Kenya Live to Include Live Shows and Training of Musicians

Tuesday October 5th, 2010...Safaricom has unveiled a unique music property aimed at enhancing the growth of local music talent in Kenya. 

Dubbed Kenya Live, the campaign will see countrywide concerts held in conjunction with established musicians in a bid to identify raw music talent at the grassroots and improve the way the industry is run in Kenya. All genres of music will be given a chance.

At least two local musicians identified in each of these concerts will be taken into a week-long music academy in the region where they will be trained and mentored by established artistes and other professionals in the sector. The seven-month campaign will run till April next year with the first show planned for Bungoma on October 16th. 

Speaking at a colourful launch held at Zen Gardens on Tuesday evening, Safaricom Head of Strategy and New Business Nzioka Waita said apart from creating a direct connection between Safaricom and its core youth market, the property is aimed at nurturing and promoting local talent in an effort to economically and socially empower them.

"Kenya Live is Safaricom's long-term partnership with the Kenyan music industry. Being a Kenyan company, we want to not only provide a fresh platform for showcasing the best in Kenyan music but we also want to take it to the next level," said Mr Waita

He added: "We wish to play our part in creating a Kenyan music industry that is professionally-run in all aspects. We want to turn music into a career out of which our people can earn a decent living that is commensurate to their fame. 

He gave the example of Skiza, Safaricom's popular CBRT (caller ring back tune) service, which only a year after launch had gained vast acceptance, becoming a new and major revenue stream for some Kenyan musicians.

" Content must be fresh and exciting and we expect this initiative to stimulate a steady stream of new and relevant home grown content that can be digitized and commercialized for the benefit of the local music industry…. With a customer base of over 16 million subscribers we are alive to the fact that we have the busiest digital supermarket in Kenya and the possibilities of what we can do to grow the music industry are infinite" Added Waita.

Kenya Live joins a growing music portfolio at Safaricom which includes the recently-held Kenyan Classical Fusion and the CHAT and Groove Awards, which are both headlined by Skiza and a number of sponsorship opportunities, spread across Kenya.

A break from the past, the campaign aims at encouraging musicians to develop stage confidence through live performances as opposed to reliance on playback.

Kenya is currently enjoying a fast growing music industry though there are concerns that artistes do not enjoy good revenues compared to their peers in Uganda and Tanzania and other parts of Africa.

This fact has been attributed to a weak stage presence with analysts accusing the artistes of relying more on playback earning them the 'manufactured in the studio' tag. Kenyan musicians have also been accused of lacking in business and professional acumen. These are some of the trends Safaricom will be seeking to reverse.

Artistes Safaricom will be working with on Kenya Live represent the rich diversity of Kenyan music and include such big names as Nameless, Redsan, Wahu, Jua Cali, Wyre, Daddy Owen, Ken wa Maria ,artists like Osogo Winyo. Ali B, Phonotex Band, MOG, Eko Dyda, Alan Aaron and Mike Rua are also on the list and have already signed up for Kenya Live!

From Bungoma, the talent search moves to Mombasa, Nairobi and then Kisumu by April next year. Safaricom is partnering with leading production house, Homeboyz Entertainment on the campaign.

Tuesday October 5th, 2010...Safaricom has unveiled a unique music property aimed at enhancing the growth of local music talent in Kenya. 

Dubbed Kenya Live, the campaign will see countrywide concerts held in conjunction with established musicians in a bid to identify raw music talent at the grassroots and improve the way the industry is run in Kenya. All genres of music will be given a chance.

At least two local musicians identified in each of these concerts will be taken into a week-long music academy in the region where they will be trained and mentored by established artistes and other professionals in the sector. The seven-month campaign will run till April next year with the first show planned for Bungoma on October 16th. 

Speaking at a colourful launch held at Zen Gardens on Tuesday evening, Safaricom Head of Strategy and New Business Nzioka Waita said apart from creating a direct connection between Safaricom and its core youth market, the property is aimed at nurturing and promoting local talent in an effort to economically and socially empower them.

"Kenya Live is Safaricom's long-term partnership with the Kenyan music industry. Being a Kenyan company, we want to not only provide a fresh platform for showcasing the best in Kenyan music but we also want to take it to the next level," said Mr Waita

He added: "We wish to play our part in creating a Kenyan music industry that is professionally-run in all aspects. We want to turn music into a career out of which our people can earn a decent living that is commensurate to their fame. 

He gave the example of Skiza, Safaricom's popular CBRT (caller ring back tune) service, which only a year after launch had gained vast acceptance, becoming a new and major revenue stream for some Kenyan musicians.

" Content must be fresh and exciting and we expect this initiative to stimulate a steady stream of new and relevant home grown content that can be digitized and commercialized for the benefit of the local music industry…. With a customer base of over 16 million subscribers we are alive to the fact that we have the busiest digital supermarket in Kenya and the possibilities of what we can do to grow the music industry are infinite" Added Waita.

Kenya Live joins a growing music portfolio at Safaricom which includes the recently-held Kenyan Classical Fusion and the CHAT and Groove Awards, which are both headlined by Skiza and a number of sponsorship opportunities, spread across Kenya.

A break from the past, the campaign aims at encouraging musicians to develop stage confidence through live performances as opposed to reliance on playback.

Kenya is currently enjoying a fast growing music industry though there are concerns that artistes do not enjoy good revenues compared to their peers in Uganda and Tanzania and other parts of Africa.

This fact has been attributed to a weak stage presence with analysts accusing the artistes of relying more on playback earning them the 'manufactured in the studio' tag. Kenyan musicians have also been accused of lacking in business and professional acumen. These are some of the trends Safaricom will be seeking to reverse.

Artistes Safaricom will be working with on Kenya Live represent the rich diversity of Kenyan music and include such big names as Nameless, Redsan, Wahu, Jua Cali, Wyre, Daddy Owen, Ken wa Maria ,artists like Osogo Winyo. Ali B, Phonotex Band, MOG, Eko Dyda, Alan Aaron and Mike Rua are also on the list and have already signed up for Kenya Live!

From Bungoma, the talent search moves to Mombasa, Nairobi and then Kisumu by April next year. Safaricom is partnering with leading production house, Homeboyz Entertainment on the campaign.