TO ITEN WITH LOVE - KENYAN CELEBRITIES

Over ten local artistes who have signed with the SafaricomKenya Live programme paid a courtesy call to Iten Primary School in theirsecond last installment of the Safaricom Kenya Live CSR event in Eldoret.

While there, they treated the children to a day filled withmusic performances and motivational talks on children who aspire to bemusicians.  They also presented a cheque of Sh50,000 to the school.

The artistes who called on the pupils included Nameless,Wahu, Allan Aaron, Ally B, Jua Cali, M.O.G, Phonotex Success Band, Redsan,Blavion, Freeman, Kavale and Poqpine. Also joining the artistes on the visitwas Safaricom Brand Assets Manager Virginia Wanyanga. 

 

 

The artistes also donated food items to the pupils andjoined them for lunch a day before the Safaricom Kenya Live gig inEldoret. 

The visit was part of the Safaricom Kenya Live CSR programmethat sees the artistes interact with children and disadvantaged populations oneach tour of their performances.

Now, the finale of the Safaricom Kenya Live gigs take placein Nairobi’s Nyayo stadium on Saturday October 8.

Safaricom Kenya Live shows have also been held in majortowns like Bungoma, Mombasa, Kisumu and Machakos.

 

The Nyayo National Stadium is poised to host the biggestlive music concert in the country with 25 local artistes, comprising 14Safaricom Kenya Live artistes and 14 budding talents from various provinces inKenya are expected to perform.  

“Safaricom Kenya Live is one of our major engagement platformswith the youth, a core segment for us. We believe in involving our youth ininitiatives that positively transform their lives,” said Safaricom Brand AssetsManager Virginiah Wanyanga. 

Gates to the concert will open for the public at 4pm whilethe real action starts at 7pm till dawn. Admission to the concert is restrictedto those over 18 years only. 

To access the concert, revelers will be expected to carry anunscratched Bamba 250 Safaricom airtime, while VIP tickets go for Ksh1000.

IT'S OFFICIAL: WAHU IS THE FACE OF REXONA DEO

MTV Africa Music Award winner Wahu was named the face of Rexona antiperspirant which was launched in the market in May. Rexona AP is the leading deobrand in the world
Apparently Unilever conducted extensive research to look for a brand ambassador for Rexona before settling on Wahu. The photo shoot for the advertising campaigns were shot in Turkey. While the TV commercial was done in Thailand and overseen by a top celebrity TV director. As brand ambassador Wahu will appear in all communication including digital and online material. She will also participate in PR activities.

WAHU TO BE ANNOUNCED THE FACE OF REXONA

On Friday night at a cocktail organized by Unilever, MAMA award winner Wahu will be announced as the face of the company’s brand Rexona.
It is not yet clear if she will be endorsing the soap, lotion or the deodorant. Anyho a guy called simonreid1980 tweeted pix from the photoshoot that took place over a month ago in Khlong Tan Nuea, Thailand.




Simon describes himself on his twitter page as an“Art Director at Lowe Mena/ Co-creator/ DJ/ Promoter/ Radio Presenter for Must Have Soul living in Dubai.”
The launch dares you to come and feel the difference on the blue carpet event. On the guest list is the who is who, the glitterati and the members of the fourth estate in attendance.




According to the Global Unilever website: “Rexona gives you the confidence to handle whatever the day has in store because you know your deodorant won't let you down. The Rexona 50ml roll-on deodorant is one of the most environmentally friendly on the market. The moulding, assembly and packaging processes were streamlined and energy efficiency improved, with the resulting roll-on weighing an average 8% less. The new offering uses 1 000 tonnes less plastic a year than the old 50ml roll-on.
It is also quite affordable for everyone via affordable mini-sticks, mini-roll-ons and sachets of deodorant lotions, supported by personal hygiene education programmes.

VALERIE KIMANI ON PAM AWARDS AND COMEBACK

Though singer Valerie Kimani missed out on receiving the Ugandan Pam Award for Best Female Kenya which went to Wahu, the nomination is “rewarding” for her.
The Besame Mucho star told Hot Secrets, “To be nominated is a real honour, and especially to be placed in the same category with heavyweights such as Wahu, Amani and Suzanna Owiyo is quite a reward in itself. The prospect of my music getting into new territory is also very rewarding for me as an artist. And after being
away from the industry for quite some time it's such a wonderful welcome.”
Valerie was one of the performers at the Sierra Jazz Festival at the Bomas of Kenya early this month which was headlined by jazz maestro Jonathan Butler.
“I'm mainly focusing on getting my fans to see and hear more of my work. I'd like them to experience my band and my sound more. I feel I have grown and I'm challenging myself to soar to even greater heights,” she said.

SAFARICOM PREMIERS ITS KENYA LIVE CONCERT IN BUNGOMA

Bungoma County last Saturday hosted the first of the Safaricom Kenya Live music concerts with thrilling performances from leading artistes in the country.
After a weeklong training at the Kenya Live Academy in Eldoret, established and upcoming artistes from the region headed to Bungoma’s Kanduyi Stadium braving the rains to keep the crowds on their feet.



Kenya Live is an initiative by Safaricom to nurture music talent among youths across the country by using established artistes in knowledge sharing academies.
The initiative is also looking at enhancing the artiste’s lives music performance as opposed to over-reliance on play-back which has been a common trend in the local music industry.





Under the arrangement, Safaricom will help the artistes in marketing their productions through its online portals in what is expected to increase earnings from the trade.
Among leading artistes who performed at the Bungoma Concert are Juacali, Wahu, M.O.G, Eko Dyda, Redsan, Size 8 and Doggy G. Others are the Webuye Jua Kali Band and the late Jacob Luseno’s Phonotex Band.





“Safaricom will continue partnering with communities in initiatives aimed at improving their standards of living. This exercise is aimed at ensuring that local artistes not only gain fame from their performances but make a decent income out of it as well,” said Virginia Wanyanga, the Safaricom representative at the academy.






The music promotion campaign will see similar concerts held in major towns such as Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Nairobi.
“We wish to play our part in creating a Kenyan music industry that is professionally-run in all aspects. We want to turn music into a career out of which our people can earn a decent living, not just pride and fame. With our 16 million-plus subscriber base and one of the country’s most popular portals, we have an unbeatable medium to advance Kenyan music. The possibilities are infinite.” Said Safaricom Head of Strategy and New Busines Nzioka Waita during the luanch of Kenya Live in Nairobi last week.





He gave the example of Skiza, Safaricom’s popular CBRT (caller ring back tune) service, which only a year after launch had gained vast acceptance, becoming a new and major revenue stream for some Kenyan musicians.
Kenya Live joins a growing music portfolio at Safaricom which includes the recently-held Kenyan Classical Fusion and the CHAT and Groove Awards, which are both headlined by Skiza and a number of sponsorship opportunities, spread across Kenya.