DRUMMER QUEEN TO RECORD WITH UK PRODUCER

Muthoni Ndonga known by her street moniker Drummer Queen wasin Netherlands to work on a musical project with UK-based techno/dubstepproducer Silkie. Muthoni who was headlining a show at themultidisciplinary Incubate Arts Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands last monthwhile visiting, hit the studio with Silkie.

The singer-rapper-drummer-poet whose unique style is aneclectic fusion of various distinct genres shared the stage with over 200 othercutting edge artists in an intimate context to an international audience.

The Incubate Arts Festival is a global initiative byGeneration Bass which seeks to bring together vocalists and producers fromnon-Western countries, and have them work with musicians from the West. 

The aimis to enhance interaction between the different cultures and contribute to theartistes’ development of a unique style. This festival exhibited a diverse viewon indie culture as a whole, including music, contemporary dance, film andvisual arts.

MAFIKIZOLO SING AWAY THE RAINY BLUES IN NAIROBI

South African group Mafikizolo sung away the rainy blues that threatened to stop their maiden show in Kenya during Sunday’s Blankets and Wine show in Nairobi’s Mamba Village.
The duo whose 2003 album release Kwela was a huge success, headlined this month’s edition of Blankets & Wine.



Happening every first Sunday of the month, the afternoon event features outstanding afro-based bands that range from afro soul, afro-fusion, afro-jazz, ethnic, experimental and other emerging genres.
Also performing at the twenty ninth edition of the musical extravaganza, were new local acts Aziza and the soulful Maia Von Lekkow, alongside the ever-captivating Muthoni - The Drummer Queen.



This is the third installment of the KCB Advantage sponsored series of Blankets & Wine concerts following shows in April and June that featured celebrated artists Thandiswa Mazwai and Belgium based Ivorian strummer, Manou Gallo respectively.
The event prides itself in showcasing outstanding musicians in the emerging genres of afro-based music.
Blankets & Wine has this year partnered with KCB Advantage Banking and which targets high net worth customers with offers such as a selection of accounts, discounts on mortgages and personal loans, waivers on credit cards and up to 40% discounts at select hotels, restaurants, spas and other outlets across East Africa through a partnership with Go-Places.

IVORIAN MANOU GALLO AT NAIROBI’S FETE

The second installment in a series of four Blankets & Wine musical concerts sponsored by KCB Advantage takes place on June 5th 2011, at the Leisure Gardens, Mamba Village-Karen.
Headlining the show was incredible Manou Gallo from Ivory Coast. Also on stage at this 26th edition of Blankets & Wine, shall be the dynamic Ma3 band, the captivating Muthoni the Drummer Queen, the enthralling Sauti Sol.





Blankets & Wine is East Africa's premier music experience designed to showcase outstanding musicians in the emerging genres of afro-based music. Every first Sunday of the month the event features three or four outstanding afro-based bands that range from afro-soul, afro-fusion, and afro-jazz, ethnic, experimental and other emerging genres.






The sponsorship by KCB Advantage is aimed at nurturing and promoting local talent while creating a direct connection between Advantage banking and its target market.
The High net-worth banking proposition offers exclusive value added services such as the recent signing of a partnership with the G-Places Privilege cards that allows holders up to 40 percent discounts at selected outlets in East Africa.



Brought up by her grandmother in a small city, Divo in Ivory Coast, Manou started performing at the age of 12. Over the years, she forged a solid rhythmical experience by beating the talking drums of her place of birth, which aroused the admiration and astonishment of her neighbours.



From then on, her performance experience has been varied and diverse; she has performed with theatre and dance troupes that toured various African countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo and Benin, and together they recorded four albums.



She eventually met the tour manager of Zap Mama, and was offered the chance to tour with them in Europe. She performed with them for six years from 1997, as well as appearing with the Tambours de Brazza.



She eventually formed her own group, Le Djiboi, and toured extensively. Her debut album, "Dida" was released on the IglooMondo label in 2003, followed by "Manou Gallo" in 2007. She sings in Dida, French and English and has developed her own style of music, something between Afrobeat, funk, and world music, with a strong measure of modern influence, tradition, and the spice of personal inspiration. Manou is a modern African woman of the diaspora. Her music reflects this, as it does her own background, braided together by differing cultural and historic roots.