Celebrating 10 years of ‘Spotlight on Kenyan Music’

A fusion of tunes from around Kenya was on offer during the two afternoons of live performances by several 'Spotlight' stars. Walter Koga set the pace with his music that echoes the nyatiti sounds in its celebration of African issues, defining the mood for the next two days. Unique percussive-filled danceable songs by Mzee Mwatela and his dancers from the Kenyan coast got fans on their feet, while tunes by the Gar Gar band from Kenya’s north-eastern region provided fans with music that is not commonly heard in most mainstream media in Kenya. Other artists that provided entertainment at the 10 year celebration of the music programme included Winyo, Makadem, Mohammed Guyo, Lelele Afrika, Chepchumba, Juma Tutu, Ontiri, Gargar and WOMEX-bound Sarabi.

Mutinda’s music traversed through space and time. Addressing day to day issues, Mutinda pelted some of his well-known songs, including ‘Nyumba Yangu’, ‘Pombe Kikombe’ and ‘Valavandu’. Mutinda’s music is a blend of modern African rhyhtms, ambient moods, rock and Afro-jazz. It contains the rare sounds and rhythms of Kenya's traditional music meeting modern world influences. He sings in Kiswahili and Kamba, a Kenyan local dialect among people from parts of eastern Kenya. For Mutinda, this was not just any other celebration. Speaking to Music In Africa, the artist said this was a special occasion for him too, as it was around the same time (2005) that he started to ply his trade as an artist. “It has been a fruitful journey for me. It was a coincidence that I was starting out my musical career when 'Spotlight on Kenyan Music' was launched. The platform provided me with the much needed exposure and financial support," he explained. "This celebration for me says a lot: I have been in the industry for 10 years now.”

Following his participation at the inital 'Spotlight' event, Mutinda was able to hold his first solo concert in 2006 before he went on to participate at major festivals such as Sauti Za Busara in Zanzibar in 2009 and a Europe tour in 2010. In 2011, his song ‘Simama’ won in the World Music category for Best Song at the prestigious International Songwriting Competition (ISC) in the USA. The artist, who grew up in Eastleigh, says he is now working on a new album, the working title of which is Hisia. “This album will be a way of marking my 10 years in the Kenyan music industry. It will comprise 10 tracks and I will re-work some my earlier music releases, such as ‘Valavandu’. Fans should expect the album in the first quarter of 2016,” said Mutinda.

The evolution of 'Spotlight on Kenyan Music' is a discovery of Kenya’s musical diversity, born of a cross-pollination of modern, contemporary music and local, traditional influences. Ketebul Music in Nairobi was instrumental in identifying and providing production support to the artists who were part of the programme. Tabu Osusa, the founding director at Ketebul, notes that 'Spotlight on Kenyan Music' has been a way to bring together artists.

Whatever the future holds for the programme should not be the point of focus, says Osusa. 'Spotlight' was one way to reach out and promote music that is not often heard much. Osusa elaborates: “In essence, what we should ask ourselves is what the future of Kenyan music is and not the future of 'Spotlight on Kenyan Music'. 'Spotlight' is just a way to embrace the various musical offerings that Kenya has. For instance, we should ask ourselves why music talent searches only focus on Nairobi.”

Ten years on, the programme has seen the production of six 'Spotlight on Kenyan Music' compilation albums featuring music from all corners of the country. In addition, it saw the production of Weapon of Mass Reconciliation, a film documenting the 'Spotlight' national tour to promote unity in diversity following the post-election crisis of 2007/8.

When asked about the future of Kenyan music, Osusa says that artists have a vital role to play: “I believe artists have the opportunity to take Kenyan music to the next level. South Africa has done that - they have embraced their traditional sounds such as kwaito to use it in house music. This can’t be said of Kenya. I am convinced that if the current crop of artists were more industrious, they would adopt traditional beats such as momboko and infuse it with genres like jazz.”

The 10-year celebration was just a glimpse of an important initiative that has been around for a long time now, compared to many other talent searches that end before people can even appreciate what they were all about. 'Spotlight on Kenyan Music' has indeed brought together Kenyan artists and developed some of them into superstars. However, much important work still lies ahead, and it remains to be seen what direction the Kenyan music industry will take in the coming years.