are aired as a 13 part series every Sunday at 5:30pm on KBC channel one.

The Retracing Series is based on research documentaries on the origins and development of different genres and styles of music from Kenya. So far we have documented;

Benga: Retracing The Benga Rhythm, (which was aired over the first 3 weeks)

Kikuyu Popular Music: Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music

Funk: Retracing Kenya’s Funky Hits

Protest music: Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest

This coming Sunday, we shift focus from “Retracing the Benga Rhythm,” to “Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music.”

Stay tuned on Ketebul Music website and social media for updates and extracts from the Kikuyu popular music edition, and be sure to join us this Sunday at 5:30pm on KBC Channel One for the first installment of this edition.

All the editions of the Retracing Series of documentaries are available at Ketebul Music Studios and selected outlets. For inquiries and delivery within CBD call +254 720 561 198
info@ketebulmusic.org

Welcome to Music Monday!

Owing to the fact that it is the first day after the weekend and the beginning of the ‘official’ work man’s week, Monday is normally viewed in sort of a negative light. With terms like ‘Monday Blues,’ in reference to having to get over the effects of an easy going weekend, Mondays are dreaded by both young and old be it in school or the work place.

Well, in an effort to break the ‘Monday Blues’ stigma, and to give you a positive outlook to the day, we would like to welcome you to Musical Monday(s)!

We will be featuring stories, music and profiles of musicians and artistes that we like. This will not be a critics review, but just us pointing out the music we like: more like a musical compass pointing you out to the ‘right’ direction from our perspective.

To start us off this Monday, we will feature the group Sarabi.

Sarabi

Sarabi is Swahili for Mirage. It also means, Imagination, Vision and Creation. They describe their music as a vivid representation of our society, and influenced by the everyday happenings. It features traditional Kenyan rhythms, Benga and a blend of Western sounds.

Sarabi was formed in 2005 and has in the recent years emerged as one of the most exciting and sought after bands in Kenya. The Band is made up of 8 young men, hailing from the Eastlands area of Nairobi, who started playing music before they were even teenagers. They have worked together and grown into an accomplished and solid band, with very high levels of professionalism, that is sometimes lacking in bands who are even twice their age.

They have been described by the press as “The next force in Kenyan music,” (Drum Magazine, Oct 2007) and as being “The new face of AFRO-Fusion in Kenya” (BUZZ Magazine, August 2013).

Sarabi released their debut album titled “OYAORE”- A new beginning in July 2013.

They will be on stage this Friday the 31st of January 2014, performing at the launch of Ketebul Music’s Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest.

Retracing Kenya's Songs of Protest E Poster

Be sure to join us and catch Sarabi live on stage where they will perform Fwata Sheria among other of their popular songs.

CLICK HERE for more on Sarabi

CLICK HERE for more on Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest

CLICK HERE for details on Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest launch concert

Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

We dedicate our Thursdays to reviewing and revisiting our past projects, events and generally things we have been involved in.

Today, as we are gearing up to release our latest edition of the Retracing series titled Retracing Kenya’s Songs of Protest, we shall revisit one of the earlier editions in the series: Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music.

Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music is the 2nd edition in the Retracing series. It was officially released on Friday 17 December, 2010. The launch was held at Alliance Francaise de Nairobi and included a concert that featured performances by non other than the legendary musicians Joseph Kamaru and DK Mwai.

The Retracing Series

Joseph Kamaru in the 1970s

Dk Mwai

The project traced the roots of Mugithi and aimed at answering the following questions:
Why did Gospel music become such a big part of Kikuyu popular music?
Is it true that there is a Jim Reeves, Don Williams or Kenny Rodgers cassette in the home of every music-loving Kikuyu?
Why is it that amongst the Kikuyu rural elite and urban middle-class, one of the nicknames given to a fast-talking know-it-all is “Jimmie Rodger?”
How did the name of the American “father of country music” – Jimmie Rodgers – come to be inscribed in the spoken idiom of the Kikuyu of the 21st Century? Why does Kikuyu urban guitar music carry the riffs of American country music?
Why do virtually all Kikuyu popular musicians wear American Stetson hats and Denim suits, and occasionally, a leather jacket and studded belt?

Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music Front Cover

Retracing Kikuyu Popular Music takes a journey into the roots of Kikuyu music tries to answer these and many other questions. The answers may not be straightforward but in trying to unlock the riddles, Ketebul Music avails part of the archive of Kikuyu popular music in new and accessible formats.

Retracing Kenya’s Funky Hits Released

Retracing Kenya’s Funky Hits has finaly been released! This third edition from Ketebul Music’s retracing series, is a research based documentary on the influence that American funkl and soul had on the Kenya’n pop culture of the 70s and 80s.

Compiled over a period of one and a half years, Retracing Kenya’s Funky Hits is packaged as a narrative booklet, an audio CD compilation of 15 Kenyan funk numbers from Slim Ali, Kelly Brown, Steele Beauttah, Sal Davies,Ismael Jingo, Feisal Brown, the Ashantis, The Mighty Cavaliers, The Hodi Boys, Black Savage and Air Fiesta Matata, and a DVD.

Sal Davies

Steele Beauttah

Kelly Brown

Featured photo: Air Fiesta Matata