Why Kenyan Musicians are a Laughing Stock

Kenyan Music Industry has been, to many an observer, a laughing stock, and a spectacular failure in many aspects. For years, its locally famed musicians have failed to shine on the global stage. Every time you listen to our locally produced music, one thing is so disturbingly vivid: the sketchy lyrics and ambiguous, incoherent, and heartbreaking theme.

Meridian Dictionary defines music as ‘vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion’. Sadly, modern-day Kenyan music (a great deal of it), can only be defined as a set of organized noise. Why? It irritates the ear, lacks substantial content and in many cases, the motivation is solely skewed ambitions of making a kill overnight or becoming a celebrity within a fortnight.

Music is poetry, thus the theme is critical, and this is what our crop of modern-day musicians have since forgotten. ‘Zilizopendwa’ songs are fast becoming a refuge for many adults who cannot make sense of the blustering noise in our Radios and Televisions. Daudi Kabaka (Harambe Harambe), Owino Misiani (Susana Duogi), Fundi Konde (Kipenzi Waniua Ua), Fadhili Williams (Malaika) among many others; are names whose might and respect shall never wane with time.

Other notable artists that have recently rocked the Kenyan Music Industry are Suzanna Owinyo (Sandore and Janyao) and Erick Wainaina (Nchi ya Kitu Kidogo and Daima Mimi Mkenya). The latter has since bagged several KORA nominations and awards including the prestigious MNET Award. Erick Wainaina is perhaps one of the greatest artists of our modern-day music industry.

Despite the major successes registered by the above-mentioned icons, our music industry is yet to make a big name for itself. However, a number of local-made artists have won top honours both regionally and internationally. MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) honoured Wahu as the Best Artist in the Female Category. Subsequent year saw her would-be husband, Nameless, was awarded for being the Best African Male Artist by MTV.

An East African KISIMA AWARD has on several occasions honoured our very own including group of artists such as Benga Musica and the mighty Afro Fusion. Recently, another Kenyan was honoured by MAMA (MTV Africa Awards) for her non-musical prowess. Lupita Nyong’o alongside the Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, were the joint winners of the newly created Lifestyle Award Category by MTV Africa Awards. Lupita Nyong’o is best known for her role as a lead actress in the British-American Film, 12 Years a Slave.

Many continue to ask why the perennial inconsistency as far as shining out there for our musicians is concerned. Pundits in the industry argue that the existence of multiple bodies tasked with managing the industry is partly to blame for the woes facing the industry. Maseno University Lecturer, Rose Ongati, is of the idea that the government needs to harmonize the bodies in order to make the industry more profitable and robust. The Professor laments that bodies such as Music Copyright Society of Kenya, the Kenya Association of Music Producers, and the Press have failed Kenyans in determining which body really has the genuine interest of artists at heart.

“The current health of music production in the country is worrying. Music authors have themselves become producers. We have a situation where roles replicate and overlap, and that’s dangerous for national music development,” she says.

Piracy, floppy legislations, and a culture of runaway impunity in the industry are other factors contributing to the downfall of the industry. In addition, there are too few institutions offering music education for our aspiring musicians in the country. More so, the scrapping of Music in our Elementary Institutions of Learning has only added into the rapid decline of our music prowess and performance.

It is time the government puts its acts together and help rescue the industry lest it fast recedes to oblivion. Legislations and policies must be put in place in order to restore sanity in the industry that has since become an ideal platform of creating names for microphone-wielding professional ‘noise-makers’ calling themselves musicians.

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