Inter Generational Dialogues Podcast

No better thing than the invaluable satisfaction of knowledge. The sweet knowledge of history. Tracing not only one’s steps but also those of our predecessors. Of great importance is to recognize the hard struggle our fathers bore for the freedom we all enjoy today. Interestingly, the liberation struggle for Kenya’s independence is well demystified as one that was a collaboration of different communities traversing our Land. As often misunderstood the burden of the struggle is errantly termed for the Mau-Mau who put up a fierce militant resistance through the Land and freedom army.

The Ruringu Museum where the African Court sits is where the white cracked his whip. Did away with the old form of punishments and institutes new retrogressive laws to dehumanize the natives.

An interesting discussion that comes up is the whole question of the victory of the fight. So far it well clarified that the struggle was carried out by many of every hue and kind in whatever role they played. Of interest is whether the militant fighters the Mau-Mau actually won the war. Even as the compensation agenda is pursued let it be soberly remembered that there were more fighters before the Mau-Mau. As severe as their suffering in the detention camps might have been,  the ‘lesser suffering’ by other fighters doesn’t stand invalidated.

Every deed and sacrifice is worth appreciation but endless rifts came about thought the liberation struggle. A lot is unresolved. The land question which has always been a thorn in Kenya’s foot can trace its beginning in post colonial Kenya. As the colonial powers decided to leave Kenya after immense international pressure, the carried on with a divisive decolonization strategy.

Just celebrating our Mashujaa day is not enough but also recognizing why we should celebrate and how you should celebrate. The problem with our use of history is, it is often used to consolidate our antagonized stand offs. History in its true sense should balance opinion. It should give a pathway of healing and reconciliation. History indeed is notorious for opening cans of worms and the buried hatchets. It is only through history that we can learn our togetherness and ingenuity. Our beauty in our diversity. The hard question of forgiveness should be answered. Can the colonial powers repent and can the African forgive the colonialists.

View the making of the podacast on YouTube (Behind The Scenes) Courtesy of Gee Twist Films

#InterGenerationalDialogues

Read full story on County Times November Edition. send email to creativeconnekt(at)gmail.com

 

Author: Eddie Kagure

U.S Embassy Holds Music Workshop In Nyeri

The U.S. Embassy in conjunction with a Local Record House,Adomo Records organized a 4 day Worldwide Cultural and Music Exchange Workshop at The White Rhino Hotel in Nyeri from 8th to 11th May 2015.The Workshop Facilitation was conducted by DJ Juan G from the U.S, Ghanaian Rapper and song writer Delasi,Tommy Moto a Music Producer from Nairobi and Michael Owora a PR genius from Corporate Reflections.

It started with a brief introduction by their Team Leader Ken Wakia to the participants and a brief about the details of the workshop which was designed to mentor and teach young up and coming performance artists about the Entertainment industry as a whole.

The workshop involved training Rappers,Singers,Dancers, DJs and other types of performance artists on how to improve the quality of their work.DJ Juan G explained the sixes and sevens about his ones and twos to the DJs present.

DJ CLASS

We went through pre and post production with Mwah,Tommy and Delasi. Delasi talked about some of the questions an artist ought to ask themselves to be able to better define their craft. What kind of performance artist are you? Who do you do it for? Why do you engage in music as a form of expression and what do you hope to achieve?

The moment you are able to answer these questions correctly you will be able to have a clear guideline to help you accomplish your goals in performance arts. We went through some vocal exercises on how to prepare for a studio session.Being a top performer requires that you be in top shape too so some regular jogging and working out would do your music some good.

Being fit also helps make your stage performance lively.Delasi also talked about making your music available by putting it on the Internet on blogs and streaming services like iTunes and YouTube which you can monetize.

SONG WRITING AND PRODUCTION CLASS

By the end of it ,I had finally learned what the popular hiphop phrase “16 bars” means.

Throughout the workshop, we had sessions with Michael Owora who touched on how to brand yourself as an artist,how to make a strategic business plan and how to implement it. He gave a rather out of the box assignment that we should all write our own eulogy. Of course everyone would write about how well they lived so he challenged us to live like that.

MICHAEL OWORA DURING HIS SESSION

On Friday, DJ Juan ,DJ Mwah,MC Shie and the workshop team went on air at a local radio station ,Rware Fm to speak about the workshop and also invite guys to the Saturday show.

ON AIR AT RWARE FM

After the Radio interview we hosted them at Dedan Kimathi’s DeHub to talk to the students there about performance arts and how to make money off it.

WORKSHOP TEAM AT DEHUB IN DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY

The final part of the workshop would be a show to showcase the amazing talent Nyeri has and a chance for the participants to utilize some of the knowledge they had acquired from the workshop as well as increase their fan base.

We spent the better part of Saturday rehearsing for the event and in the afternoon the participants received certificates from the U.S. Embassy..

PARTICIPANTS RECEIVING THEIR CERTIFICATES

After which we planted trees with Ken,Juan,and Michael to mark the beginning of a working relationship ,a symbol of longevity and sustainability of the project as well as playing our part in conserving the environment as we approach World Environment Day on 5th June

TREE PLANTING BEFORE THE SHOW

Ken was grateful that although he couldn’t be with us during the workshop,he was able to follow the progress on Twitter using #MusicMyHustle where we posted real time updates. During the first day we were able to reach over 65k people on Twitter. Surprisingly the Workshop team first met on social media.

#MusicMyHustle Tweets//

The show was held at White Rhino from 10:00pm.Mc Shie and DJ Mwah kept the show alive and so did every artist who went on the stage.The dancers danced the night away and we also had a DJ Set where the DJs had a go at the decks and then a final performance of the Nyeri AllStar anthem we had been working on during the workshop.

MC SHIE AND DJ MWAH DURING THE SHOW

DJ LEQS ON THE SET

LUCY & DAN DURING THEIR PERFORMANCE

DJ MELLOW ON THE SET

GHANAIAN ARTIST DELASI DURING HIS PERFORMANCE

NYERI ALLSTARS ANTHEM PERFORMANCE

HIGH OCTANE AUDIENCE AT THE SHOW

Photos| DJ Juan G,Sam Kairu & Jeff Ng’ang’a

10 PR Tips On How To Create A Strategic PR plan As A Brand

 Many artists,organizations and entrepreneurs think that producing great works,having a website and participating in Social Media is all they have to do to have the world knocking on their door for more. Sadly this probably isn’t an effective business model. You need to get the message out about you and your art and Public Relations is just the tool to do that. PR is the discipline that looks after reputation,with the aim of earning support and influencing opinion behavior. It involves analyzing trends,predicting their consequences,counseling leadership and implementing plans of action which will serve both individual and public interests.PR goes hand in hand with communication. Richard Brandon says “A  good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page Ad.” PR can maximize shrinking advertising budgets in hard economic times such as these. Advertising is saying you’re good,PR is getting other people to say you’re good. It creates a voluntary army of marketers.People often don’t by goods and services,they buy relations,stories and magic because ultimately, a brand is a perception. Why else do you think most people call all paracetamols Panadol? In today’s competitive world people,artists and organizations  need to know how to package themselves in order to stand out. The most successful  have a team of people who work to handle their communications .You may not have the resources to manage a team but you can handle your own PR by building your Brand and having a good Strategic plan with a reasonable business model. International artist Jay Z got rejected by labels back then so he had to build himself to where he’s at today. Def Jam was formed in a college dormitory by Rick Rubin the master producer and look where it’s at today. Coming closer home See how the likes of Sauti Sol and Elani have been going about their business.Don’t be afraid to start small as long as you don’t stay small.So how do you develop a good Branding plan?

1.Set objectives of what you want to achieve.

2.Define your audience and the best avenues to reach them on.

3.Now that you have an audience,you need to set a message which you as a brand will be promoting.

4.You need to make a strategy of how you are going to meet the objectives you set,how to engage your audience and get your message across.

5.Develop tactics to implement your strategy.

6.Define a timescale or timeline to work with clear guidelines.

7. Resources.What resources do you have to help you accomplish what you want.You are allowed to be resourceful and improvise if you don’t have enough resources.

8.Evaluate your tactics and determine their effectiveness.

9.Review your position and if you’ve met any of the objectives you had set.

10.Constantly do an analysis of everything and adjust accordingly.

Once you follow those easy steps you can easily monetize your brand.

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Credits | Michael Owora a young man led by Christ on a mission to make every life he touches better through sharing the Gospel.He puts the PR in ‘Professional’ at Corporate Reflections. Interests are Fitness Training and Triathlons. Follow him on Twitter

Have You Applied For The Bloggers Apprenticeship Program?

Late last month Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) announced the opportunity for those wishing to improve their writing skills and up their blogging game. They have organized a bloggers apprenticeship program and interested parties are welcome to apply. The original deadline for application was 5^th May but they have good news for those who may have missed it. The deadline has now been extended to 15^th May, which is Friday this week.

To apply for one of the slots available, submit your CV (1 page) and an essay on one of these topics:

1. What is the future of African music?
2. Does music have a role in unifying Africa and the world?

The essay should be typed and have a word count of between 700 and 1000 with a 12pt font, and set double spaced.

Please apply only if you’re interested in:

• Entertainment – music, fashion, lifestyle
• Communication – journalism, electronic and social media
• Available to attend training and assignments in Nairobi, Kenya
• Minimum O level education (KCSE or similar)
• Fluent in English and/or Swahili

Successful applicants will undergo training and mentoring on blogging by the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE). Applicants must note that this is NOT a paid position but an apprenticeship program that will last for up to 3 months.

Send us your application to training@bake.or.ke by Friday 15^th May, 2015.

Nyeri

NIMU ISABEL PHOTOGRAPHY

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

A few friends and I were on the road again this past weekend and this time we decided to go explore Nyeri. Nyeri town is 148 kilometres from Nairobi, which is about 3 hours by road. However, it took us 4 hours to get there due to a minor accident at the start of our journey. We thank God nobody was hurt.

On arrival, we were received by some fellow photographers who reside there and who also happen to have been our hosts for the weekend. They made sure our stay there was nothing short of amazing.

On Saturday afternoon we set out to explore Zaina forest in Gakanga valley, which is about 30 minutes from Nyeri town. Here we came across some…

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Tick Tock

Life isn’t what we think
Many theories have been passed about life of which most of them if not all are related to time; also not forgetting that every second that passes brings us closer to our death. But that isn’t the mentality to have when trying to accomplish the most in life now is it? What if we looked at life from a different perspective? What if it’s the one that tries to make the best out of us but some of us just deny it concluding to the opposite? What if life is the one that’s alive and WE are just bystanders, onlookers rather spectators of its marvel (or demise)?
Okay enough with the musing questions their intention was just to open your mind to the general idea of this article. It’s come to my realization that maybe life isn’t as vile as most unsuccessful people tend to argue but actually it’s what you want it to be. What am I driving at exactly? Maybe our ‘alive’ Life is in the dark about our potential, to be more precise, your life is unaware of what you’re capable of. You can have the head start to a successful life ,if you wish, and beat it to its game but as soon as you let your guard down and submit to life’s pessimistic misconceptions it gains the upper hand and controls you instead of the vice versa. So in my opinion, Life isn’t as daunting as perceived you just have to utilize your potential to the fullest and definitely show it you’re in control.
But this doesn’t stop the fact that every second, minute, hour, and day that goes by draws us nearer to our untimely death. What’s more, truth be told, if you looked back and deeply reflected on the time you’ve wasted today (from the lazy walks to and from wherever you’re going and coming from to the passive glances and swipes on your smartphone ignoring the fact that you have no bundles or your battery life is low and there’s nothing productive you are doing,) you’ll waste even more time regretting your time wastage. This brings me back to my earlier point- making the best of your time by utilizing your potential. Anytime you’re free (constantly checking the time on your phone submissively for no apparent reason counts as free time), try and do something constructive. You can even note down the constructive deed if you’re not in a position to do it-that’s also constructive. Do ponder about life and the limited time we have. I don’t know about life but time waits for no king; think it’ll wait for you?

Guest post | David Ndiba is a young Kenyan who just finished high sch and has been writing for 4 months now. He likes basketball and speaks French

Poem Of The Sea

I hold my pen careful like a sniper,
Firing a scroll to take your guards down,
Let them fall slow,
One shot is all I need to take you out,
Been waiting all week though,
For you to hint a yes,
Or utter a weak no,
I remember a while ago,
My schedule used to be flexible as you are,
Lately I’ve been too involved with cameras,
When I’m not too busy I’d like to see you off set,
Maybe we could set off in the dark,
And talk about this flash,a spark and a blast we could offset,
While I maybe focused on the details of the art of which I paint myself bare ,
Sometimes I’ll have to lay back and look at the big picture,
Capture the action,
Catch up and make moments of my pivotal years that others only wish they could caption,
If you only had an hour to be with me,
Would you spend that hour saying that an hour isn’t enough?
We’re either too close to our image to stay objective in our perception,
Or too far away to be subjective in any matter,
Love can be intimidating,
A little scary when it comes to intimate dating,
Couple calls couple texts, couple fights,
A couple “I think we should spend a night”s
Why we acting like couple that can’t get it right?
I’m far from every Tom who’s dick is in a hurry for your cherry,
I’m the kind that cherish it,
I found Chivalry
This is such a long shot but I’ve got the long zoom,
Took a minute I’ve been looking in the wrong tomb,

Youre more than a drop in the ocean,you’re the whole ocean in one drop

I’d Rather Be intimidating Than Live Intimidated

There’s a certain fear that comes with being creative. The fear of putting your work out for people to judge and form opinions about.That’s why creatives are their own worst critics. We always wonder whether something is good enough,and by extension whether we’re good enough because it’s hard for people to separate you from your work. I always reference about the 1st time I heard teardrops live at pawa254 during Fatuma’s Voice.I didn’t know him physically but a friend had told me about him. When he was on stage doing his thing,I felt something I hadnt, it was new to me,a mixture of admiration and intimidation. I wanted to be able to say what he was saying the exact way he said it. The audience was snapping fingers like every two lines. While I was experiencing all this, a line caught my attention,it went something like “kwa mfuko niko na kichwani,but nina ideas kama thao kichwani” I’ve paraphrased but it was something similar. I felt out of place for a while. I had always considered myself a poet but this was the big leagues.

Everyone else who performed that night did nothing to help what I felt. They just made it worse with their awesomeness poet after poet. I had been accompanied by my friend who was overjoyed about the experience. I’m a person who likes challenges but this one was bigger than me I thought. It took me back to high sch when I failed a physics exam so hard my teacher said I should’ve done CRE instead. Harsh much. He insulted every grain of pride I had in me. I took that negative energy and buried myself in books and in the next test I made sure I showed him the business. Back to Pawa. So there I was, a rookie poet with all this creativity around me. You know,like how you go to a place with wifi and everyone is holding out Samsungs (Galaxy pockets don’t count) but your idiotic Ideos can’t connect. I wanted to be as awesome but I didn’t know if it was doable.I thought about it the whole night even after the event ended. When I woke up the next day I knew I had to make a choice.To be creatively intimidating or live intimidated.

A lot of people face the same kind of fear so instead of attacking it, we sensationalize it. We make movies about it. We dress it up in pretty bows and we give it a soft name, not too shy, not too aggressive. I know the bigger picture might look too big but you have to start somewhere. The first step is to make the first step.
We’re not hardwired to know or to make sense of it all. We don’t have the ability to magically be awesome. We have to do it blindly, to make it up as we go, to make a little sense out of a big thing. We’re programmed just to try.If I could tell you anything – impart any knowledge – it would be to give yourself the chance. Maybe it means breaking your leash ,maybe it means trying something you were always a little too scared to go after. Just give yourself the chance.

A content life isn’t always going to cut it and just skating through won’t always be satisfying. At some point, whether you let yourself believe it or not, you’re going to need more.There’ll be a grumble, deep inside you, a low rhythmic moan that slowly, but steadily rises, searching for something to feed it, to dull the ache, to quiet the whispers.Do yourself a favor and start feeding it now.

Take little steps. Start small, but have faith that you’ll grow.I know that it’s scary. I still think back on that time, when the hole was so big and I tried everything to fill it, and I shudder. Knowing what you want is the hardest question you’ll ever ask yourself – and the hardest question you’ll ever have to answer.

But here’s the thing: You can never get it completely wrong.

My Not So Humble Opinions In Snippets

Ms Martha Wangai Karua,the no-nonsense former legislator for Gichugu Constituency is a now a political stoogeHer appearance during the Okoa Kenya Referendum Launch was toadyish.It seemed to be like a well-calculated political coquetry .

She no longer appeals to the electorate.Her brand of politics is benumbed. The career Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a 2013 Kenyan Presidential Election Candidate needs to rebrand as a politician if the citizenry is to take her current antics seriously. Her return to participatory politics is a façade.

A hapless attempt at revitalization of her seemingly diminished political life.She has fallaciously dined with the ‘political enemy’ as the inhabitants of the House Of Mumbi would put it.

If she is serious about rejuvenating politically,she should embrace panache politics.If there is any potent female political figure this nation deserves,it is one Martha Wangari Karua.She will only manouevre back to her aura if she gets rid of her austerity and frigid personality.Her orthodoxness is a poor political strategy.

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Urbane Kalenjin ladies are awe-inspiring.Classical examples include : a.Susan Kimachia Kiprono;the melodiously voiced KISS FM/Classic 105 News Presenter whose polished,deep soprano leaves you awestruck. b.Chero Oywa ;STR8 UP Live Host who is a trained medical doctor and a television producer. The list is lengthy.It could go on and on.

They have the pertinacity to barrack and invigorate lives.

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Today,my social riffle is aimed at puffed-up name-droppers.These are social misfits whose self-esteem is bruised.They are attention seekers who live a borrowed life.They will tell everyone they have been on phone with prominent people.

They will want to be seen to be associated with the highflyers in society.They will gasconade about having senior politicians’ contacts.They will have their speeches and conversations full of jactitations about how they had breakfast with the First Lady.

They will rub it on your face how they met Prince Charles when he came for a fundraiser at their local church.They will barefacedly vaunt how they planted 2 billion trees on World Aids Day.They will choke you with obvious prevarications and nude lies.

Their attention seeking is whorish and piteous.What they seem to forget is that there are people who do much bigger things and have deeper connections socially in the high society,but they meekly choose not to bluster to everyone else about it.

On their social media time lines ,they will tag every ‘big’ name they can think of on their “intelligent” status updates(which lack merit). Name-dropping is a sorry way to cruise through life.Work your way up and be that legend/celebrity whom people will be want to name-drop

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Social Media is abuzz with opinions,reviews and two-cents on Sauti Sol’s new jam,Nerea ,that touches on matters abortion.It is their second production in two years to effuse vociferations and mixed reactions from the blogosphere,social media platforms and the mainstream media,after their vellicating “Nishike” video was released early last year.

Guest post by Evans Wambugu ,a BAKE DeKUT Chapter member,consummate litterateur and a Final Year Undergraduate Student.

Read more of his work on his blog

Off the Record with DJ Mwah!

Creative Connekt: Tell us a little about yourself.

DJ Mwah: My government names are Haron Mwaniki. I have a recording studio, a’Domo Records where I produce artists as well as my own music. I also have a CBO.

CC:What type of music do you do?

DJ Mwah: Gospel Gipuka. Its is a combination of Genge and Kapuka.I have a single out already called ‘Gospel Imedie?’ which addresses how the word of God has been packaged into profitable business nowadays.

CC: Where can guys get your Music?

DJ Mwah: Mdundo.com and my video ‘Gospel Imedie?’ is also available on YouTube.

CC: Tell us about your organization and what you do?

DJ Mwah: My CBO is called Cross Connect and we are involved in community development activities using our ‘Badilisha Mentality’ campaign.

Cross Connect during a High School Outreach activity

CC: Do you consider yourself as a leader or an entrepreneur?

DJ Mwah: aDomo Records is my business venture and having founded Cross Connect and sold the idea to couple young guys who now believe in it and are helping me with it, I’d say I’m both. I also have a beauty shop at Nyeri Town called Elegance.

Mwah of all trades!

CC: What inspires you to be involved in community development?

DJ Mwah: I faced a lot of challenges while growing up. The challenges weren’t really unique to me and are what every young person is going through. We may have different contexts but they are the same. Losing my mum in 2013 was the game changer for me and made be make that extra step to start doing community projects.

CC: Do you consider your project innovative and is there a possibility for expansion?

DJ Mwah: We combine community development with the artists I have at a’Domo, where we go around high schools raising awareness about issues affecting the young people using our music and how to address them. I plan to restructure my studio soon to a more professional venture complete with artist management contracts and all that jazz.

CC: Have your projects brought about positive change in the community?

DJ Mwah: Through Cross Connect, we have been able to reach and impact more than 1000 students so far. At a’Domo we have also provided opportunity for young guys to come off the street and explore their musical talent. One such artist we have is Solo P.

CC: What message would you like to send to other young guys out there?

DJ Mwah: Keep it real in your music and stay sober.

 Watch DJ Mwah’s Video Below