Apple Music has launched Isgubhu, the ultimate destination for African Dance and Electronic music.

Africa’s bustling and bubbling Dance & Electronic music scene has become a global player over the last few decades and Apple Music is on a mission to spotlight and elevate the work of the DJs, producers and artists in this space.

“Apple Music has been a long term supporter of the incredible DJs, artists and producers within the Dance and Electronic music community in Africa and we’re very excited about the launch of Isgubhu. Our regional teams are true advocates for the culture and we’re committed to continuing to connect artists to a global audience,” says Stephen Campbell, Apple Music’s Global Head of Dance and Electronic music.

Isgubhu, a Zulu word meaning beat and used to refer to a banging song, pays homage to an evergreen set of genres and the African artists who have played a pivotal role in shaping the Dance and Electronic scene across the world from South African maestros like Black Coffee, Prince Kaybee, Black Motion and DJ Lag, Kenyan producers Euggy and Slikback to Uganda’s prolific group Nihiloxica.

Several sub-genres will live under the banner of Isgubhu including Gqom, Amapiano, Kwaito, Mzansi House, Deep House and Shangaan Electro, as well as a dedicated section for Essential Albums that will highlight seminal African Dance and Electronic albums for easy discovery.

 Isgubhu will also house a collection of playlists including Spotlight On, a focus on boutique African dance & electronic labels like Soul Candi, House Afrika, Stay True Sounds and Uganda’s Hakuna Kulala & Nyege Nyege Tapes), Isgubhu Voices - a focus on the best Dance and Electronic tracks that feature vocals, and an overarching genre playlist that is currently curated by Black Coffee, the first Isgubhu cover star.

"It's a true honour to be titled as the very first Isgubhu hero artist by my friends at Apple Music. To me, home is everything... the absolute core of my being. Bringing the sounds of South Africa to the world is a life-long mission I'll never stop chasing after.” - Black Coffee.

There will also be a spotlight on Isugbhu BY, where one handpicked artist will curate their favourite African Dance and Electronic albums to feature for the month.

The first artist will be DJ Lag who had this to say “These are albums that shaped me. Releases like Big Nuz's 'Undisputed' made me dream big about being a producer one day, I was only 14 at the time. I love South African dance music I think we have a vibrant scene that keeps regenerating and reinventing itself every few years. Kwaito, Afro House, Gqom, Amapiano are movements here, not only music genres.”

Isgubhu will also include a selection of exclusive DJ mixes from the continent’s hottest DJs including: DJ Zinhle, Caiiro, Kabza De Small, Kyle Watson, Stiff Pap, DBN Gogo, Da Capo, Gina Jeanz, and more.

"Apple Music has always shown great interest in my labels and the independent music they showcase from incredibly talented artists around South Africa. The support received from Apple Music really goes a long way in this day and age when non-commercial music has to compete with Top 40 worldwide hits on global playlists.” - Kid Fonque (Stay True Sounds founder)

“As an independent artist it’s so rarely possible to get your music on most playlists and in my case it was different as Apple Music showed me love and support on my album Agora which got playlisted on a couple of platforms, in addition I got a rare opportunity to do the One Mix which has been so far one of my highlights of 2020.” - Caiiro.

 "For those who know me well, know that its been my vision & dream to take my music further across borders. Apple Music amplified the reach by supporting my music on editorial playlists, making sure I'm heard by the audience that relates to the picture I'm painting.” - Cornelius SA.

On his part Sio notes “Through their support I’ve gained so many great opportunities, opening for Lionbabe’s Worldwide Virtual tour and landing on a stage with Tom Misch. I’m super excited about Apple Music’s new Isgubhu campaign taking African Dance and Electronic music to the next level and showing the world what we do best.”

Find Isgubhu on Apple Music  http://apple.co/Isgubhu

Tanzanian singer Harmonize has been forced to cut short his music tour in his home country after falling ill.

The 'Haunishtui' hitmaker took to his social media pages to apologise to his fans for the move  revealing that new dates for the tour will be set.

He had already visited several towns especially in the Lake side of Tanzania including Geita, Shinyanga, Mwanza.

"Natamani sana kuendelea na hili vibe #INTHECLUBTOUR but i have to go back for check up IM F*** SICK. RATIBA MPYA INSHALLAH" he posted.

The tour titled ' IN DA CLUB TOUR' started on January 29 in Mwanza and was scheduled to end on March 20 in Zanzibar.

Meanwhile, singer Ibra who is signed under Harmonize's record label Konde gang is currently in Kenya, Nairobi for a media tour and popularising his songs.

Former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta today received her 2019 Macky Sall Prize for Dialogue in Africa from Defence Cabinet Secretary Dr Amb Monica Juma.

The prize was awarded on 11^th December last year at the Museum of Black Civilization in Dakar, Senegal by President Macky Sall and received by Dr Juma on behalf of the Former First Lady who couldn't travel because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The annual prize is awarded to African personalities who use dialogue to avert conflict on the continent and is named after the Senegalese President Macky Sall who is a celebrated African mediator.

The Former First Lady was awarded for continuously and quietly using dialogue to diffuse tension in the country and the region over the years especially for her leading role in ending the political tension that followed Kenya's 2017 General Election.

Speaking when she received the award from Dr Juma at her Nairobi home, the Former First Lady thanked CIRID for the recognition saying it was an honour for Kenya's frontline role in the search for lasting peace and stability in Eastern Africa.

"I didn't know that there are people who know where we've come from as a country and how they settled on me as the recipient of the award. I am grateful," the Former First Lady said, and thanked Dr Juma for collecting the award on her behalf.

At the prize handover ceremony attended by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, Dr Juma was accompanied by Head of Public Service Dr Joseph Kinyua and Foreign Affairs PS Amb Macharia Kamau.

The Mombasa county government has come up with stringent measures and strategies to rid the county of careless garbage dumping and littering which has been the main challenge facing the county.

First to happen is going to be fresh registration of serious waste collectors by the department of Environment in a one month exercise that is going to begin on Monday February 8, 2021, at the Environment offices based at the Yard - next to the Fire Station in Majengo/ Mwembe Tayari Ward.

Waste collectors, their carts and vehicles that are registered/ licensed after this activity will then be dressed uniquely in uniforms as per the wards they operate in as well as have county badges and stickers clearly displayed on their carts or vehicles identifying them to residents, wananchi, landlords businessmen and other waste generators.

Those found to be still using unregistered waste collectors for their garbage collection after this activity are going to face full consequences as they will be tracked and together with their collector, arrested and held responsible for the garbage found dumped carelessly in their neighborhood.

This will also result to a fine of Ksh500,000 to 1,000,000 depending on the quantity of the garbage dumped.

These measures were addressed on Saturday by County officers during a forum with community leaders and environment stakeholders drawn from across the six sub counties at the newly refurbished Railways Roundabout Park whose agenda was ridding the county off nuisance garbage dumping by uncouth individuals and groups.

Led by Chief Officer for Environment Ilhan Abass who also doubles up as the Devolution & Public Service Administration chief officer, it was also agreed that all residents will sort their garbage at the household level in decomposing and non decomposing matter and bag them for easier and speedy collection by waste collectors.

It was also agreed that their will be a continuous monthly clean up exercise - held every last Saturday of the month involving all area residents and businesses men. The first clean up activity will be held on February 27, 2021 in every Ward in Mombasa .

Also noted during the meeting that was attended by the head of Illegal dumping Richard Monanka as well as Sub County & Ward Administrators, is that every Ward and Sub County, is to identify its own waste collection and transfer point where their garbage will be regularly collected by environment vehicles.

In the new rules ,no waste collector will be allowed to dispose or transfer waste to other Wards or neighboring Sub Counties.

Kenya and the United Kingdom will co-host a two-day conference on global partnership for education financing on July 25 and 26, President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced.

The President said the aim of the education financing conference is to raise 5 billion US dollars to ensure that all children, particularly those in developing countries, have equitable access to quality education.

He invited African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government to join the effort and commit to protect education budgets in their respective countries.

“You will all agree with me that our children received the harshest brunt of the (COVID-19) pandemic; the lockdowns resulted in significant loss of income of the caregivers.

“We need to show up and hold our governments accountable in setting aside the adequate resources to ensure that all children, both girls and boys and those in vulnerable situations, can go back to school and complete their studies,” President Kenyatta said. 

The President spoke Saturday at State House, Nairobi, at the start of the two-day virtual 34^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU whose theme is “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want”.

The Kenyan Head of State expressed the need for African Governments to invest more aggressively in improving education access and quality, including the area of teaching and learning technologies, to bridge the education divide.

“Our children, are the future of this continent and we, as leaders, must guarantee a better tomorrow for them. We, as leaders today, must preserve and protect their wellbeing,” the President told the summit during which President Cyril Ramaphosa of South handed over the AU chairmanship to President Félix Tshisekedi of DRC.

President Kenyatta also emphasized the need to not slacken in the fight against malaria even as the continent tackles the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Even as we continue the fight against COVID-19, restore our economies and secure the future of our children through education, let us know that malaria remains amongst one of the greatest threats to the health of our children and all our citizens across the continent,” he said.

As Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), President Kenyatta appreciated the unwavering commitment by AU member states towards elimination of malaria by 2030.

He noted that 19 African countries are implementing the flagship campaign of “Zero Malaria Starts with Me” and urged those who have not yet launched the campaign to do so.

The President also took the opportunity to thank President Ramaphosa, the outgoing AU Chairman, for steering the continental organization during the unprecedented period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You have ably shepherd our continent to respond to the pandemic in a timely and effective manner,” President Kenyatta commended his South African counterpart.

The Kenyan leader also congratulated President Tshisekedi for taking over the chairmanship of AU, assuring him of Kenya’s full support.

“My delegation expresses full confidence in your solid leadership and ability to take our Union to greater heights,” President Kenyatta assured the Congolese leader.

President Kenyatta also thanked AU member states for their support that enabled Kenya to secure the Non-Permanent Member position of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term from 2021 to 2022.

Speaking as he handed over the AU chairmanship, President Ramaphosa said he was glad that the continent’s response to COVID-19 has been driven, coordinated and capacitated by its own scientists and medical experts, domiciled within the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

“In establishing this platform, we have given practical meaning to the mantra we often repeat, that we are committed to developing African solutions to African problems,” President Ramaphosa said.

On his part, President Tshisekedi assured of his commitment to working closely with all AU member states to achieve the objectives of the continental organization.

Gearing up for the release of his debut EP, award-winning producer, Pheelz has delivered a sensual new single, “Wayward Girl”.

The single is a follow up of previously released, “One Life” which he shared in 2020.

On “Wayward Girl”, he describes falling in love with an independent woman who lives a life of adventure while taking advantage of men for money and sex.

“Wayward Girl” has been released alongside a music video directed by Ibidunni Oladayo. In the video, Pheelz goes on a late-night drive with a girl while performing the song.

The new single will appear on his upcoming EP, Hear Me Out, which will be released on February 19. The 5-track project is a collection of feel-good tunes about success, love, and relationships.

Listen to “Wayward Girl”

About Pheelz

Phillip Kayode Moses (known by his stage name, Pheelz) is an award-winning producer based in Lagos, Nigeria. Since 2012, Pheelz has consistently created chart-topping singles for various artists in Nigeria. He is a hit maker who is known for his rhythmic Afropop beats and producer tag, “Ridimaculayo”. He has produced songs and albums for artists like Fireboy DML, Olamide, Mr Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Teni, and Adekunle Gold amongst other talents.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has called for a special meeting with members of the Mombasa county assembly (MCAs).

According to a message sent to the MCAs and seen by this blog, the meeting is expected to take place tomorrow (Sunday) at the Bahari beach resort.

"Dear Hon Member, H.E Governor invites you for a meeting at Bahari Beach Resort Tomorrow 07/02/2021 at 9.00am" reads the message from the assembly majority chief whip Junior Wambua.

According to a source, top on the agenda in the meeting will be the building bridges initiative (BBI). Joho is expected to convince the MCAs to pass the bill.

The assembly which is currently on recess will resume on Monday.

It is still not yet clear if the rebel MCAs who include Charles Kitula (Frere Town), Fahad Kassim (Mjambere) and Abrari Omar (Kongowea) Faith Mwende (Kipevu) and  Abdalla Shebe (Jomvu Kuu) will attend the meeting.

Speaking to this blog, Frere Town MCA Charles Kitula who has been accompanying Deputy President William Ruto during his Mombasa tour which started yesterday said he has not been invited for the meeting.

"I don't know about the meeting, I have not been invited, Infact you are the one telling me about it" Kitula told Ommydalla.co.ke.

The source also revealed to this blog  that Joho held a similar meeting last week with Mombasa county Mps at Mombasa golf club, Nyali Mp Mohammed Ali a close ally of deputy president William Ruto did not attend the meeting

On Wednesday last week, the Siaya county assembly passed the BBI bill becoming the first county assembly to pass the bill.

Construction works to rehabilitate Moi International Airport’s (MIAs) aircraft pavements and Airfield Ground Lighting systems (AGL) funded by French Development Agency a Sh7 billion facility is on course for completion.

The project had been by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) Ag. Managing Director, Alex Gitari noted that the works, which were originally meant to be completed in December last year were delayed and pushed to March 2021, due to the Covid-19 health protocols.

The mitigation measures (curfew) put in place reduced construction hours.  

“The Moi International Airport’s rehabilitation works will ensure that all pavements offer safe operations to aircraft and avoidance of operational delays and disruptions occasioned by poor airfield ground lighting, “said Gitari

The rehabilitation of MIA will involve replacing the existing AGL systems and all approach lighting masts from steel to fiberglass.

The upgraded pavements will have a sustainable maintenance regime to keep the runway and aprons in good condition throughout the 20 years design life, and also ensure the airport land is neither undermined, nor destroyed due to unstable ground.

It will also enhance MIA’s green rating through rainwater water harvesting.

Mr Gitari also inspected the construction progress at Ukunda Airport. The Authority is rehabilitating the Ukunda aerodrome’s security and Mkwakwani Primary School fences.

Ukunda Airport has in recent past seen growth in passenger numbers, necessitating introduction of larger planes. It is served by Jambojet, Air Kenya, Safari link, Fly 540, Aeronav and a number of private charters.

“Passenger numbers have rapidly grown from 55,207 in 2014/15 to 175,460 in be 2017/18, reflecting an overall growth of 240 per cent, in 4 years “said Gitari.

The Coast projects inspection tour is part of a country wide exercise in which Kenya Airports Authority Management is inspecting the ongoing infrastructural projects. 

Young Rich TV show, Foods of Kenya returns to the screens bigger and better  for the fifth from 6pm this Saturday 6th February 2021 on KTN. 

The weekly show that explores the traditional culinary history and cooking methods of the different Kenyan communities since time immemorial. 

The show delves into the details of where and how the meals are prepared, their cultural significance as well as how these methods have evolved over the years, incorporating dance, culture, clothing and interesting tradions. 

Speaking about the show, Eugene says,  " We are excited to document healthy foods and recipes from way back and at the same time enjoy our rich culture as it evolves in this modern-day, while holding on to some other things that our forefathers taught us.

Following a one year break, the new season returns with fresh content and promises its viewers great insights from the shores of  Muhuru Bay to Kalokol, Lake Jipe to Mount Sagallia and Rumuruti to Busia. 

Viewers will get to experience various dishes from  Akop of the  Dinka community, Curu Wa Mukiyo of the Kikuyu Community, Suqaar from the Somali Community, and the delectable  Sambar from the Indian Community among others. 

The show that  premiered in March 2019 has been created by Eugene Mbugua of Documentary and Reality television limited and is hosted by the charismatic renowned Kenyan ptoducer, Mwaniki Mageria. 

The show is aimed at appreciating Kenya’s unique delicacies  and equipping the audience with the knowledge of it's rich and exciting  local foods, and traditions. 

The new season has been  directed by David Mutuku and  Caroline Ngunjiri and Debrah Metto as production managers. 

It’s so exciting to be a part of this because we have new people to meet, new communities and even going back to the old ones but having new and fresh experiences from them" says Mwaniki Mageria.