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Ommy Dallah

Ommy Dallah

Ugandan rapper Navio, East Africa’s biggest rap export, has linked up with legendary Tanzanian rapper Joh Makini and Flex d'Paper, the leader of Ugandan nu school to release the music video of “Abaana Beeka”.

Abaana Beeka in Luganda means children of the soil, Children from Home. It’s a gritty and transcendent beat from Samurae, one of the most revered producers Uganda has ever spawned.

When three juggernauts in African music come together it’s an explosive blend! Directed by Sasha Vybz, the music video of “Abaana Beka” replays scenes from top African cities – an ode to our diversity in sound, language and trends. 

Watch “Abaana Beka” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YTq9U-_jLI

Stream ‘Strength In Numbershttps://equitydistro.ffm.to/rndymb3

“Abaana Beka” isn’t only hailing East Africa but those who represent their hoods and the traditions that brought them to where they are, irrespective of where they are.

From Africa in the East, South to West and beyond –pride in our originality is a global thing.

This is slated to be one of the biggest collaborations in Africa this year, with hard street elements and a freestyle-based godfather writing style that have made these three kings loved by their fans.

In a time when Corona is making artists look inwards, these acts are still pushing the international hustle agenda, still grinding and still putting out great music.

This is the latest release from Navcorp /Icon Studios and Weusi. “Abaana Beka” is a single off Navio’s 2020 album ‘Strength In Numbers’.

“Kyekyo” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX7cKeMrX-k

“Nielewe” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dedsmEapCr8

“Paper” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L98egrYRCA

Champion Studios signee and fast rising artiste B CLASSIC aka 006  is back with another ballad for the ladies ''Call Me Baby"' featuring Kenya's female sensation Nadia Mukami.

The audio has been produced by Top layer and Alexis on the beat, the video was directed by  Deska Torres and was shot in Nairobi. 

Watch Call me baby :https://youtu.be/KCVzvY2bd9s 

Call me baby is a love song that portrays the day to day relations between couples and how they relate. 

Speaking about the song, B Classic says. "My songs are inspired by love, and this one is no exception. To love and to be loved is the greatest thing, when you meet the right person you risk it all for them and lose yourself in their company"

Two months ago, the singer released his first single Yakikukataa which has 480,000 views on YouTube, Mabawa in collaboration with Bruce Mfalme at 567,000 views, followed by Dondosha at 290,000 and the most recent work Wangu at 390,000 views. 

Watch Yakikukataa : https://youtu.be/6d5zjVbHgiY 

Most importantly "Call me baby" paves the way for more music to come from the rising Superstar. 

Watch Wangu: https://youtu.be/tKxRQNeywyg 

This latest release marks the next phase for the Singer/Songwriter  as he solidifies his entry into the industry and establishes himself as an international star. 

 

More than 300 construction workers held demonstration in Mombasa to protest against a court order stopping the construction of a multibillion apartment in Nyali.
 
The irate workers got a rude shock father the developer issued a notice closing the site rendering them jobless.
 
On Monday High Court Judge Eric Ogola reversed an earlier order that had allowed the construction to continue effectively halting the same.
 
The workers claim they were on the project to foot their bills and send their children back to school on Monday saying the judge failed to consider public interest claiming the order only favours a tycoon who is against the project.
 
According to the protestors they are now facing the challenge of feeding their families and taking children badck to school.
 
The construction of the building is at the centre of a legal battle after neighbours protested its construction over environmental concerns.

Controversial socialite Stacy Vugusta popularly known as Pendo has been arraigned with failing to settle a bill after her lover disappeared.

Pendo who also acted on Nairobi diaries is accused of failing to pay  sh 208,000 bill she accumulated alongside her lover while staying at English Point hotel.

According to the charge sheet, Pendo allegedly stayed in the high end hotel with full knowledge that she was not in a position to pay the bill.

She denied the charges before Shanzu magistrate David Odhiambo and was released on sh 100,000 bond with an alternative of sh 35,000 cashbail.

According to the hotel management, Pendo had checked in with her lover in September and their bill accumulated to sh 330,000 after days of eating and drinking while vacationing.

But the lover is said to have disappeared even before they settled the bill and the actress was left with the shame of settling the bill.

The management said the actress was able to pay sh 145,000 and promised to pay the remaining balance within two weeks.

They however said she failed to keep her word after failing to pay on the agreed dates of between September 14 and October 7.

The decision to charge the actress was reached by the hotel as the bill was accumulating as they had restrained her from leaving the hotel.

The magistrate directed the actress to pay the balance before trial which has been scheduled for March 15.

Pendo is not new to controversy.

In 2018,she was arrested after her Mzungu lover left her with sh 75,000 bill in one of the hotels in Westlands.

Phones have evolved immensely since the 80’s, both in design and function and several models of phones have since launched in the market in tandem with customers' dynamic demands.

realme, which is currently the fastest growing smartphone brand adopts a trendsetting design concept that it has always adhered to in a bid to bring back trendy culture in the technology space.

The brand explores art and beauty, going beyond the constraints of conventional aesthetics technology to bring trendsetting aesthetic design to consumption in electronic products.

Less than a month after being launched in the Kenyan market, realme C15 is gaining momentum with its unique features and design, for an entry level smartphone, as well as its affordability with the 64GB going for 16,999 shillings while the128GB  going for 19,999 shillings, thus redefining the whole smartphone experience in its category.

A deep dive into realme C15’s design reveals detailed and finer particulars of a geometric design with the back cover divided into three different angles of lines by a trapezoid.

This kind of design gives the phone a regular and unpredictable visual effect. It is the design of the future. Simple, but not boring, inspired by the everyday lifestyle of the young generation.

The back cover texture is achieved using the industry leading German five axis precise radium engraving machine after 300 minutes of polishing. This gives the phone a sense of class.

The curves are engraved to create a special reflective light effect making realme C15 more colorful, appealing, comfortable in your hands, less susceptible to fingerprints and effectively prevents scratching and sliding.

Furthermore, to achieve real design in visual effects, realme UI is designed keeping 4 things in mind - system colors, icons, wallpapers, and animations. In terms of colors, realme UI uses high-saturation and high-brightness colors to construct an authentic color scheme, bringing a sense of vitality and freshness.

realme UI uses the core elements found in commonly seen everyday items. For example, the "Settings" icon, derived from gear parts, is restructured through an infinite collection of circles that derive from a primary circle with the golden ratio. It is a geometric proportion that adds on to the aesthetics.

This design style brings a minimalist and dynamic icon design, which is more vivid and orderly.

To match the vibrant app icons, realme UI also brings in 11 new wallpapers inspired by natural elements which are indeed a perfect match for its color scheme.

In terms of system animation, realme UI is equipped with the latest quantum animation engine, which improves the screen fluency. Meanwhile, more optimization has been made in the details of the animation, making it super cool and enjoyable.

Available in both marine blue and seagull silver, the realme C15 comes with a mini-drop screen that adopts newly-upgraded stack process, which, on the basis of guaranteeing functions, creatively draws the parts and components closer to each other so that the area of droplets is reduced allowing you to have less visual disturbance while enjoying the comforts brought by 6.5-inch large full screen.

And of course, on top those amazing designs, comes the massive 6000mAh battery that is the first of its kind that charges fast and lasts longer. What is more, the phone is below 20,000 shillings in costs.

With realme keen on real design, it is no wonder the smartphone brand has bagged top international design awards, including smartphone products the realme X Master Edition, the realme X2 Pro Master Edition, the realme X50 5G Master Edition, the realme X50 Pro 5G and its first TWS earphone, the realme Buds Q.

Among them, the realme X Master Edition bagged the German Design Award and the Award for Good Design Australia.

The realme X2 Pro Master Edition won the Red Dot Design Award, the Good Design Award 2020 and the realme X50 5G Master Edition clinched the  Good Design Award from Australia.

The first 5G flagship, the realme X50 Pro 5G has also been acknowledged by the Good Design Award 2020 and the Golden Pin Design Award.

Having a realme brand is an assurance of quality that is being trusted by others from around the world.

Femi One and Nviiri The Storyteller bring together the heat with a massive collaboration dubbed Kipetero Kiyesu. The sure hit is bound to get Kenyans thinking about various issues. 

In the brilliantly produced song by Ricco Beatz, Femi One brings out her flawless rap style as she tackles hard hitting topics such as corruption, single motherhood, patriotism and more.  The talented Nviiri adds his beautiful and melodious voice to the catchy chorus. It is clear the two have amazing chemistry and enjoyed writing and recording the song together.

The creative video directed by CJ Pixel uses clips and snippets from some of the issues Kenyans have faced in story form that speaks to the powerful statement of the song.

"Kipetero kiyesu is me addressing the issues that affect the society and common mwananchi such as politics, corruption and domestic issues. As an artist I felt the need to address these issues because I have a large platform and so many people looking up to me as they say ‘msanii kioo cha jamii’ Sio kila saa tunaimba wimbo za anasa sometimes as artists let’s stand up for something and address it using our art. I decided to feature Nvirii cause I am a huge fan , I love his voice and I wanted the song to have a melodious touch plus he loves story telling as much as I do. “ Femi One says on the drive behind the song.

"This is the first collabo I’ve done with a Kenyan female artist; it will definitely not be the last since there is a good chemistry and vibe. Be ready for a banger and new sound. " Nviiri says on working with Femi One.

Watch “Kipetero Kiyesu” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq8bJBUSMZs

Gikuyu popstar Ayrosh who’s best known for his ingenious fusion of Gikuyu lyrics in his music has today released an audio-visual EP dubbed FIRE.

The 4-part project oozes off a grown and sexy vibe synonymous with the 90s RnB/Soul hits. 

Stream the EP – http://bit.ly/AyroshFireEp

The minimalistic visuals shot by Akili Huru, feature Ayrosh and award-winning poet Mumbi as a couple consumed by desire. 

Watch the visuals on YouTube - http://bit.ly/AyroshFireVisuals

ABOUT AYROSH

Ayrosh is revolutionizing Múgithi music blending it with Pop, R&B, Reggae, and EDM. He has collaborated with Mutoriah, Kwame Rigii, Ythera, and Waithaka Ent. since his first single Wendo in 2016.

He graced numerous stages in Nairobi including Múgithii Festival, Jamhuri Festival, Africa Nouveau Festival, and his own production, Folk Fusion giving eclectic performances.

In June 2019, he released the Murasta EP with Waithaka Ent, which cleverly blends Afro-house beats with Gikuyu, English, and Swahili lyrics. Ayrosh earned two nominations in 2018 for Best Alternative Artist of the Year at Sondeka Awards and Folk Artist of the Year at Cafe Ngoma Awards.

Nigerian music icon, Wande Coal releases the music video for his single AGAIN remix featuring Nigerian-American artist Wale.

This track is off his recently released EP – REALMS, which is his first project in five years.

Directed by Adasa Cookey, the short-film for the song explores love, friendship and betrayal. The narrative for the visuals focus on the influence of friends on the outcome of relationships, in this case jealousy and desperation.

Watch AGAIN remix on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3ycFeVcJOM

As one of the most revered, influential and multifaceted African recording artists of the modern era, Wande Coal released the REALMS EP under his newly allied US-based independent music titans EMPIRE through partnerships with his management Starstruck Management.

STREAM “Realms” here: https://music.empi.re/realms

AGAIN music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67J_MwJIQOs

NAUGHTY GIRL lyric video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSob2sOSLz8

While speaking about his journey as a musician, Wande Coal who has in the past been to Kenya said, “Kenya will always have a place in my heart. I really enjoyed performing there years back and can't wait to reconnect with my Kenyan fans.”

He is also ecstatic about jumping into the studio with Kenyan artists: “I'm game. I'd love to work with Sauti Sol, Khaligraph Jones, Chris Kaiga and Femi One sometime."

The 7-track EP has an impeccable set of tracks befitting his wide-ranging talents as a vocalist and songwriter.

The Sarz produced hit “Vex” is a scintillating dance-floor anthem that addresses the singer’s critics. With its emotive guitar plucks and tender, romantic lyrics, “Again” (produced by Melvitto and Screwface) is already on its way to becoming an Afro Pop classic, having reached over 30 million streams and topping key African music charts.

The album’s brassy second single “Ode Lo Like,” which premiered with Rolling Stone, takes aim at those who take entertainers for simple fools.

“Check,” produced by London’s Lekaa Beats, is a defiant, reggae-tinged anthem sure to inspire sing-alongs in the car and club. The breezy “Naughty Girl” and the high-energy banger “Ever Blazin” round out the EP, along with a new remix of “Again” featuring Nigerian-American rap star Wale.

Wande recently released two music videos for “Again” and “Naughty Girl”. Both singles have had impressive success with “Again” crossing millions of views in a matter of weeks. “Naughty Girl” sparked a viral dance challenge that showed the diversity in Wande Coal’s music as participants were from different countries & continents.

The singer-songwriter and producer with over 200 million global streams to his credit is celebrated Known for his impeccable catalog of Afro pop classics including “Iskaba” (2017), “So Mi So” (2018) and “My Woman, My Everything” (2015).

OkayAfrica declared that Wande Coal has “the best voice in Nigerian pop” and DJ Tunez, described him to The Fader as “Africa's number one vocalist... talent-wise, he's that guy.”

 

Dubbed as the Kenyan Tik-Tok queen for her enchanting, effortless song covers and infectious smile after her Otile Brown ‘Dusuma’ challenge video went viral, Tory Lyn has not stopped at that as she is now taking her music career to a whole new level.

Tory Lynn is a famous name on the social circle, if you have heard the name or a viral video with her you already know she has amazing vocals and more so after her Tik-Tok video gathered more than 1.5 million views of her singing cover songs.

She has since got a recording deal with an American Music Label Mpact Muzik where she has found her second home to help her get her music to the next level.

Also signed to the record label is Kenyan dancehall star Teferah.

Tory Lynn has recently released a new music video titled ‘Lately’ with amazing, snappy and beautiful visuals Tory Lynn looks set to take over the Young Kenyan Pop market with a bang.

The youngster has mushroomed to a diva on her new release and as her voice echoes on the well-crafted beat you can’t help but desire for more.

This is an ultimate rise in a genre that needs rejuvenation and we might have more stars come to the fold from our socials to make the East African music scene popular again.

Her style is a blend of RnB, Soul and Afro vibes.

Watch her new music video ‘Lately’:

https://youtu.be/XouwvImMco0

Salon and wellness services online booking platform, Saspacity, has rolled out its services in Kenya as it targets to tap into the country's billion shillings beauty industry.
 
The platform, which has already gone live on Google Play Store, seeks to connect salons, barbershops, stylists, and professionals providing beauty and other health and wellness services and products to clients seeking services.

With over 400 salons, 1800 styles and 2000 unique haircare and wellness services, Saspacity will allow clients to search and discover beauty services/parlours, explore latest styles, compare prices, get reviews, check out discounts and offers from different salons and book beauty appointments online.

It works in the same way one would prefer to use Uber or Lyft as opposed to hailing a cab. Customers can seek out stylists online for manicures, blowouts, and even spa services like facials.

According to Ernest Were, a co-founder, one can book a slot for the desired service online and show up at the salon or book a slot with a freelancing stylist to deliver the service at their location, minimizing movement as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.

We have included an e-wallet, which allows clients to credit their wallet via M-PESA before they make bookings. This is convenient because then they can always book a service at a later date without the worry of spending the set money for grooming on other things, Were explained.

Saspacity was started to help hair stylists in Kenya, most of whom may not be tech-savvy, dont have adequate access to schedule management, custom statistics, and online booking software, as well as those who do not have the expertise nor the capital to market themselves.

According to research we conducted on salons in the Kenyatta market, Umoja, Kamukunji, and Nairobi CBD, we found out that the average wait time for someone to be served was 50 minutes and during that time, customers walk away "he said.

Adding "Similarly, our findings showed that more than 50% of clients struggle to find information on beauty styling from variety of services offered, their pricing, the best place to get them, as a result, the majority of them end up settling for less than they could get. With Saspacity, everything is now centralized and both the buyer and the seller can walk away satisfied, 

The platform targets those aged between 18 and 50 with a variety of services including all beauty services in the categories of hair (braiding, weaving, dreadlocks, hair styling), spa and massage, tattooing and piercing, men grooming (haircut, beard shaving, to name a few), nails, manicure, pedicure and beauty, and wellness products.

The prices are competitive with braids ranging from Ksh.500 to Ksh.3000 depending on the braid style, salon, and location; and nails from Ksh.150 to Ksh.4500 depending on style, salon, and location.

With Beauty & Personal Care Industry being one of the fastest-growing industries in Kenya, evidenced by the 400% growth in the last four years from Ksh 26 billion in 2015 to over Ksh 100 billion in 2019, Saspacitys inception is hoped to a success.

The unprecedented effect of COVID-19 on businesses is also set to catapult the platform since many people are shifting to home services to reduce risks of exposure. The pilot region for the launch is Nairobi with hopes to expand broadly into the African market.