Snaps

Nairobi’s West/South C area was the home of the «Boomba» party sound. Now only the bars remain. What happened?

Juliani, a self-confessed «musician with a mission», runs a community center in the heart of Nairobi’s poorest district, building on the legacy of conscious rap that began in this part of the city.

All music is social commentary, argues Joyce Nyairo, as she deviates away from «conscious music» to consider the intended and unintended messages in current Nairobi pop.

A remixed profile of young Nairobi-based DJ/producer Victor Munyasya, an exciting newcomer to the city’s electronic scene. Baring his soul in this abridged interview, he challenges the need for false identities and the social pressures behind it.

Don’t believe the hype. Despite its reputation as a global city, Nairobi is a mostly chaotic, starkly unequal place, with the majority struggling to get by. Emma Nzioka’s photography captures this inequality, accentuated by musical selections by Kamwangi Njue.

Listen to this playlist of artists from Nairobi, Kenya. It traces different genres and schools and it features music released between 2001 and 2022.

Listen to this playlist of artists from war-torn Kharkiv, Ukraine, and their current releases. Curated by Andrii Symonovych from Kyiv, during the invasion by Russia, 2022.

Listen to this playlist of artists from Palestine and their current releases.