Music copyrights in Kenya
Yesterday I happened to speak with some representatives from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) at an event promoting local music in Kenya. I was shocked to learn that, in Kenya, music works are granted copyright protection for 50 years after the death of the composer. I’m neither a musician nor a lawyer (so [...]
Rastafarianism is a religion
If smoking weed, growing dreadlocks, and listening to Bob Marley sounds good to you, you just might be a Rastafarian! There’s a lot more to it than that, but I’ll be damned if I ever meet a Rasta who can explain it without mentioning reggae music or marijuana. It’s quite popular here in Kenya, but [...]
Gospel Is the New Crunk
It’s really popular to be a gospel artist in Kenya these days; where you’d normally have heard gangster rap or crunk music coming from Nairobi matatus, now it’s not uncommon to hear songs praising Mungu (God). I have never liked gospel, but some of these tunes honestly sound like something a DJ would spin at [...]
Jua Cali – Niimbie (Sing For Me)
A great song by one of Kenya’s better-known artists, Jua Cali. I’m not sure why I never heard it until now because it’s been out since late 2008. Anyways, it’s Jua Cali and Enika (apparently she’s from Tanzania). It’s a nice break from all the “I’m a thug” and “get money and bitches” music that [...]
Lover of Linux, death metal and Indian food, blogs about living and working in Nairobi, Kenya.