PHAT!buzz March 2022

MARCH 2022 | FREE COPY | No. 254

PHAT!buzz™ is distributed FREE to cafes, cinemas, clubs & pubs in Kisumu, Mombasa, Nairobi and Nakuru.

PHAT!buzz™ is now in its 22nd year of telling you Wazup!

To advertise, call: +254 20 238 6060 or E-mail: phatbuzz@phatafrica.com or check out our Website: www.phatbuzz.com © 2022 PHAT! Music & Entertainment Limited. All Rights Reserved.

@PHATbuzz @PHATAfrica @PHATbuzz Africa

scan me

The Kenyan Urban Music scene has had a steady growth over the years and looking back, you cannot fail to see the impact E-Sir plaid in shaping the industry. One of the greatest Kenya Rappers of our times, E-Sir became famous for his agile lyrical ability and tact in use of the Swahili Language in music. Even long after a tragic car accident took away his life in 2003, the rapper is still widely regarded as one of the best musician to emerge out of the Kenyan musical scene.

E-Sir was an exceptional talent and was greatly loved by Kenyan music fans of all ages. This was evident when he ended up winning four categories in the 2003 Kisima Music Awards: Song of the Year – ”Boomba Train”, Best Male Artist of the Year, HipHop Artist/Group of the Year and Album of the Year for his debut Nimefika.

Born Issah Mmari Wangui in May 20 1981, E-Sir was among the pioneers of the modern Kenyan music scene. Hailing from the trailblazing music stable known as The Ogopa Deejays’ E-Sir was behind the hit songs “Jo”, “Kamata”, “Mos Mos”, “Hamnitishi”, “Si Usaree”, “Boomba Train”, “Leo ni Leo”, “Lyrical Tongue Twister”, “Jobless Corner”, “Coast to Coast” among others.

This year marks 19 years after E-Sir’s demise and it is the year he would have been celebrating his 40th birthday. So in light of this, a group of both Old School and New School musicians came together to pay homage to E-Sir in a musical, collaboration titled “Bandana ya E-Sir”.

The song features rapper Nelly the Goon from popular Gengetone group Uchungulo Family, Nameless, E-Sir’s younger brother Habib, DMore and the upcoming group Trio Mio. Nameless, who was in the same car with E-Sir on the fateful day of the accident says, “The song “Bandana ya E-Sir features different generations of artists in order to aid in bridging the gap between us and the new age guys. It also serves as an avenue for the older guys and the younger ones in the industry to learn from each other’s experience.”

He added, “This song was not mainly aimed at just singing about E-Sir, but it also seeks to inspire everyone to strive to be fresh and cool like E-Sir.” Nameless explains that the idea to do the song came from the Gengetone stars and he added that it is important to let everyone to pay tribute in their own way and not limit E-Sir’s honor to a certain generation.

Story by Harry Njenga The song, which reminds us how E-sir often wore a bandana that matched his outfit, features appearances from popular personalities such as Jua Cali, Talia Oyando, Wahu, Nyashinski, Mr Lenny and DJ Stylez. In the song, Nameless helps bring out a fusion of both the old school and new school Kenyan vibes, while Habib comes in with his Swahili flow nostalgic of his late brother’s rap style.

Nelly the Goon and the rest add the feel-good Gengetone swag to the song.

“I have always been listening to E-Sir’s music from a young age and I always wanted to do a song, though not about him, but about the lifestyle and attitude that E-Sir portrayed in his music. I also chose to honour him because I think Kenyans need an icon we can look up to as a pioneer of our sound just like Nigerians have Fela Kuti.” Nelly the Goon says.

As we pay tribute to the late E-Sir with “Bandana ya E-sir”, we remember that he unfortunately left us at a time when his musical career was soaring high, and the Kenyan contemporary music industry was also growing. I know this also makes you wonder, what if E-Sir was alive today? How great would he have impacted the Kenyan music scene?

Nonetheless one thing is for sure, though E-Sir is gone, his memory will always remain. E-Sir will live on in his music!

Nelly The Goon says, “having transcended through generations, E-Sir’s vibrant spirit lives through us all offering a great and inspirational story of black generational wealth, with not only music and culture but a strong narrative around a belief in family. He is a Legend.”

As the New Age stars seek to make Gengetone an International genre, Nelly The Goon reveals that they are working every day to correct their mistakes and learn from them plus always strive to come up with the best music for their fans.

NellytheGoon & Ochungulo Family

DJ Derro

Interview & Photos by Harry Njenga the station the following Day. The show was called Jamrock Dobah and it was on every Mondays and Wednesdays.

PHAT!buzz: Which music do you prefer to play?

DJ DERRO: I prefer to play Reggae Music. I also don’t mind playing Rhumba and East African hits.

PHAT!buzz: Which DJs do you look up to?

DJ DERRO: I get my inspiration from Papa Charlie, DJ Musty, DJ Shiqx, DJ Mike Slow Coach and Junior Dread.

Internationally I look up to DJ Easy PHAT!buzz: Introduce yourself DJ DERRO: My name is Derrick Walter Ogumbo also known as DJ Derro. I am 38 years old, and I grew up partly in Nyeri, then spent the rest of my early years in Homa Bay and Nairobi Counties.

PHAT!buzz: What made you decide to be a DJ? DJ DERRO: When I was in Class 7, I got into trouble when I sneaked from home in Nyeri where I stayed with my sister to attend to Reggae Shows in Town. As a result, I was forced to relocate to our rural area and attend school there. Nonetheless, my love for music continue to blossom, such that while I was in High School in Kisumu, I got the nickname Delta Force because of my love for attending a popular Reggae Show organised by an event company with the same name!

PHAT!buzz: How did you eventually become a DJ? DJ DERRO: After completing High School and College, I started working with G4S but I quit to pursue my passion in Music. I started working with a friend of mine who is also a popular entertainer called DJ Musty and he showed me the ropes plus he taught me how to excel in Deejaying.

PHAT!buzz: So how did you eventually get your big break?

DJ DERRO: During one of our weekly shows at Winds Club in Buru Buru Nairobi, GHETTO Radio’s Maji Maji was in attendance, and he loved our gig so much that he asked if we would like to play at Ghetto Radio. That was way back in 2013 and we took up his offer and we ended having a show in

PHAT!buzz: What is your biggest achievement as a DJ? DJ DERRO: Having the show at Ghetto Radio with DJ Musty was a great experience and it was a huge milestone in my career. The other big success was being part of the team that brought International Reggae star, Kiprich for a live performance at KICC in Nairobi.

PHAT!buzz: What has been your biggest challenge as a DJ? DJ DERRO: The COVID-19 Pandemic! Many of us in the entertainment industry lost our livelihoods! But we are glad that things are opening up and we have started getting invitations for shows. Another big challenges maybe I can say it was starting off deejaying. This is because getting equipment and shows was a major challenge. But I thank God, that is now a thing of the past.

PHAT!buzz: What are your future plans?

DJ DERRO: I would love to start mentorship programmes for aspiring DJs. And maybe have my own Reggae Sound.

PHAT!buzz: Other than Deejaying, what else do you do?

DJ DERRO: I am a qualified accountant. I help some people with their books. I am also a businessman as well as an event organizer.

DJDerro

DJDerro

Later on She was encouraged by musical entrepreneur Ali Tango to pursue a solo career and she eventually did so in 1977 and went ahead to release five cassettes and two singles.

But around 1981, Aweke had become disillusioned

by Ethiopia’s oppressive political climate and relocated to the United States. Temporarily settling in the Bay Area of California with plans to pursue an education; within two years, the singer continued on to Washington, D.C., the site of the largest Ethiopian population in the U.S. After building a following with her performances in local Ethiopian restaurants, she toured the U.S. and Europe in 1985.

The singer released her debut album in 1989 and her second album Kabu, spent four weeks in the top position on the CMJ New Music Charts, and was in the Top Ten of Billboard’s World Music Charts for ten weeks in 1990.

Being probably the first place where coffee was first discovered before being moved around the world through slave trading and other means, Ethiopia also has Aster Aweke - another export that has been adored and feted all over the world.

Aster Aweke is an Ethiopian-born and Washington, D.C.-based songstress who is one of her country’s best-loved performers. Born in 1959, the singer who sings in Amharic, boasts of a voice that has attracted massive accolades regionally and internationally!

The singer is best known for her 1999 album Hagere and her 2006 album Fikir. A native of Gandor, a small town near Lake Tara, Aster Aweke was raised in the capital city of Addis Ababa. The daughter of senior civil servant in the Imperial government, Aweke was determined to become a musician by the age of 13. By her late teens, she was singing in Addis Ababa clubs and hotels with such bands as the Continental Band, Hotel D’Afrique Band, Shebele Band and the Ibex Band.

Her other albums include Ebo (1994), Live in London (1995), Hagere (1998) Sugar (2001), Asters Ballads (2004) and Fikir (2006).

Others are Checheho (2010), Ewedhalew (2013) and Chewa (2019) Aster Aweke went back to her homeland in 1997 for the first time since she had left and she was greeted by thousands of loyal followers. During her month-long tour that followed, the singer performed before more than 80,000 people and showed that she remains one of Ethiopia’s best-loved performers.

Story by Harry Njenga Photo from Aster Aweke

Brought to you by

www.afrima.org

Free Membership, No Subscription!!!

Pay only for the Movies that you Rent or #OwnForLife, via your Phone, Tablet, Computer or Television 0759 296913 info@mymovies.africa