U USANII
M AG A Z I N E
MAY 2020 ISSUE No. 2
NVIIRI T H E S T O RY T E L L E R the grit edition
USANII WHAT’S IN STORE.....
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Editor’s note The Runway Main Feature 15 Film Review 04 4 18
11 To be featured on usanii magazine as an artist, poet , photographer, fashion designer or even as a guest columnist reach us through -
18 Spotlight Instagram ; @usaniimag Facebook; Nairobi Usanii Arts E-mail; Usanimagazine@gmail.com
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EDITOR’S NOTE
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EDITOR’S NOTE.......
HELLO THERE, We have started a new month in Quarantine, and how I cannot wait for this season to end. We are all a little bit anxious, a little bit angry and a little bit eager to see how this season ends. It is like a movie series that is taking forever to conclude. Even then, I am hoping that all who are reading this are well, safe and healthy. Welcome to our second issue of Usanii. For many of us, just receiving this new issue is a breath of fresh air. Quarantine has us bored out of our minds, but do not worry, USANII is here to give you a monthly dose of what is good in the Entertainment, Fashion and Photography Industry. Walk with us as we interview some featured and prominent artists in the industry. This month, while in lockdown, we had the pleasure and privilege of conversing with Nviiri the Story Teller. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to have a peek into his life and journey thus far. He is such an inspiration and a blessing to many; his music is The Bomb! His style, the Bomb! You cannot help but love him. Catch up with the great and wonderful fashion designer, Wataka Musa. His ambition and experience in fashion design and the accomplishments he has made thus far are just exceptional. I loved hearing about his journey in the fashion Industry, so take a moment and delve into his world.
Also, let me not forget the film review this month. All movie buffs, and especially those who love musicals, enjoy our review of the film, Blue Story. These are just the highlights of what awaits you inside the magazine, , so take a moment, have a cup of coffee, or juice, for those who prefer cold and sugary drinks, and dive in to this month’s issue of Usanii....
I am sure you will love it!!!
MESSAGE FROM USANII TEAM The entire editorial and management team would like to offer our condolenses to the families of those who have lost loved ones to the Corona virus in the past months. Even in this time of great uncertainity we look forward with hope and belief that our strong spirit as Kenyans will not allow us to be beaten by this disease and that we shall OVERCOME together. We SALUTE medical service workers who put their lives on the line every day to test, treat and nurse our nation.
-ALICE NGEA
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THE RUNWAY
Wasike Musa Wataka
On this issue of Usanii magazine, the runway catches up with designer extraordinaire Wataka Moses as he give us insight into his time, lessons and experiences in the fashion industry By Usanii Editorial Team Why did you decide to choose fashion designing as a career? Looking back, I think design chose me more than I chose it, I have always been inclined to thinking creatively. I started off by getting corporate Gigs to teach me how to think on how to craft design into a business like a career. What according to you is a favorite part of being a fashion designer? My favorite part is the process, I love it as much as I love the finished product cause the journey that goes into creating involves sleepless nights, research , a lot of communications with customers, pattern drafting, trials and triumphs and finally you emerge with a product. So rewarding.
How would you describe your style? I would describe my style in the same way one would describe how their senses work. My 6th sense happens to be style, and hence it cannot exist in a bubble, it’s a mixture of different elements that exist within and with my interaction with the Universe. My style is simply that, a story of acquisition and summation of life experiences. “Eclectic” Who and which things were your inspiration while creating such designs? First and foremost family values, my parents were very stylish, I Look at their pictures and I am amazed, they dressed so well. The society that I am part of, not just “Nairobae”, being a part of the socials makes the world smaller than K1 Flea Market, you experience design and concepts people watching. What’s happening around me sets a mood, and once I find muse, I zero in and start creating.
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THE RUNWAY
What is your favorite pass time? Any hobbies? “Out-siding”, I enjoy that part of me, just being around friends and loved ones to check up on them, whilst enjoying a meal at a new found spot. Travel is included here for sure “Euro Trip Loading”…. Reading a book, currently reading “You are a Badass” Exercising, trying out cross-fit, I am certified in spin and yoga so that’s my therapy. What was/has been the most challenging obstacle that you have had to face as a designer or even just in your personal life and how did it influence how you work and relate to people in the industry? This would be me defining success, and it was a big one. Everyone defines success differently. How this journey began this journey for me was going back into childhood ambitions, what I wanted then, and did I want, I had to ask self is this your purpose or is it my parents/society? Now I look at my success based on goals I have set for myself and how I accomplished, cause I wanted to get it done. “LANES, LANES, LANES” Need I say more. Who is your biggest influence, within fashion and without? My clients are my biggest influence, they teach me every day to be better on my craft, they are my unsung heroes,. If you are asking where I draw inspiration, I follow a lot of people for different reasons on the socials. Tom Ford, Suit Supply, Bassike, Monochrome, Wanga Mathenge, T. Micheal Bergen, Rich Fresh, Addidas
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THE RUNWAY
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THE RUNWAY
It’s Kenya and not many parents are not necesarilly open to their kids being in the arts so you know we have to ask this ...What do your parents/family think of your life/job as a designer? ….“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children…. An Excerpt from Matthew 7 Ultimately my parents want the best for me, they continually set me up to have a competitive advantage, for that I immensely appreciate my parents for that opportunity. When I quit banking, they weren’t the most pleased, but now they wanna invest in what I do and see me grow, they are always rooting for me. I also, think that once I dealt with the question about my obsatcles earlier, I opened room for dialogue to flow between my parents and I. As for asking, I channel my needs to the UNIVERSE. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? That is a good question, do you have time? For any industry to flourish, you need the government to invest in it, only then can you see growth, from textile, manufacturing, access to credit.
Its the Top-Down approach.
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THE RUNWAY
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N V I IR I
MAIN FEATURE
The Storyteller
An interview with Nviiri The Storyteller: singer-songwriter, guitarist, performer and video editor signed to Sol Generation Records, in Kenya. By Vincent Libosso Nviiri The Storyteller, currently signed to Sol Generation Records, is glorified in the Kenyan Music Industry. He has helped shed light on the art of songwriting making hit after hit since His breakthrough co-writing the Sauti Sol’s ‘melanin’, featuring Patoranking, and which went ahead to be a global hit. Releasing his own hits and catching up with Usanii Magazine on phone, self-quarantined at home during the Covid-19 pandemic lock-down, The Storyteller is gracious, polite, and earnestly enthused about discussing his music. Through a mini documentary released by Sol Generation in 2019, we are taken back to his humble beginnings in the dusty streets of Eastlands Nairobi. Born Nviiri Sande he started singing at a very early age. Born Nviiri Sande he started singing at a very early age. His mother was constantly fed up with his continuous singing in the house.
She reminisced on his growth, from singing constantly, hindering the use of the only laptop in the house and ultimately his journey learning to play the guitar all while stretching his vocals. For her, she identifies the strides he has made in his music career. On the other hand, Nviiri reflects on the significance of friends, staying true and loyal to the streets and coming of age in the business. A trained mechanical engineer, we catch a glimpse of his days working for his dad at his garage. His first love, music, beckons and this lonesome millennial heeds. In the ensuing period, Nviiri The Storyteller quits the mechanical engineering job and finds music! He discussed his music and the need to never quit no matter how slow the process seems to be.....................
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“I am grateful to Sauti Sol from whom I got a pretty real good deal.”
V.L ; So tell us about ‘Melanin,’ doing videography for Sauti Sol and co-writing for them as well... I started off doing videography capturing behind the scenes for Sauti Sol and during that session is how I met them at their studios. They found out that a brother can actually sing and also write. We started off doing sessions steadily every evening especially with Bien Aime. We would just write. We ended up writing a lot of songs. Melanin was one of them and some songs you will soon get to hear off their new album. The Melanin story is interesting. It was meant to be a collaboration between Sauti Sol and me but Sauti Sol also had a plan to collaborate with Patoranking and he really loved Melanin. And, Melanin happened! V.L ; How did Sauti Sol discover you and has being on Sol Generation Records made things easier for you? It was a process. I have known them for three to four years. I started off doing behind the scenes videos for them which culminated to songwriting sessions. I had tried becoming an independent artist some time but when they formed the Sol Generation Records, I just got assimilated in. But it was a plan from way back to set up Sol Generation and I was always on the loop with the plans. Hence, it was much easier for me to slide in deeper.
V.L ; Why do you think your fan base is invested in the Sol Generation’s narrative as much as the music? I believe one way of making a change and a difference, other than doing it individually, is to actually do it as a group. Think about it, if I am doing good music, Kaskazini is doing good music and Bensoul is doing good music, at the end of the day it is a statement. We have also seen it with the Gengetone artists. One of their major key success, and why most fans bought in to their narrative and wave, has been their unity in music. With Sol Generation right now, we are selling the dream of amazing live performance that can take over the industry. V.L ; Kesi Baadaye sounds melodic and your vocals really shine. Is it reflective of where you are right now? Thank you! The song was part of my first ever songs to write alongside Pombe Sigara. This was like three years back but thanks to Sol Generation we did the production and we ended up getting way better production quality. I mean Nviiri is Nviiri, not to sound cocky, but I have always been doing this. Currently I am aiming to further my quest and explore more boundaries. I have no specific style other than just Nviiri style and my music will always sound different. My style is not Bongo or Lingala but remains anchored in my songwriting and in my vocals.
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MAIN FEATURE
Nviiri is such a gifted songwriter. He is undoubtedly the future of Kenyan music.” -Sauti Sol
V.L ; Your break out was in music writing. Do you feel like music writing in Kenya is in a good place right now? Not really. Most artists do not pay songwriters. Most artists are more invested in the instrumentals but the few who are invested in the art of songwriting like Sauti Sol and Nyashinski, just but to mention a few, are doing pretty well. Khaligraph Jones is doing great in this and of course, yours truly, The Storyteller is also doing amazing. For songwriters right now, it is basically organic. We do not have a ready platform to support us at the moment and many are not really monetizing the skill. If you get a good deal, you go for it. If you don’t, it is still well and good. I am grateful to Sauti Sol from whom I got a pretty real good deal. They are the ones who made me realize that it is actually lucrative and you can, in one way or another, commercialize it. We should now work on creating a system for these amazing budding songwriters.
We share ideas. We critic each other. We take part in each other’s productions where possible and as artists, we just help each other grow. With an immense pool of talented artists, we remain grateful we got discovered. We have hit the ground. There is no formula, just good music and that is who we are! V.L ; Nairobi is probably the most influential city in music. What is your view of the new generation sound of Gengetone?
Gengetone was the front line instrumental in the whole Play Kenyan Music campaign last year and that is when most of the artists were discovered. Most of the new acts, including myself were discovered last year. That was the best time for any artist to just come to the fore front and unleash their work. I support Gengetone sound. I love the work of the artists and how productive they are. Every single day they have a hit out on rotation. They are growing in terms of quality output whether audio or visual and that is commendable. That was a big V.L ; Sol Generation’s contribution to the music set up when the sound was just beginning and I cannot go unmentioned. Do you think you have would say without that growth the sound faced deafound the formula? th but look at the sound now. It is diverse and they are now even collaborating with other genre artists. Not yet! Is there a formula a really? It is just good music. We appreciate good music and with That is smart and I support them! I would actually jump on a Gengetone collaboration! the immense diversity in the team, it is a never
ending journey. Growth is what we aim for every day. We keep on putting in the work.
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MAIN FEATURE
V.L ; How is the Covid-19 pandemic influencing your music right now? Honestly, it is boring! I am on a writer’s block! I am a very outgoing person and a big part of my influence comes from interacting with people. Now I find myself watching movies all through in the name of taking care of myself and staying at home. Clearly that did not help. At the moment am gradually coming back to writing. I am losing a lot by just being at home while I could be doing some projects. While I understand the whole world is in a lock down, I have not been inspired to write about the pandemic because that is naturally not my style. Although, I do admit it could be a good or bad thing but I just write what I feel like. And maybe when I get that Covid-19 slap, I can write a song about it. Even so, I still have my way of writing. Like when I was bored in the house, I had my way of writing about all that. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, I have written a song about a certain agenda and message I am trying to pass! U
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FILM REVIEW
‘Welcome to London aka the dungeon, Shootouts and stabbing on like every other junction, Boredom plus poverty, that causes dysfunction… An eye for an eye sometimes innocents die Mother burying their sons, man that shit ain’t right’
THE REVIEW
by the watcher
This is the first line that greets you when you watch the trailer to the film Blue Story. I have to admit, I am a sucker for film trailers. I say sucker because film trailers have a tendency to either lie or oversell the film in question. How many times have you watched a movie trailer in the cinema or even on YouTube and you were like ”yeees” only for the film to be released and you are like “what in the name of all that is green on this planet did I just bloody watch? The trailer was better that the actual film, I mean if they were actu…” sorry I got a bit carried away there, but I think you get my point. Unfortunately I never learn. So here I am drawn to the film by the trailer and… HERE IS WHAT I FOUND THE STORY Blue story is follows the lives of two young men and friends who live in different London Burroughs plagued by crime and street crimes and gangs. The young men are Timi and Marco. The first character we are introduced to is Timi. His mom moves him to a different primary school that is further from his home but more importantly further from his friend Killy, who according to mummy dearest is
very bad news.. you know that whole mama knows best thing, perfectly applies here. Timi isn’t happy but ofcourse there is nothing he can do. At his new school he meets Malcolm and fate sets them on a journey that none of them expected or truth be told deserved. I have to put a disclaimer right here, it may also act as a spoiler, if you are looking for a feel good film and I cannot stress this enough......
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THIS IS NOT THE FILM FOR YOU. Timi and Marco’s friendship is an unlikely one, this is because they both live in different Burroughs (neighborhoods) of London where two rival gangs reign supreme, and as we soon find out Malcolm is the younger brother to one of the gang’s leaders. Their friendship is dragged into the middle of the gang war when
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FILM REVIEW
Killy steps into the picture once again almost 4 years later. . I have to say that Killy is my favorite character in the entire film. He is not only key to the entire plot but also he is the guy that offers comic relief. However his form of comic relief isn’t like “haha funny” more like “what is wrong with this fool funny” and it doesn’t help that he has a freakishly annoying voice…I kid you not we all know someone like this. Now I will let you find out the drama that escalates between Kilion,Malcolm,Timi and Leah on your own, if I go any further I risk ruining the plot for you. WHY I LOVE THIS FILM This film to be honest is in my opinion is hands down the best film I have ever watch. Here are a two reasons why in no particular order-
1.The cast
2.The story telling
when talking about the cast the producer/director/writer of the film described them as God sent. The way they embodied their characters and delivered on their roles especially being so young was spectacular. We are able to see them in different ages and times of their lives and even without hearing their names you are able to make out who is who based on their mannerisms, behaviors etc. As I mentioned my favorite character was Killy. I also have to mention there are no good guys and bad guys in this film. At least not in my opinion.
we all know musicals, some of us love em, some love to hate them, some loath them. I fall under the first category, I love them so much that at one point in my life I could very easily sing every song in High school musical( I can see your judging eyes, you know you did it too)..anyway, I digress… I do not know if it has done before, because this is my first encounter with this type of story telling. Where, instead of being a voice that narrates off screen, the narrator is actually in some of the scenes with the characters, not only that he raps the entire narration.
What I find really amazing and beautiful about this is the fact that his rap narrations are so accurate that you actually forget him as the narrator and see him as part of the story. Whether he is chilling with the gang or walking down the street, he blends seamlessly into the scene. He is clear in what he says and more time than not you find that he is actually bringing your thoughts into the film. It may take a while for you to notice but the more you watch, the more you realize this.
I could go on and on and on about Blue Story but I will let you go out and watch it on you own and then you can make your own judgment about it but in the court of MY OPINION it is GUILTY of being the BEST FILM YET. BLUE STORY IS A TRUE STORY U
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SPOTLIGHT
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KAMUSHEZ Violinist, Music producer, all round bad ass
We hang out with Alvin also known as Kamushez, a budding violinist and kickass producer. He let’s us into his inner workings and his process as a musician.... U: How would you describe your music? K: I would say that my sound is dark,cinematic and very up beat. U: What influences you/your music? K: Specific aspects of traditional culture like dance music and concepts of Pan Africanism. USANII
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U: If you could have one super power what would it be and why? K: Haha, it would be teleportation for sure,i’d like to get to places on time. U: Are you saying you are an African timer? K: Haha let’s just say, I get anxious when i am late. U: How many instruments do you play? K:At the moment one,the violin. U:Why did you pick the violin? K: It was throught the process of elimination. At the time I had asthma, so i wasn’t too excited about brass and woodwind instruments, piano was too complicated so I ended up picking the violin.
U: If you had an option of just one artist to work with who would it be? K: Black coffee. U: What has been your biggest challenge thus far both musically and personally? K: I’d say trusting myself. U: Describe yourself in 5 words or less.. K: I AM BIGGER THAN LIFE U: What is the craziest thimng that you have ever done? K: As corny as it may sound pursuing music is definately the craziest thing that i have ever done. U
image by @mirikau_ USANII
Tap on image to watch a film on the celebration of our adaptability and hardworking, unstoppable nature as #Kenyans
Directed by M.Ilako Music by B.Okoth Narration by J.Kabue A White Rhino Films Production
CELEBRATE THE KENYAN SPIRIT
