Tuesday, November 17, 2009

ADOPT A CELEB!!!

I was walking in town last night to get a matatu(PSVminivan) to go home and as usual everyone I passed would stop and stare at me like I was lost.This is normal for me especially since I left Big Brother..(yes people sometimes i use public transport because i didnt get paid after big brother)but what was odd this particular evening was that as I was standing there in a crowd of people, I overheard two girls who were standing next to me say

Girl 1: si this is that chic for Big Brother?
Girl 2: kwani even celebs jav(use public transport)?

Celebs dont jav? Note that Im standing right next to them...for all I know they could have been talking to me without my knowledge.

Anyway,thats not my point. The point is that how do celebrities earn a living in kenya? The truth is that most musicians,actors and all other entertainers in Kenya are struggling? I know some of you are probably saying that you have seen your local celbrities driving big cars(in kenya that is toyota mac x ,at most, mercedes benz)but in all honesty thats peanuts compared to their counterparts in other African countries.

Just cross the border into Uganda and look for one man called Bobi Wine.The guy even has a chopper or so I heard.So where did Kenyans get it wrong?

Its so amazing that you can invite some of the biggest names in the music industry to your event and pay them 100,000kshs and they are over the moon..100k?pliz,the dbanj's and tha p-square's would laugh in your face with that offer.To invite Dbanj to perform in Kenya will cost you 30.000$ no negotiation and that is on a good day. To take say Jua cali to Nigeria, will probably cost you say 3000$ thats if you are in a generous mood.

But seriously,Kenyans don't like to pay for entertainment,but would rather pay for foreign artists to perform than promote their homegrown talent.

well one can argue that homegrown artists dont take themselves seriously,so their fans cant see them any differently.True! but how can an upcoming artist support himself and all his expenses and expect him to produce good quality to stand against artists that have well oiled team behind him.

Did you know that to be signed to a record label in Kenya does not necessarily mean they market you package you and sell you...but in actual sense they charge you to record per song???and then you go out and distribute it to radio stations tv stations deejays and hope it gets airtime and eventually translates into performances.WTF???When in Naija, Psquare is clocking 2million record sales a month, Jua cali is hoping that he gets to do 30 performances where he will earn about 50,000 a show and nowhere does the idea of record sales occur to him.

why you may ask. ill tell you why.Its because we are not buying his cd's instead we pirate them..(btw.piracy is a crime)did you know that platinum in Kenya is 10,000 copies sold?imagine what Psquare would say.

So before you criticise you homegrown artists take time to think of the kind of hardship they endure to get their work out there for you to enjoy.For the artists I just have one piece of advice,You cannot sow maize and harvest beans.(what i mean is,you cannot do half baked issh and expect Kenyans to buy your music).Check yourself!

Thats all Im saying...

9 comments:

  1. Maybe there is a fundamental flaw in the desing of the whole system..Right from the top where certain radio stations pay royalties to international artiste and turn down local content..it needs a visionary approach where we the industry is dissected and rectified...I will do my part by making quality music..question is...how many kenyans know and appreciate quality music????????????????????

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  2. Sheila, how many local artists do roadshows and market themselves? How many make suprise visits and sign autographs in malls? They simply dont market themselves. Music is like business and as long as you dont create an environment of celebrity, no one will buy your songs.

    Lets be realistic. We have no celebrity here apart from a handful. Others so called celebrities just have friends in the right places. Nothing else.

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  3. hey i dnt understand why the so called celebs say they aint being supportd by the public and dat we pay for foreign artists to come and perform?its coz the kenyan celebs who mostly sing just spew trash,i aint goin to pay to listen to trash from a musician who doent even have vocal training,no music education background,or sense of quality,for that reason eric wainaina iz da only one dat qualifies to be one! period

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  4. so much love for you girl.just quit smoking and cut down on alcohol intake okay.love shuti more make it work,we belive in it and you.yes you can shelia.long dating now not advisable.

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  5. it cannot be said any much better than you have sheila. some need to say the truth, thats what you have done

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  6. it was like that in 9ja before, but the artists brushed up their game and got more professional. Right now in 9ja parties, its strictly 9ja music!

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  7. Well said,need I say more?Deos charity begin at home for Kenyans?

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  8. Yo kaliagraph jones is driving a range rover. He mut be doing somethong rite 📻

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