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Nairobi Surround

Podcast

The curators of the Norient Special Norient City Sounds: Nairobi, Kamwangi Njue and Raphael Kariuki, meet with a diverse cast of artists from Nairobi to discuss their everyday life experiences, as well as thoughts on political and social messages in music. In a typically tumultuous election period in a city of stark wealth inequality in early 2022, and against a backdrop of growing discontent over the rising costs of food, fuel, and more, these conversations reveal similarities and differences in the outlooks of different artists, a clue into the experience of the different people of the city.

A podcast produced by Raphael Kariuki (DJ Raph).

Featuring

Otieno Gomba, founder of Maasai Mbili art collective (M2) from Kibera, Nairobi, leader of the M2 band, known for their improvised percussion and vocals, and lover of the traditional dance ohangla.

MC Sharon aka AlShaverb aka Decibelle, rapper, singer and producer. Her song «So Special» from her latest album, The Last Will and Testament, is featured in the Norient City Sounds: Nairobi compilation album.

Juliani, rapper and founder/director of Dandora HipHop City, a community center based at the Dandora dumpsite, Eastlands, Nairobi.

Nyokabi, a classical and experimental composer based between Nairobi and New York. Her debut EP Peace Places: Kenyan Memories was recently reviewed by The Guardian.

Dennis Muraguri, a visual artist whose work is mostly focused on matatu culture. He also works with sculpture. Dennis designed 100 hand-printed t-shirts for Norient City Sounds: Nairobi, available for sale in Nairobi.

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Tracklist

Otieno Gomba/M2 Band: «Untitled Improv Session»

MC Sharon: «So Special»

Nyokabi: «Galu»

Juliani: «Fanya Tena (Kilio Cha Haki)»

Citysynthesis: «Traffic Jazz»

This podcast is part of the virtual exhibition «Norient City Sounds: Nairobi» curated and edited by Raphael Kariuki and Kamwangi Njue.

Biography

Raphael Kariuki, aka djrPH, is a Nairobian electronic musician, sound artist, and DJ. He is a resident DJ and curator at The Mist, Nairobi’s first venue dedicated to underground and experimental music. His latest EP, hope/currency, is a collaboration with the spoken-word artist Kins of Spade. Raph is a long-time collaborator with Norient. In 2022, he curated the online publication «Norient City Sounds: Nairobi» together with author and writer Kamwangi Njue. Follow him on Instagram, Mixcloud, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, or Facebook.

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NairobiConscious

€6.00

Not your usual matatu ride. New flow from Kalamashaka OG’s Roba and Githingithia. New sounds from Nyokabi, Kaharibu Records, Al-Shaverb, and names you’ve never heard before. We hope this compilation of music by our friends takes you to interesting and unexpected places.

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Published on May 06, 2022

Last updated on August 25, 2022

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A Brief History of Kenyan Conscious Music

Mixtape

by Kamwangi Njue

Kenyan hip hop has gone through several phases. This selection here tries as much as possible to identify them through their unifying act of Sheng1 poetics. Together with the radical critique of the government, police brutality, corruption, and institutions, other things appear as well: the violence of poverty and gender, mental, and body health, and human relationships, ethics, and radio that won’t play these songs – all weave together to paint a conscious picture of Nairobi.

Tracklist

1. Kitu Sewer & MC Mutant, G-DASH, Ndoch: «IKO»
2. UFO (Eli Sketch & Ojiji): «Mtawezaje»
3. Veryl Mkali Wao: «No Gimmicks»
4. Bantu Slim: «Natoshi Shakamoto»
5. Trabolee x Akili Blaq: «1ne»
6. K-SOUTH: «Warui»
7. Muki Garang: «Batswahili»
8. Juliani, Kitu Sewer, Johnny B, Agano: «Fanya Tena»
9. K-SOUTH «Nairobbery»
10. Moroko Kalahari, Kitu Sewer, G-DASH, Abbas Kubaff: «Blunder»
11. Mashifta: «Trafficjam»
12. Black Duo: «Kaa Kitu Ni Real»
13. A.C.E the god Apollo (HipHop Natives): «Believe»
14. Kalamashaka, M1 (dead prez), Umi: «Red, Black & Green»
15. Abbas Kubaff «BOOM BOOM ROOM»
16. Mista Ree «Spitometer»
17. Dira, K47: «Metamorphosis Freestyle»
18. Mashifta: «Wanahewa»
19. Kalamshaka, Yvonne: «KKK»
20. Dream, Johnny, MC Shu, Dira, K47: «Trouble»
21. Kalamashaka, Nynka: «Got Drama»
22. MC Kah, Roba Oteraw, Rah Goddess: «All Over The World»

1. Sheng is a Swahili and English-based cant, originating among the urban youth of Nairobi, and influenced by many of the languages spoken there.

This mixtape is part of the virtual exhibition «Norient City Sounds: Nairobi» curated and edited by Raphael Kariuki and Kamwangi Njue.