East Africa’s Got Talent Show by Safaricom has today kicked off its pre-auditions, at Nyali School, Mombasa County.

The gates were opened to the public as from 6.00am which saw hundreds of participants turn up from diverse cultures, social background and age set showcasing their talents with the hope of being selected and proceed to the next stage to be held in Nairobi.

Artists Timmy Tdat and Ohms Law Montana from Mombasa alongside renowned dancer Tyron Naomi were present to offer advice and guidance to the participants.

The Nairobi auditions will be held next month at the KICC on June 1^st and 2^nd 2019.

“We believe East Africa has a lot of talent and look forward to showing the world what amazing skills we have got. We encourage all those who believe they are talented from Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda to pre-register online. We are searching for the best talent in music, dance, comedy, magic and acrobatics across all ages,” said Joseph Kusaga, Chief Executive Officer at Clouds Media International.

Produced by Clouds Media International, the show will host auditions in 3 other countries; Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.

In Uganda the pre-auditions will take place in Kampala on 19^th May at Pearl of Africa Hotel while in Rwanda they will be held in Kigali on 25^th May at Intare Arena. Finally, in Tanzania they will be in Dar es Salaam on 25^th and 26^th May at Julius Nyerere Centre.

Interested participants are required to send in their applications through pre-auditions walk-ins, online submissions and WhatsApp channel.

To pre-register, participants can go to the regional audition centers nearest to them. For those who are unable to physically attend the pre-auditions due to distance; they can enter on-line by filling out the application form and send a short video clip of their act on https://rapidblue.formstack.com/forms/eagt.

Alternatively, they can upload a one minute performance video accompanied by name, age, and country through WhatsApp number + 254 (0)703 437 903.

Registration is currently open and will close on the dates as follows; Kenya and Uganda on Saturday 18^th May 2019, Rwanda Friday, 24^th May 2019, and Tanzania Saturday, 25^th  May 2019.

East Africa’s Got Talent by Safaricom which is due to start airing in August this year, will have 10 episodes, with the semifinals and grand finalé shot live on location in Kenya.

Qualified participants from Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda will travel to Kenya for the live shows. The winner will walk away with KES 5 million (USD 50,000) as voted by the audience.

Grammy-winning Reggae group Morgan Heritage have launched the “Tomorrow’s Leaders Festival” at Laurette Gardens at the Safaricom Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya on June 8, featuring some of the biggest names in Jamaican music and the hottest artist from across Africa.

The global initiative festival will raise funds and awareness for youth leadership development programs in Africa and Jamaica, with benefactors including Save The Children, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNODC, OXFAM International, Shofco, Joy Divine and others.

The full festival line-up will be announced through Morgan Heritage and Official Festival social media and websites.

The “Tomorrow’s Leaders Festival” will be broadcasted live by festival media partner Trace Global Network, covering more than 160 countries in more than 200 million homes. It will also stream live on YouTube.

“We Morgan Heritage are doing this festival because we've identified the need for a conscious effort to be pushed forward to educate, empower and create opportunities that puts the youth on a path toward success for generations to come. So we're asking the world to help us help the children across Africa and Jamaica where this movement to save a generation has started.”

 The group went on to say “Buju Banton and Sauti Sol has not been announced and despite a few people trying to spread news about the final line-up, we assure you that we will not promote any artist that will not appear at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday June 8th” – Morgan Heritage “As the Governor of Nairobi County we support you and congratulations on your Grammy.

Welcome to Kenya and let’s make a good event”. – Governor Mike Sonko, Nairobi, County The Morgan Heritage Foundation and its partners are committed to presenting world-class talent to generate awareness, inspiration and empowerment among individuals, families and corporations.

Their goal is to help turn humanities dreams of a better tomorrow into a reality. Our children are tomorrow’s leaders and it is our mission to support them in order to secure the future of the world. If we lead, the youth will follow.

Morgan Heritage won their first Grammy in 2016 for “Best Reggae Album” for “Strictly Roots” as producer and artist.

The band landed their second Grammy nomination for critically acclaimed album “Avrakedabra” in the “Best Reggae Album” category in 2017.

 Huffington Post said “It’s the reggae album that’s about to make history.” Morgan Heritage will release a new album June 21 entitled “LOYALTY” this summer and their world tour starts this summer.

After weeks of speculation on the official launch of the newly formed Mijikenda station under Mediamax Network Limited, Msenangu Fm is now set to be launched next week.

According to a source at the station, preparations are in top gear with the station expected to be launched on Monday, 20th.

The station has started running some of its promos.

Among the presenters poached by the station formerly Pili Pili fm are Pyukapyu Wa Pyukupu(PPO), Sister Shaniez (AntiVirus), Fatuma Mwangala (TotoBomba,) Bahati Ngazi (Mtoto Rangi YaPesa)Teddy Mwanamgambo (BaloziWaChipkizi), Gasper Tumaini (Kabatha Kalume) Josephine Medza (GomaRaKanani) and  Ian Mtoti Mgalla.

Earleir, there was confussion over the  name of the station with most people being duped that it was Asena fm, this was however a propaganda started by the management of the new station as part of their entry strategy.

The station which will be based at the Texas Towers Nyali Mombasa is expected to bring stiff competition to Radio Kaya which is also a Mijikenda station and based in Kwale.

http://ommydalla.co.ke/component/k2/item/930-pili-pili-fm-reinvesting-presenters-declared-redundant

Kenyan artist Nyashinski is among the artists that have been featured in Patoranking's new album.

The album titled 'Wilmer' has a total of 12 songs. Other artists featured in the song includes  Davido, French singer of Congolese roots Dadju, Donae 'O from London and South African singer-songwriter and poet Busiswa.

"I’ve put my heart and soul into this Album. Wilmer has purely been a blessing and I hope this project encourages you, motivates you and blesses u. The journey hasn’t been easy but we are thankful for where we are headed. God bless every single one of you and everyone who has been a part of this masterpiece" says Patoranking

The album is named after his daughter

Patoranking has also worked with the Kenyan all boy band Sauti Sol in the song 'Melanin'.

Political affiliation and loyalty are said to be among the reasons behind the recent reshuffle at the Kenya Ports Authority which saw some senior officers being demoted while others promoted.

A total 16 top officers were moved in the new changes.

According to a source within the management, most of those who have been promoted are officers perceived to be allied to Deputy President William Ruto especially Erick Kotut and Moses Sirgoli.

Erick Kotut was promoted to the position of head of ethics and integrity after the post fell vacant following the retirement of Sylvester Ndongoli who was heading the department.

Before the appointment of Kotut, Joseph Okhako was the one who was acting as head of the department.

http://ommydalla.co.ke/people/item/1014-kpa-in-major-shake-up-procurement-and-security-heads-among-those-moved

"Okhako should have be the one to take over but too bad he has just fallen a victim of circumstance" said the source.

Okhako has now been transferred to the Inland Container Depot (ICD) Kisumu as principal officer.

Moses Sirgoli who is also said to be a close ally of DP Ruto was elevated to the position of Principal procurement officer( Tender opening and evaluation committee) taking over from Aza Dzengo who is now the acting head of procurement and supplies.

Before his promotion, Sirgoli was supplies officer in charge of the medical store at KPA Bnadari clinic.

The source asserted "What the MD Daniel Manduku is doing is realigning his team of loyalists, that's why he demoted officers who he thinks were loyal to his predecessor Catherine Muturi including Mariam Khamis and Fredrick Oyugi"

Mariam Khamis has since been demoted from being the head of security services and transferred to the ICD Nairobi as head of ICT, according to the source the office never existed before.

Fredrick Oyugi who was the head of audit and risk has also been transferred to Nairobi as the head of SGR reconciliation another office that is said to be new and never existed before.

Ali Mwinjika a very close ally of a Mombasa based tycoon and wheeler- dealer has been promoted to the position of principal procurement officer (purchasing and contractor), before his promotion, Mwinjika was a procurement officer.

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After months of anticipation, the big reveal is finally out. NRG Radio has birthed, not just to 1 but 2 new Radio Stations.

Promising to take over the industry in the footsteps of NRG Radio, Choice Radio and FunX are the new kids on the block. 

"Choice Radio which is targeted to the Urban, Grown and Sexy audience aged 30 years and above, promises to be a ‘vibe’ you will find HARD TO TURN OFF and is accessible on 87.7FM" said the Group Digital and Communications Lead - Ms. Beverlyne Wangari.

"Choice Radio’s playlist will be loaded with a head-nodding mix of old school and timeless hits" she added.

FunX.cool which is accessible on 91.3FM is a younger NRG and is entirely a complete opposite of what Choice Radio is.

"FunX as the name suggests will seek to cater to the needs of the modern, fun-loving teen. The music will as such be the epitome of Edgy, Fun and Adventurous. Quite the perfect package for the dynamic teenager, FunX represents the new Centennial audience. ". notes Ms Wangari

According to Ms Wangari, this is an exciting milestone because they can now cater to the varying needs of their audience and listeners across the age spectrum,

NRG Radio which just celebrated their 1-year anniversary has witnessed commendable growth. Crowned the radio digital king in town last month -  given their leading social media numbers, visual and engaging content, their growth has shaken the market with their multi-platform radio model being an admiration of many. 

It is the first visual radio station in Kenya and Africa and has become a key benchmark for most media houses across the region.

The station also recently launched an Eclectic, Disruptive, Highly Customized and Engaging Mobile App - NRG Play which is a totally immersive mobile experience.

The App is Now available on Android and iOS and also houses FunX and Choice Radio.

The two ‘babies’ will be the ultimate compliment to the ‘Mother Station’-NRG Radio.

The Permanent Presidential Music Commission Presents the song "Kenya" by Guardian Angel.

Speaking about the song Guardian Angel notes 

"This song is a reminder to my fellow country men that God loves Kenya and it's a beautiful country. Despite the many challenges we have, Kenya is still a blessed country with many opportunities, a rich history and very hardworking citizens. We should continue to pray and work hard to make it a better place for us and generations to come. A big thank you to the team at The Presidential Music commission for bringing this idea to life."

The audio has been produced by Vicky Pondis, video directed by Nezzoh Montana. 

Watch the video below

Kenyan rapper King Kaka is making history, the first Kenyan musician to attend the cannes film festival in France.

The Remy Martins official brand ambassador joined international celebrities in the red carpet of the festival, he took to social media to share his photos at the red carpet. Among the international artist who he interacted with is the 'I can't get enough' hitmaker Selena Gomez.

He posted "Ohh That’s me and @selenagomez . Dedicating this post to all Kenyan girls. Believe you are strong, believe you are capable and believe anything is possible. Inspiration from @selenagomez for each one of you. #CannesFilmFestival #RemyMartin #RemyMartinXO #Cannes2019#RemyMartinKe #Cognac#eastlandoroyalty #RemyBoy@remymartin"

Several local celebrities took to social media to congratulate King Kaka for his latest move.

abbasdoobeez:  Hapo sawaaa el budaa!
kalekyemumo:  see why I was humbled to be in your presence and huko other local pedestrians won’t even pick my calls \ make moves bro and stay humble Gods blessings upon you
therapperkraw_36: Nakukumbuka enzi za “Swahili Shakespeare” sahi uko Cannes,Buda Moves zako zimeweza 
ntwamakini: Jamesbond wa kenya  uko speed sana
charles_muthui_254: kuna siku pale ku school of law uliendelea kupichapa show ata after kujua hela haikua inatosha ya kukulipa …ur humility bidii na imani I like  juzi tumepatana Kansas leo ni remy kwa helicopter I like the growth    kubwaaaa

Another Kenyan who has also attended the festival and made Kenya proud is 'Rafiki' film director Wanuri Kahiu.

The Kenya Ports Authority has announced major changes affecting 16 senior officers.

Among those who have been affected in the new changes is former procurement manager Anthony Nyamancha who has now been moved to Kampala as the new head of Liason Markets his position has been taken by Aza Dzengo.

Mariam Khamis who was the head of security has now been moved to the Inland Container Depot (ICD) Nairobi as the head of ICT, Tony Kibwana taking over from her in an acting capacity. Fredrick Oyugi is the new head of SGR Reconciliation at the ICD in Nairobi. Moses Sirgoi is the new Principal procurement officer (Tenders and CTC) in acting capacity and Ali  Mwinjika  the Principal procurement officer (Purchasing and Contracts).

Engineer Kennedy Nyaga is the new Lamu Port Project Manager taking over from Peter Oremo who is soon going on retirement. Millicent Omollo has been posted as the acting Head of Audit and Risk.

These comes as some officials from the parastatal are being investigated by the Ethics and Anti- corruption commission(EACC) over the Sh40 billion tender of the construction of the Kipevu Oil Terminal. Former Managing Director Catherine Muturi and the current MD Daniel Manduku are some of the top officials who have already been summoned and grilled by EACC concerning the saga.

Boomplay, the largest music streaming and downloading service in Africa, will host its first Music Forum on Tuesday 21st May 2019.

The industry gathering targeting artistes, music producers, promoters and distributors, among other key stakeholders in music business will focus on the topic "Focus on Digital Music Distribution’ and The Future is Streaming.

Ahead of the forum, General Manager Boomplay Kenya, Martha Huro said, “The conversations around the Kenyan music industry are constantly ongoing. This is our first of many forums as Boomplay Kenya and we hope the session provides more insight into how Kenya’s industry can be on par with its counterparts by providing solutions and offering industry know-how to maneuver this ever-changing entertainment landscape. We will have a highly interactive session with key players in the industry.”

On her part Head of Content Acquisition at Boomplay Kenya, Elizabeth Karuru notes  “One reason Kenyan music isn’t getting around the continent as it should is distribution. Here, at Boomplay we want to solve that problem by formulating new relationships with artists and assuring the industry that we will use our networks and branches across Africa to promote Kenyan music across our platforms.”

The forum will have six panel discussions that will tackle a number of topics from Intellectual Property, Publishing and Legal Protection, Production, Digital Distribution, Music Labels to PR and Branding.

The Panels

▪ Intellectual Property, Publishing and Legal Protection: a talk by Davis Katee (an associate at James. T Makori Advocates) tackling IP, Copyright Law and the challenges facing Kenyan artists with regards to IP.

▪ Production: What makes a good producer? : A talk by Eric Musyoka (Decimal Records), on the Business, Creative and Technical Aspects of Music.

▪ Digital Distribution: a talk discussion by Martha Huro (General Manager Boomplay Kenya), about Boomplay, a review of the past years and plans for the year.

▪ PR and Branding: a talk about how to package and brand yourself as an artist by Anyiko Owoko (Founder Anyiko Public Relations)

▪ Labels: a talk about some of the factors labels consider when looking to invest in an artist steered by John Andrews (Universal Media Group).

▪ My experience as a Kenyan artist: an industry discussion on what it takes to grow and nurture your career as an artist in Kenya with panelists - Kenyan songstress Vivian, producer Cedo, legendary artist Nameless and Gospel musician Janet Otieno.

About Boomplay

Boomplay Artistes Forum is the start to a series of industry events by Boomplay set to be held across Kenya and beyond the region. All the forums will have a series of panel discussions integral to the music industry.

Boomplay is currently the biggest and fastest growing music app in Africa with a catalogue of 5 million songs and videos which is still growing day by day.

Users can stream songs and videos online free of charge, subscribe to one of the daily, weekly or monthly plans to save songs and videos to play whilst offline or purchase content to download. The Boomplay app, which won the “Best African App” at the 2017 “AppsAfrica Awards”, has over 46 million users as of April 2019.

The service is currently available on Android, iOS and Web. The music and video streaming & download service is developed and owned by Transsnet Music Limited. Boomplay’s vision is to build the largest and most reliable digital music ecosystem for artistes and content creators in Africa. In the last year, Boomplay has signed deals with Universal Music Group and Warner Music giving its users access to an extensive catalogue of music globally.