Nanjira: Life Of A Gigging Musician

The world over,there have been stories told and chronicles written,of individuals who inspired jaded masses and disillusioned communities,to fight for their rights, to stand up and challenge oppressive regimes and unfavourable status quos. We know them by name,we quote them when looking for inspiration and when retelling history.

But what about the people that were inspired? The unnamed,the unsung 'ordinary folk?' 

 In truth,it is they who are the heroes,the core of history,without whom,the Martin Luther Kings and Wangari Maathais wouldn't be the icons they are. And it is the people that we ought to be making way for!

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It is natural for songwriters to think that you are always writing music for yourself. After all, art itself is a form of ‘self-expression’. However, take a step back and think about who you are actually writing the music for by asking yourself these questions:

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I am a girl about the internets...(someone should look into offering valid credentials around that.)

Anyway, while this blog may have begun as a 'group therapy-let's-all-woosa-as-musicians' space, I've decided to add more objectivity to it, and one way is to curate content as I come across it.

Today, we look at this issue of owning your own space on the internet as a musician.(Stop panicking! Breathe in...out...and read on...LOL!)

It's been interesting to find that most musicians,locally and internationally haven't jumped onto this opportunity for many reasons. For instance,as a big hit, there's always content being put out about you, right? So if an interested party does a google search about who you are,plenty is bound to come up and inform adequately. And besides, if I have a facebook fan page and I tweet every now and then, what more do I need, right? 

WRONG!!

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I hope this post will be more of a discussion that yields fruit and proposes a way forth.

We have embraced tech in our everyday lives; money transfer, bill payments...and it's made our lives a whole lot easier. There is no shortage of documentation on app developments and competitions, all aimed at tapping into the connectivity and opportunity that the mobile phone has presented. Now, the music industry hasn't been left behind on the tech front, with iTunes Music Store as a benchmark success. And with that has come digital distributors such as TuneCore and CD Baby,SoundCloud and Reverbnation (who recently ventured into the distribution business), AWAL UK and Overtone in South Africa, who distribute to various online music stores, among them iTunes. 

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I happen to be part of this awesome band called Ma3. Why Ma3? Well, I could give a profound, 'politically correct response'...but we borrowed the name off the ubiquitous and often inescapable public means of transport in Kenya...All across Africa, Ma3s-whatever name they have- are part of what defines present-day culture. That's what we hope our music will do/is doing.

Style of music is Afro-pop. We had a lot of fun making this album, and we are more than excited to share the record with you. Find all the details of the album launch here. We sure hope that you can come out and share this special moment with us,if in Nairobi city this weekend. Have a listen and let us know what you think. Catch up with us on Facebook, Twitter, Reverbnation and on our website.

Ingia ndani ya Ma3!

(Come aboard the Ma3)

"Discovery" is a wishy-washy word that is often misused in the context of digital music services. What does it mean to discover an artist, album or song? Does hearing a song for the 30th time on the radio count as discovery? What about reading a music blog that talks about bands you already like?

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It's easy for musicians to forget that communication with fans counts for a lot. I've observed musicians' facebook pages and twitter timelines(especially) and seen the ticking time bomb that is.Twitter timelines are  filled with retweets of how awesome they are,or asking people to follow them.  

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Ladies, gentlemen...lovers of music. The tales on the life of a gigging musician are endless: some are funny, some are enviable and some...well, downright embarrassing. The following is the story of one artist, the self-proclaimed 'crown prince of Benga.' He tells of his journey through music, and why he still does what he knows best, get on stage and put on the show of his life. He'll be having a celebratory concert of his 10 year journey through music, details below. Without further ado, I present to thee: Dan 'Chizi' Aceda. (Be sure to check out his hilarious blog: Sufuria Economics.)

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This post will be followed by one on why/how musicians become divas. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that it sometimes is the only way to get things done to your satisfaction. Many a time we are screwed over,  by event organizers, sound engineers et al...The compensation? An apology. What good does a half-hearted 'pole' do for a musician's brand? It is the musician who gets the backlash for a gig gone bad...anyway, more on that later.

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