TIMEZONES - Nairobi&#39;s next generation music producers and performing artists speak out. by Norient Sounds

Nairobi’s Next Generation Music Producers and Performing Artists Speak Out

Podcast

Episode 1 of the TIMEZONES podcast series, co-initiated and co-produced by Norient and the Goethe-Institut.

In recent years, small-scale studios in Nairobi have begun producing music locally, and some of their output reaches millions of listeners in Kenya, or create buzz and noise in international niche music scenes. Their producers and musicians are turning old hierarchies upside down, often calling for social and political reforms. But they’re also facing a lot of resistance.

A podcast by Thomas Burkhalter.

Co-initiated and co-produced by Norient and the Goethe-Institut

Featuring: Baby Elephante, Blinky Bill, Boutross, Coco.em, DJ Raph, Hitman Kaht, Kamwangi Njue, Karun, Janice Iche, Jinku, Joseph Kamaru (KMRU), Manch!ld (debe), Moroko Kalahari, MR. LU (XPRSO), MUNYASYA and Wambui Kamiru

Director, idea, interviews: Thomas Burkhalter
Music: Thomas Burkhalter, Daniel Jakob
Additional Samples: Joseph Kamaru, Boutross + soundofnairobi.net
Additional Voiceovers: Kacey Moore, Selasia A. Djameh
Jingle Voiceover: Nana Akosua Hanson
Editing: Thomas Burkhalter, Daniel Jakob
Mastering: Adi Flück, Centraldubs
Artwork: Šejma Fere

→ Full transcript of Episode 1

Listen on

→ Listen to further TIMEZONES episodes

Additional Playlists

Enjoy two playlists deriving from the research that led to the TIMEZONES Nairobi podcast by Norient and the Goethe Institut.

Curated by Thomas Burkhalter

Featuring a wide variety of mostly subcultural sounds from Nairobi, released in 2020: experimental sounds, lo-fi r&b, shrap, gengetone, and more. Keep digging (there is more!), follow the artists, and support their work – via platforms like Bandcamp (#nairobi).

The TIMEZONES podcast series plunges into the world of artists and their practices, asking: what does living and working in culture and the arts involve in different countries, cities, and contexts today? The artists’ thoughts on their moods, their social, political, and intellectual realities and their philosophies (of life) have been worked up into experimental audio collages.

The podcasts run the gamut of formats and content, from straight journalism to experimental and documentary approaches, ethnography and fiction, sound art, and improvisation. The TIMEZONES series endeavours to create new artistic forms of storytelling, listening and exchange across the boundaries of geography, time zones, genres, and practices.

The TIMEZONES podcast series is co-initiated and co-produced by Norient and the Goethe-Institut.

Biography

Dr. Thomas Burkhalter is an anthropologist/ethnomusicologist, AV-artist, and writer from Bern (Switzerland). He is the founder and director of Norient and the Norient Festival (NF), co-directed AV-performances and documentary films (e.g. «Contradict», Berner Filmpreis 2020 + Al-Jazeera Witness), and is the author and co-editor of several books (e.g., «Local Music Scenes and Globalization: Transnational Platforms in Beirut», Routledge, «The Arab Avant Garde: Musical Innovation in the Middle East», Wesleyan University Press). He teaches regularly at universities, and runs workshops for arts institutions. Since 2022 he produces the Norient Mixtape for Swiss National Radio SRF3. Currently, he is working on his new music duo «Melodies In My Head», and on the podcast series «Long Take: Life as an Artist». Follow him on Instagram, Research Gate, Academia.edu, Bandcamp, Spotify, or Meta.

Links

Daniel Künzler: «Eclectic Dance Music from Kenya» (Norient)

Hannes Liechti: «Sampling Stories Vol. 18: DJ Raph» (Norient)

Alan Marzo: «Benga: From the Streets of Nairobi» (Norient)

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TIMEZONES – Season 1

€15.00

The TIMEZONES podcast series plunges into the world of artists and their practices, asking: what living and working in culture and the arts involvse in different contexts today? Season 1 with a focus on Nairobi, Belgrade/Sabac/Zurich, Delhi, the Bay Area, and Rio de Janeiro.

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TIMEZONES – Season 2

€15.00

The TIMEZONES podcast series plunges into the world of artists and their practices, asking: what does living and working in culture and the arts involve in different countries, cities, and contexts today? Season 2 focuses on Beirut, Montréal, Dhaka, Mt Makiling, and Gaza.

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TIMEZONES – Season 3

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The TIMEZONES podcast series plunges into the world of artists and their practices, asking: what does living and working in culture and the arts involve in different contexts today? Season 3 travels from Budapest to Colombo, Buenos Aires, and Ukraine.

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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 October 01, 2020

Last updated on October 12, 2023

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2:36 PM Nairobi

Podcast

by Thomas Burkhalter,

Daniel Jakob

It’s Kamaru, Joseph Kamaru, KMRU, in my workspace, my safe space in Rongai, 2:36 PM on the 24^th of February, in Nairobi. I’m usually just here. I wake up and come to my desk. – An experimental podcast full of samples from KMRUs music, and snippets from an interview conducted in his house in 2020, just before the COVID-19 Pandemic. Currently, sound artist and experimental ambient musician KMRU lives in Berlin. He released several albums and performs at renowned international festivals. The Guardian named him one of the best new artists of 2021.

A podcast by Thomas Burkhalter and Daniel Jakob

Quotes from the Podcast

KMRU in his house in Rongai (photo: Thomas Burkhalter).

#SoundRecording

«Different objects have something to say for themselves. With technology and microphones, you can record them. And through the laptop they’re trying to speak to you.»

#Silence

«My interest to sounds became more noticeable when we moved to Rongai, just outside of Nairobi. It’s more peaceful here, super silent. You can hear so much that's around you. I keep realizing that there’s so much sound that I was missing out being raised in Kariokor in Nairobi, which is very busy and industrious.»

Peripheral by KMRU & Echium

#KenyanSound

«What is Kenyan sound? A Kenyan listening to my music might think that I’m more inclined to the European style of music, or exposed to Westernized musicology. I think it is more about how you express yourself and what you connect to.»

#Grandfather

«My grandfather was a well-known musician in Kenya. I think he had an influence on me on what I’m doing with sounds and field recordings. He had this intimate connection to nature. We used to travel to the country side, and he used to take us near the waterfall to just to appreciate space.»

KIKUYU FOLK SONGS VOL.1 [REISSUE] by Joseph Kamaru

#BeingAuthentic

«I don’t picture music making as a job where I perform and get money. It’s more about expressing what I’m feeling and being authentic and honest with myself. I feel that it’s one of the really important factors that people and all creatives are honest, as they express themselves. It’s a struggle to try and be authentic. This is me and this is what I’m going to showcase to you. Living in this bedroom and a festival books me to showcasing my work is really motivating to me and to other people. Yeah, you can push and do your stuff and get bookings and get paid. So yes, live a life of the music.»

#RoleOfArtists

«There’s the artistic role, which is like the main role where I’m trying to build myself as an artist with my music and my career. And there’s also the social role where I’m trying to grow the whole community because things can’t change with me alone traveling and sharing my music. It’s for all of us to grow together and build one another and make an impact. I don’t know if there’s a way you can teach people to be open minded, but it’s about pushing and creating platforms where people can express themselves.»

#Ableton #Workshops

«We created workshops with the Ableton software. We just had a house and a living room, and two pairs of speakers and a screen where we invite people and just talk and share ideas, which we have, to write compositions which can speak louder.»

#Abroad #Home

«There’s a huge difference when I play in Europe or in Russia and come back to Nairobi and things feel a bit weird. I really love this place and I want people to grow. There’s usually a feeling where I’m so under pressure in Nairobi trying to express myself as compared when I’m at a huge festival in Europe just playing after anybody.»

as it still is by KMRU

TIMEZONES: Nairobi’s Next Generation Music Producers and Performing Artists Speak Out

TIMEZONES – Nairobi&#39;s next generation music producers and performing artists speak out. by Thomas Burkhalter

Episode 1 of the Timezones podcast series, co-initiated and co-produced by Norient and the Goethe-Institut.

In recent years, small-scale studios in Nairobi have begun producing music locally, and some of their output reaches millions of listeners in Kenya, or create buzz and noise in international niche music scenes. Their producers and musicians are turning old hierarchies upside down, often calling for social and political reforms. But they’re also facing a lot of resistance. – The interview with KMRU was one among others that led to this Timezones episode.

Listen to all episodes here.

KMRU in his garden in Rongai (photo: Thomas Burkhalter).

KMRU on Norient

Read «Hearing is Believing» by KMRU on Norient here.

#Trees

«Just recently, I discovered that trees are naturally conductive and can become antennas, capturing radio signals. Just as our bodies are penetrated by these unseen frequencies, even natural habitats engage with these sounds. It’s important that we are aware that civilization is changing much of our listening habits, silencing our environments. We need to be respectful of other species and realize that the sonic environment is shared with other living beings.»

Video-Portrait of KMRU by Coco Em

Biography

Dr. Thomas Burkhalter is an anthropologist/ethnomusicologist, AV-artist, and writer from Bern (Switzerland). He is the founder and director of Norient and the Norient Festival (NF), co-directed AV-performances and documentary films (e.g. «Contradict», Berner Filmpreis 2020 + Al-Jazeera Witness), and is the author and co-editor of several books (e.g., «Local Music Scenes and Globalization: Transnational Platforms in Beirut», Routledge, «The Arab Avant Garde: Musical Innovation in the Middle East», Wesleyan University Press). He teaches regularly at universities, and runs workshops for arts institutions. Since 2022 he produces the Norient Mixtape for Swiss National Radio SRF3. Currently, he is working on his new music duo «Melodies In My Head», and on the podcast series «Long Take: Life as an Artist». Follow him on Instagram, Research Gate, Academia.edu, Bandcamp, Spotify, or Meta.

Biography

Dejot aka Daniel Jakob (aka Dubokaj) is a Swiss electronica producer, film composer based in the city of Bern. Follow him on Spotify, Facebook, or Instagram.