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 [...]
Kenyan Crunk
Living in Kenya is hilarious; I’ve learned more about rap during my last two years living in Kenya than when I lived in the United States. Maybe it’s because I always listened to metal music, but there is no missing the influence of American rap on Kenyan culture (Nairobi especially). You’ve seen the matatus, right? [...]
A Californian Kenyan DJ?
ILRI apparently has an international “theme night” once a month (music, food, dancing, socializing, etc). This month is Kenya, and some women in human resources said they want me to be the DJ. Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into? I guess when you walk around speaking Swahili and Sheng and reciting lyrics from [...]
Lover of Linux, death metal and Indian food, blogs about living and working in Nairobi, Kenya.