Former Changamwe Mp and Assistant minister Ramadhan Kajembe has suffered another loss after losing his first wife Aziza Kajembe.

She died early Friday at Mombasa hospital.

This comes just months after the death of his second wife Zaharia Kajembe who died on March this year (2020).

The late Zaharia was also the mother in law to Jomvu Mp Badi Twalib.

” Mama Zaharia shall be remembered for her relentless championing for democracy and women empowerment in Jomvu and changamwe at large”, said Badi in his message of condolence.

In 2017, Kajembe also lost his first born son Seif Kajembe.

On her third 14 track studio album titled, With Love, Namibian born Pan African singer and songwriter, ML, introduces her signature sound with her sensational voice to the African music spectrum.

With Love is a union of Africa, therefore distinctly African.

Dubbed the queen of Shambo Pop in her home country, which is pop music in her vernacular mother tongue Oshiwambo - With Love is flavorfully African - mixing genres of Afro beats, Shambo Pop (Oshiwambo pop) and bongo flavour music.    

On the album, ML is live, alive, boldly African and proud. Every track on the album serves a purpose.

With Love brings together four nations Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa and Angola. Track 10, ‘Let Me Go’, is an excellent collaboration and the cherry on the cream.

Featuring Tanzania’s ‘Washa’ hit maker Barnaba, the duo are a perfect match, serving a flavorful concoction of English and Swahili. 

Widely regarded as a socially conscious musician, ML has been in music management for over ten years, having produced one of the biggest kwaito artistes in Namibia.

However, it was only in December 2017 that ML broke into the music scene with the release of her debut album, ‘The Diplomat’ and in 2018, ‘Independence Day’.

As ML steps into global consciousness musically, the stars are aligned for her.

With love is one of the best products to come from the small southern African nation. With Love is thematically and sonically cohesive and is definitely worth a check out, so, get your waist and foot game right, With Love.  

The album is available on all digital platforms worldwide.

Coast based singer Nyota Ndogo is counting loses after theives boke into her hotel in Voi and made away with food and cooking gas.

Nyota Ndogo had just done shopping for the cafe the day earlier.

"Leo tumeingia kazini hasubui tumekuta viti nje kifuli kimevunjwa.sasa vilivyo ibiwa ndizi chapati zilikua zimebaki tano gesi yangu maharage kilo mbili box la mafuta ya samli Yani mafuta ya mgando friza wamejaribu kuitoa wameshindwa (Today we arrived at my hotel in the morning and we found the seats out. The thieves stole bananas, five chapatis, cooking gas, two kilos of beans and cooking oil. They tried to carry the freezer but were unable to move it)" she posted.

Adding" hivi yule babu loliondo yupo jamani tuwakute waizi mlangoni hasubui.mtungi mzima wa lita mbili wote umeenda na nimefanya shopping jana tu mpya MUNGU awaona nitarudisha friza home Leo Yani duh mtu ataona nikidogo but kwa anae amka 4am kuanza kupigwa na moshi unamuibia amani nayo hutaijua (hivi yule babu loliondo yupo jamani tuwakute waizi mlangoni hasubui.mtungi mzima wa lita mbili wote umeenda na nimefanya shopping jana tu mpya MUNGU awaona nitarudisha friza home Leo Yani duh mtu ataona nikidogo but kwa anae amka 4am kuanza kupigwa na moshi unamuibia amani nayo hutaijua".

Kenyan R&B singer Meryl Paige Diva has been persistent in pursuing a not so popular genre in Kenya presently but still continues to woo her audiences. 

Meryl graced the just concluded Trace Live sets as a background vocalist for some of Kenya’s renowned artists where she displayed her versatility and collaborative skills.

She sang alongside King Kaka, Octopizzo, Kagwe Mungai, Naiboi, and Khaligraph Jones.

In some of these performances, Meryl went above and beyond a background vocalist’s job by offering vocal support and adding melody to rap music.

Her voice was instrumental in giving an emotional and mellow touch to the hooks and bridges of these artists’ songs.

On her set with King Kaka, Meryl did a splendid job with the hook of the song Betty creating a soulful break in his verses and also with the rendition of Lighters.

She also sang behind Amos and Josh and King Kaka in their collabo Baadaye during the show. 

Her sultry voice held the fort in Naiboi’s set on Trace Live especially in Kidege.

This set caught Kenyan songbird Wambura Mitaru’s attention on Youtube prompting her to ask about and commend Meryl for a job well done.

Wambura wasn’t the only one singing Meryl’s praises, Octopizzo also gave her public acknowledgment on his socials. 

“My favorite part of the whole show was singing full choruses of songs I have known and loved and allowing the masses that tuned in to connect and feel the same way.” Meryl says, speaking on her experience at Trace.

Meryl Paige has been in the live music scene for 7 years now and is well versed in the art of live performance. 

She started her musical journey at a young age in Sauti Academy, which has fostered many Kenyan musicians, and even hosts two events that give her and other Kenyan musicians a platform to share different genres of music.

Meryl recorded a number of singles including Regrets, When it's Cold (Dear X), Nawe , Hera featuring Waithaka Ent. and Light my Way with Josh of the Amos and Josh duo in 2019. 

She also produced her debut album SuperEgo in March 2020 which she describes as a body of work that depicts the daily struggle an artist has keeping up with society’s expectations and their own.

Meryl looks forward to creating and collaborating more with other artists. 

“I'd love to collaborate with Octopizzo because I’m a nyar ugenya bade dongo representing, Khaligraph because he is just a gift to us as well as King Kaka and Fena because we would gel very well together in a show,” she says. 

Stream "SuperEgo Album" here: https://backl.ink/129089734

The Trace Live performance is bound to leave a lot of people yearning to see more of Meryl and what will become of her.

According to Trace Eastern Africa Cluster MD, the music extravaganza was an initiative to support the local creative economy and offer lovers of music both in Kenya and abroad an immersive entertainment concert during a period of restrictive social interaction due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following the success of their debut single “She Don’t Know”, AfroStringz releases a unique Afro Remix to the Hip Hop classic “Trap Queen” , the single that put rap artist Fetty Wap on the map reaching number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2015, and leading to his record deal with 300 Entertainment.

Fetty Wap has approached Miri Ben-Ari back in April to collaborate on a live performance of the song for an award show, and Miri instead suggested to flip it “Afrostringz style”.

Fetty Wap fell in love with this new version that kept the classic feel of the song with a romantic upbeat production of lush strings and Afro House beat.

AfroStringz (www.afrostringz.com) brings together two worlds, a fusion of African music with strings sound, a multicultural entertainment experience that is unique, different and powerful. 

Stream/Buy “Trap Queen Afro Remix”: https://sparta.ffm.to/trapqueenafroremix

Speaking of Trap Queen Afro Remix release, Afrostringz say, “The challenge was in flipping a Hip-Hop classic “Trap Queen” and keeping it classic."

Adding "We used our Afrostringz unique sound and production for this Afro Remix. Our goal is to promote African music in America and create a world that has no limits, especially nowadays where the world needs harmony more than ever!”

Afrostringz EP is scheduled for release in 2021. 

Afro stands for renowned African producer "The Beat Boss" Young D from Nigeria while Stringz stands for Grammy-Award winning violinist/producer Miri Ben-Ari, originally from Israel. 

Afrostringz began when Young D. reached out to Miri after seeing her captivating violin feature on Diamond Platnumz’s crossover song “Baila”.

Miri, who was familiar with Young D.’s production for the song “Bom bom”(Timaya ft Sean Paul), met Young D. in the music studio to collaborate on a few songs.

The two quickly realized they have created a unique product and sound.

WCB C.E.O Diamond Platnumz has surprised his new signee Zuchu with a brand new car.

Zuchu who is currently ruling the airwaves with her hit song 'Mauzauza' was given the new Rav 4 last night during a live Tv show, Big Sunday Live on wasafi Tv.

Present at the show was Zuchu's mother, veteran taarab singer Khadija Kopa.

Zuchu was overwhelmed with emotions as the Wasafi boss  handed her the car.

She took to social media to thank her boss, Diamond Platnumz.

"Mwenyezi mungu wangu nasema Alhamdullilah, mbariki boss wangu na umuongoze kwa hiki kikubwa alichoniongezea kwenye maisha yangu. Si kila mtu ana moyo kama wako boss hakuna cha kukulipa my brother hakuna kwakweli Allah akupe umri wa uhai wenye mafanikio zaidi unatuokoa wengi sana Diamond Platnumz. Asante boss." she posted.

On his part Diamond Platnumz encouraged youths to go after their dreams and be descplined.

"Tuwambie vijana wenzetu waliopo mitaani kuwa kila kitu kinawezekana lakini lazima tuamini katika ndoto zetu, tusali sana, tuwe na nidhamu sanasana, na kuwaomba wazazi wetu waendele kutuombea ili tufike malengo yetu" said Diamond

This comes just a day after WCB hosted a high end event in Daresalaam for Zuchu to celebrate her growth and thank fans for their support. There were performances from all WCB artists at the event which was attended by several Tanzania celebrities and government officials.

Kenya is once again grieving the sudden  demise of a major face in the comedy industry, Charles Bukeko, popularly known as Papa Shirandula who passed on Saturday morning, at the Karen Hospital family.

According to the family spokesman Bernard Wanyama, the actor had been sick for only a couple of days before succumbing to his death.

“He was out of Nairobi for work for some time and returned on Sunday. On Monday, he was complaining that he was not feeling  well, maybe because he was in a colder environment when he was out of Nairobi, so he went to Karen hospital for treatment. At the hospital he was diagnosed with pneumonia and prescribed medication for the same, he was released for home management,” Said Wanyama.

He adds that only 4 days later, things were getting out of hand as his health was not showing improvements.

“He started complaining again on Friday night that he was not feeling very well, so the plan was to get to hospital the following morning. On Saturday morning the situation had gotten really worse and the wife had to rush him to Karen hospital, where he passed on arrival. He did not have an opportunity to even see the doctor,” He adds.

Bukeko had joined the acting industry right about the time he cleared high school studies in Upper Hills secondary, which was not always a smooth road.

In 1998,he  met Dr JPR Ochieng’ Odera  who would become his first ever director before moving onto Phoenix Theatre where he ran into Ian Mbugua and who, in turn, introduced him to James Falkland, who trained him for 3 more years  on the basics of theatre performances at absolutely no charge. But his breakthrough came with his feature in the Papa Shirandula TV series in 2010.

The 58 years old husband and father of three won the 2010 kalasha awards for best actor, in a TV series. And he also featured in the film, The captain of Nakara. Papa Shirandula opened a lot of doors, a role which became hard for people  to separate from the person he was.

A statement by the Royal Media Services group Managing Director, Mr Wachira Waruru, the actor passed away on Saturday morning to the shock of the whole fraternity.

“…Papa, as he was fondly known within the royal media fraternity, represented a pioneering group of Kenyan actors who immensely contributed to the growth and success of local productions. I am honored to have worked closely with Bukeko in the creation of the Papa Shirandula series that immediately gained wide acceptance across the country. His passing is therefore a big loss not only to the royal media family and Kenya’s acting fraternity but also to the country as a whole. His legacy and contribution to Kenya’s TV Industry will continue to impact many generations to come,” it read.

He will be laid to rest tomorrow (Monday) at his home in Busia County.

Nigerian DJ and producer Cuppy has collaborated with East African music star Rayvanny and Afrobeats wonderkid Rema on new single ‘Jollof On The Jet’, out 17th July via Platoon.

‘Jollof On The Jet’ is a smooth slice of Afro-pop, seeing Cuppy, Rayvanny and Rema trade verses amidst a relaxed, sunkissed production.

Speaking about the collaboration, Cuppy says, “Working on this collaboration was so uplifting. Due to social-distancing, we didn’t actually record in the studio together, but the beat encapsulated all of us and I truly believe we have created a delicious masterpiece!”

Cuppy burst onto the scene in 2014 when she was selected as a DJ at the MTV Africa Music Awards.

In 2015 she embarked on Cuppy Takes Africa Tour, the tour was filmed and a documentary series of the same name aired on Fox Life.

Cuppy has a catalogue of five strong singles including her compilation ‘Green Light’ with Tekno as well as her last release ‘Gelato’ featuring Zlatan.

An exciting, modern afro-pop jam, ‘Jollof On The Jet’ will no doubt enhance the excitement surrounding Cuppy’s forthcoming debut album even further.

Purchase / Stream Here

The Queen of Afro House Niniola delivers some fresh summer heat with “Addicted,” the latest single from her upcoming sophomore album, Colours and Sounds, dropping in September.

Following on the heels of the Afrobeat-inspired “Fantasy” featuring Femi Kuti, Niniola returns to her signature sound on a hypnotic rhythm from close collaborator and long-time producer SARZ .

“‘Addicted’ is about searching for a long-lost love,” Niniola says. “Having a crazy addiction to love.”   

LINK: https://fanlink.to/NiniolaAddicted  

Kenyan boy band Hart The Band have announced that they will soon be releasing a new song.

The band broke the good news to their fans via social media where they also revealed that they have lately been writing alot of new music and are at a point of not knowing which one to release first.

"Lately, we have been writing a lot of new music. And, by a lot, we mean like very many new songs. We are now at the point where we don't really know which one to release" reads posted.

The group also acknowledged the huge impact their hit song El Shaddai left for them.

"Also, El Shaddai really did it big for us and we would like to keep the same energy. Being in a group of three artistes who are perfectionists can sometimes get crazy. Anyways, watch this space #newmusicloading." they posted.