Rocky Dawuni, the international music star/global ambassador and humanitarian activist, releases his highly anticipated 7^th studio album Beats of Zion on March 8,2019 with Six Degrees Distribution. [Pre-Order: https://rockydawuni.lnk.to/beatsalbum]

The thirteen-track set follows the GRAMMY nominated album Branches of the Same Tree, (“Best Reggae Album” in 2016) and expands Rocky’s “Afro Roots” sound to include the diversity of the Ghanaian music scene and its current global outreach.

Although Rocky’s music has had CNN naming him “Africa’s Top 10 global stars” and Ziggy Marley stating “Rocky’s music is creative inspiration that knows no boundaries,” it’s only one part of what drives his mass appeal. Dawuni’s eloquence, cultural diplomacy and passionate activism have led him to become a moving spokesperson for various global causes.

Recently, Rocky was designated a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for Africa at a beautiful concert at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2018 at the Global Landscapes Forum with dignitaries from all over the world.

This is on top of the social campaigns and activism he’s done including work with Product (RED), ONE, UNICEF, The Carter Center, Clean Cooking Alliance and the United Nations Foundation. Additionally, with UNESCO’s recent designation of Reggae music as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Rocky Dawuni represents one of the leading African global voices of Reggae.

Rocky’s travels around the world helped shape the new album Beats of Zion. He elaborates, “Beats of Zion was born out of my desire to use my diverse global musical influences and exposure to various traditions to paint a multi-cultural musical vision of the world that I perceive.

"The beginning of the year saw me visit Ethiopia and India. In Ethiopia, I visited Lalibela, witnessing ancient Christian rites and my journeys in India also exposed me to its diverse spiritual culture and the shared similarities I saw to Africa.” he said

He adds, “The title Beats of Zion is inspired by a vision of the drumbeat of awareness and elevation of consciousness; a musical call to arms for my audience to be proactive in this day and age as to each person’s responsibility to be an active instrument for positive change.”

The album was recorded in the span of almost 2 years in various studios in Ghana - Accra, Nairobi - and Los Angeles, California. In LA, Rocky was gifted studio time at the legendary Village Studios that has recorded the most influential artists including Bob Dylan, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, and Fleetwood Mac. Rocky ended up recording in the same room as Fleetwood Mac and created the magic of the title track “Beats of Zion” and “Wickedest Sound.” Rocky found out that Fleetwood Mac visited Ghana in the 1970s which made the experience more special and inspired the Ghanaian traditional highlife song “Kyenkyen Bi AdiMawu” as a homage to his heritage.

These 3 tracks recorded at Village Studios kicked off the entire album making process.

The title track and lead single “Beats of Zion” came out well from the Village Studios session, but was missing something on the drum tracking. Rocky states, “We travelled to Zanzibar for a concert shortly after the recording session.

At the time, I was still wanting the full African tribal effect that I had imagined. On the eve of my concert at the amazing SautizaBusara Festival, we saw Batimbo Percussion Magique of Burundi mount the stage and blow the minds of everyone in the audience. I turned to my manager; Cary Sullivan who was also watching and we thought the same – ‘these are the guys for Beats of Zion’ and so the story unfolded.” The lead single video debuted with PopMatters who stated, “Rocky Dawuni aims to re-energize the forces of love and hope.”

“Wickedest Sound” is another song that speaks volumes, featuring Ghanaian dancehall star Stonebwoy. 

The track combines elements of modern Afrobeats with Reggae music. With production paying homage to the organic recordings of classic Highlife music, it also combines a groove driven melodic approach with the traditional call and response style of singing. “Kyenkyen Bi AdiMawu” features Ghanaian hip-hop star Sarkodie and is a sprawling remake of the Highlife classic originally recorded by Ghanaian maestro K. Frimpong which is all sung in Twi. “Let’s Go” fuses pop sensibilities, Reggae and the grooves of New Orleans to create a feel-good anthem of forward mobility and positive vibrations. The hand claps add an organic Gospel feel to this exhilarating song. PRI of The World caught up with Rocky Dawuni to talk about the song and video that supports a bicycle program for girl child education initiatives in Ghana..

Other tracks that show more dimensions to the album include the Reggae Cumbia track “Freedom Train” featuring Argentinian Dancehall queen Alika who joins Rocky with her powerful Spanish raps and “Burn One” a homage to the social transformative power of the legalization of marijuana in the spheres of medicine, recreational use and as a primary tool for economic emancipation.

There will be videos coming out for many of the tracks on the album including “Elevation” which was shot on location in southern India.

It is an inspirational groove filled with a message of hope and uses the traditional Rastafarian Nyabinghi sounds. “Champion Arise,” a track that easily fits into the current Roots Reggae revival sound, paints a spiritual picture with biblical imagery and inspirational lyrics about spiritual warfare for the upliftment of all people. “Sunshine Day” is the 1970’s Ghanaian pop group Osibisa classic song re-imagined as an up-tempo Reggae song with featured Ghanaian artist the “Young Lioness of Africa” Wiyaala.

The diversity and features found on the new album are in step with Rocky’s vision of constantly evolving the boundaries of his sounds and expanding its global palettes and reach.

In a time when divisive rhetoric is on the rise and the political climate prefers to build walls over bridges, Rocky’s album Beats of Zion is a refreshing message about global unity and a worldview of oneness. Rocky passionately states, “We live in a time when the elements of international morality need to be proclaimed as a guiding principle for how we engage and deal with each other, between individuals, between communities and among nations.

It is a time for global mobilization for action on challenging socio-political issues like the environment and the refugee crisis. Beats of Zion is the drumbeat of war against apathy and re-energizing the forces of love and hope.” He concludes, “Beats of Zion is the rhythm of change beating from a distance and getting louder to awaken positive consciousness.”

“Influenced by sounds from across the African diaspora – everywhere from Dawuni’s native Ghana to the Caribbean – and beyond, the artist cements his role as a central voice in the contemporary African reggae scene by expanding its very scope.” – PopMatters

"Rocky Dawuni is one of Ghana’s best-traveled musicians these days. He lives between Los Angeles and Accra, but his signature “Afro Roots” sound—a blend of reggae, highlife, Afrobeat and more—brings him to concert stages and recording studios in places like Zanzibar, Nairobi, and Harare, Zimbabwe, as well as throughout Europe and the United States." AfroPop

“What a tremendous performance from international reggae star Rocky Dawuni. It has been a joy to watch his maturation as a writer and performer, and this Ghana-based video shows him at the absolute height of his powers, chanting an irresistibly danceable melody that expands the range of his syncretic powers. First rate and a pure joy!” -Roger Steffens, author of the award-winning “So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley"

The annual prestigious awards for phenomenal women in Kenya -Zuri Awards are back bigger and better.

Zuri Awards is a platform that has been in existence since 2016 and it seeks to recognize and celebrate outstanding women in line with the International Women’s Day theme #BalanceforBetter. 

 There will be a Gala Dinner on the 7th March 2019 at Villa Rosa Kempinski and will be graced by the CS for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, Prof Margaret Kobia.

Zuri Awards seeks to recognize and fete exceptional women and organisations doing outstanding work in their communities.

The awards were curated by Go Gaga Experiential Ltd and are sponsored by Barclays Bank of Kenya, Safaricom, KCB and Sochin Agency.

This year’s nomination slots have moved from 4 to 15 to enable more women playing key roles in changing the society in various capacity and sectors are recognised for their works and achievements.

The past honorees include Buya Mukonzo – 2017 My Little Big Thing Winner, Fatuma Abdikadir Adan - HODI took a team to World Cup 2018 in Russia, Dr. Chao Mbogo – Founder of KamiLimu & 2018 Face of Science Kenya. Caroline Wanjiku of HELD Sister Foundation & Umulkheir Mohammed founder of Kesho Alliance are among the women participating on the ongoing Ms. President Reality show.

Speaking about the upcoming awards ceremony, the director at Go Gaga Experiential Muthoni Mumo said, “Due to the consistent growth of Zuri Awards and consultations, we have increased the nomination slots from 4 to 15 showcasing more women making a difference in the various segments of the market.” 

She adds, “This will be a game changer and will inspire other women to work extra hard, be innovative and creative in their respective fields.”

This year’s categories include:

• STEM(Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics)
• Agriculture
• Health Care
• Renewable Energy
• Humanitarian
• Innovation
• Young Achiever
• Sports
• Public Service
• Arts and Culture
• Media
• Finance
• Manufacturing
• Education  
• Business

Zuri Awards has attracted some of the most prolific individuals in the society in the previous years.  Some of the past honorees are currently doing it big, two of them are currently on the recently launched Ms. President Reality show. 

 The nominations are largely based on individuals who are running projects that have an impact on women’s livelihoods, taken risks to change existing social and/or cultural norms and those who continue to stand up for what the individual or organization believes in.

This year’s awards will be judged by a panel of experienced jurors from various fields and will include Zuhura Ogada –Communication and Media Expert, Wavi Muigai - Head of Corporate Communication & Customer Experience at the Higher Education Loans Board, Samuel Mburu Mwangi - Telecommunications Engineer, Patience Nyange - Media, Communications and Public Relations Consultant, Felix Kipkosgei - Lead/Senior VAS and IT services planning engineer by profession, Lilyanne Ndinda -Women Rights Programme Officer at Oxfam in Kenya, Ms. Jane Gitau - Communications Consultant and a Lecturer, St Paul’s University, Ms. Wangechi Muriuki – Country Manager, Invest in Africa and  Dr. Julius Weche Founder and CEO Akad Education Group- Africa

Kwale County Women Representative Zulekha Juma on Saturday delivered a bouncing baby girl.

This is the legislator's fourth child, two boys and two girls.

Zulekha took to her facebook page to share the news with her constituents and followers.

"Alhamdullillah, namshukuru Mwenyezi Mungu, kwa kunijaalia kujifungua mtoto wa kike salama, tarehe 2 March 2019. Waminshari hasidin idha hasad." she posted 

The Vocal ODM Mp gave birth to her third born, a boy in 2017 as her party (ODM) was conducting nominations ahead of the general elections 

Kenyan music sensation, Audiphaxad Peter, who is well known as Guardian Angel, has been unveiled as the brand ambassador for Crowned Eagle Safaris. 

Crowned Eagle Safaris is a travel agency based in Nairobi, Kenya that plans tours and travels for clients in Africa, Europe, Dubai and Asia.

Guardian Angel was unveiled at a special event at the agency's offices at Krishna Centre, Westlands, where he was welcomed into the Crowned Eagle Safaris. 

The singer who also in 2017 was among Taxify Kenya's brand influencers, expressed his excitement about the new deal. Guardian Angel is obviously having one of his best times, as this deal is coming after he won seven awards last year alone in both local and international awards including the Groove Awards Artiste of the Year title

Dazlah's manager Tee Hits has found himself on the receiving end after a local designer came out and accused him of failing to pay her money.

According to the designer, Mariagisela Nyange she designed Dazlah's attires used in his recent video shoot featuring Jua Cali and they had agreed that she will paid shs 1,500 which she claims Tee has not yet paid untill now.

The video is set to be released soon.

"He promised to pay for my fare to the venue of the video shoot  which was Shanzu and also the fee for designing the clothes. He only paid the fare but has not yet paid me my fee and each time i ask him he keeps on dodging and sometime not picking my phone" said Nyange.

When contacted by Ommy Dallah for comment, Tee charged " Our initial agreement was is should only pay for her fare , she approached me saying she would love to work with us and design the clothes and that i should only pay for her fare which i agreed".

"Funny enough after she got home, she called and told me that something came up and that i should now pay her sh1,500 of which i agreed and promised to pay. I hate issues and trust me i will sort her soon" added Tee

President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on successful Kenyans to mentor the youth as a way of instilling in them life skills and values needed to overcome some of the challenges facing the youngsters including corruption. 

The President said that young people need to be made to appreciate the importance of virtues such as persistence, honesty and hard work as the foundation of success. 

While cautioning the youth against the lure of quick riches, the President said Kenyans can prosper and gain wealth through hardwork. 

“We need role models that will show our young people that easy money, yes it is easy but quick to go but the sweat of our brawn is hard to get but it stays longer and gives dignity to those who are engaged,” said President Kenyatta.

The President spoke last evening when he officially inaugurated the Eye of Kenya at the Two Rivers Mall in Nairobi.

The Eye of Kenya is Africa’s tallest ferris wheel which is 60 meters high having 40 rotating capsules, each able to hold six passengers.

President Kenyatta accompanied by other dignitaries inaugurated the wheel by taking a ride on it.

“You can work hard and make money, you don’t have to steal from your brothers and sisters. You can actually work hard and make money and do great things,” the President advised.

The President commended the chairman of Centum Investments Dr. Chris Kirubi for his persistence noting that despite his health challenges, the Kenyan entrepreneur has continued to create employment opportunities for the Kenyan youth.

"You have come back stronger, firmer and we are here doing something new. You are the epitome of what we want to propel our country farther,” the President told Dr. Kirubi.

He said the new investment demonstrates that there are still more opportunities in the country which can be harnessed to create jobs for Kenyans.

“You have shown that it is possible to work hard, it is possible to create, it is possible to think outside the box and do what others think may not be normal and create wealth not just for oneself but for the whole country, while creating opportunities for our young people,” said the President.

The Head of State said Kenya has a vibrant and talented youth population as demonstrated by the way international and global companies rush to Kenya to acquire new technological applications. 

The President assured all investors and entrepreneurs of the government's support in growing and safeguarding their investments. 

Dr. Kirubi said his company will continue seeking partnerships with other entrepreneurs with the aim of creating more opportunities for Kenyans.

He commended President Kenyatta for his support, saying Kenyans of goodwill are fully behind his efforts to rid the country of corrupt individuals.

Kenyan singer Anto Neosoul has just dropped his latest song dubbed 'Closer'.

The audio has been produced by Nahreel from Tanzania and video directed by Mombasa based video director Mac Choka.

In an interview with Ommy Dallah, Anto explains why he chose to work with Mac Choka "I chose to work with him because of his work ethic Mac Choka and all of Ace Pix is very professional from concept development to execution. Working with him was honestly a walk in the park. Once the hard job of concept development is done all you gotta do is sit and watch magic happen.

Watch the video below

Bongo flava crooner Ali Kiba and his Kenyan wife Amina Khalef are proud parents of a newly born baby boy.

According to reports, Amina who is from Mombasa delivered few days ago.

Ali Kiba took to instagram to share a video of two young girls and a boy asking him to kiss the new born on their behalf

"Hello Ali Kiba , Mabroul for your baby boy, kiss the baby for us" 

The two got married last year in Mombasa.