Reggae has lit up Kenyan entertainment scenes with positive vibe
Jamaica’s and one of the world’s biggest reggae stars, Don Carlos, is scheduled to headline the African Roots Festival at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi this Saturday.
Two weeks later, another reggae maestro, Alpha Blondy, from Côte d’Ivoire, will be raring to blow off the roof at the 27th edition of Koroga Festival at the Two Rivers Mall, along Limuru Road. It will be the first time a reggae artiste will be headlining Koroga Fest. The two shows are highly expected to be a thriller
For many years though, reggae concerts around the world, especially in Kenya, have always been observed as hubs of hooliganism and thuggery of every manner.
For instance, reggae sensation Richie Spice was recently in Kenya for the much-hyped Nobody Can Stop Reggae Concert. However, the show failed to live up to expectations, following a myriad of organisational disorders that left many revellers a bitter lot.
A month ago, Jamaican lovers rock singer, Jah Cure, failed to cure the thirst of his Kenyan fans during the Umoja Splash Festival. His stage performance was poor and was coupled with endless sound hiccups. Disorganisation was also openly displayed, which forced many revellers to leave prematurely. To worsen the situation, cases of robbery were reported.
The good
However, the Duane Stephenson and Daville concert at the Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Convention Centre in July, opened another chapter of reggae history in Kenya.
It was hailed for the beautiful set-up, great line-up of deejays and curtain-raising artistes, well organised VIP and regular sections and the memorable performances by the Jamaican artistes. It was organised by Moh Spice Entertainment, a reggae stable ran by DJ Moh.
The success of Moh Spice’s event has been said to be influenced by the fact that in the last decade or so, reggae concerts in Kenya have moved from their ‘violent’ brand to become a culture even the upmarket fans have slowly embraced.
“Reggae is and will always be part of us. In terms of concerts, it is on the up. Somehow, it got lost in a negative and violent direction, but it is slowly finding itself again,” says reggae spinmaster DJ Moh, who has been deejaying in Kenya for 10 years now.
Entertainment strategist Patrick Sampao has worked with high calibre artistes including iconic Jamaican reggae group Morgan Heritage and reggae-dancehall artiste Patoranking. He says investor confidence has returned to the reggae sector as organisers and promoters package the shows in a “boujee” (high class) manner.
“I believe from the moment Muthoni Drummer Queen brought reggae artiste Chronixx to Kenya, there has been a lot of positive change with reggae shows. She packaged it in a manner that appealed to both the ‘upper and lower class’ clusters of fans and it turned out to be a success. Through that, more investors have since boarded and embraced the conducive transition,” he says.
Currently, adds Sampao, reggae music is changing from the hardcore dancehall tunes to some soft roots reggae that appeals to the upmarket audience.
“In the past years, a lot of the younger artistes have been trying to move away from hardcore dancehall and find a balance by bringing in an element that ogres well with all categories of fans, which is a plus for the industry,” he says.
Shifting mindset
MC Teargas, a popular Kenyan reggae deejay and emcee, is glad to have seen it all. Having been a part of many major reggae events in Kenya, he says the music hasn’t changed, but the mindset.
“It is evident that reggae music is taking over. The same kind of reggae labelled as ‘hooligan’s business’ is the same they (people who looked at it negatively) are jamming to these days. Reggae is the only genre of music that reveals you to yourself. And the fans are just bound to accept and embrace it even more,” he says.
According to DJ Double Trouble, who is currently in Belgium for a reggae show, the virtue that even the high-end entertainment joints have embraced the reggae culture is a big boost and a positive step forward for the reggae scene.
“Currently, I have shows all-week-long at various bars considered high-end in Nairobi; from Clarett Lounge along Thika Superhighway to 40forty Lounge in Westlands. This clearly shows that there is a huge reggae following in upmarket areas.
“At first, we were afraid people would not come to our shows in such clubs, but by the grace of God, we have been able to attract a huge crowd that never fails us,” says Trouble.
Among other upmarket clubs that host themed reggae shows in Nairobi are K1 Klub House in Parklands (on Thursdays by Dohty Family), Galileo Lounge in Westlands (Thursdays by Moh Spice Entertainment) and Bahama Breeze in Westlands, also on Thursdays with ZJ Heno.
With such trends, reggae has surely found a confident way of pulling masses back to the shows, as more promoters and event organisers up their game to maintain the tempo.
