the sands of time

bands in spellcast

the noise we listen to

3

Sometimes less is more. And sometimes an edito-

rial note is just that-a note.

From my team with love,

Enjoy!

Kendi Gloria, Editor

just love

the sands of time

bands in spellcast

the noise we listen to

#csr 2015

the programme

profiles

guest interview

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17

27

37

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48

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We strive to leave our mark wherever we live. Life as we know it is a struggle and we are ever buffeted by the storm of the sands of time. Left alone and unguided in this storm, many are lost yet every once in a while there arise those who stand unmoved by the storm and all who come after them can look back and get the strength to look forward. Let us not fear that ability in us to be that reference. Instead, let us instead reach for it in humility and love. In this storm in which we find ourselves, Spellcast shall ultimately be the art guide and haven.

6 7

8 9

W hat is time? A human concept to

measure change? Is it a new plane

that we hope to master to enable us to plot

past, present and future events on a yet

unknown graph? In truth, I too cannot fully

and confidently answer that question ... yet.

This phenomenon called time affects us all, or

should I say we notice time because of all the

changes affecting us? It’s all confusing, really.

In any case, time gives us the ability to make

plans and even make references in terms

of past, present and future and you know

what they say (or rather what Bil Keane said),

“Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future,

but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the

present.” This is intriguingly true for today as

you happen to be reading this work of art, a

true gift.

Nathaniel Hawthorne said that time flies over

us, but leaves its shadow behind. I believe

his words, because it is my job to look into

that shadow and tell you what happened. In

this case, I shall endeavour to look into and

beyond the shadow of the year 2015 as expe-

rienced by SpellcastMedia KE.

As soon as the year 2015 started, we knew we

just had to bring about great things, things

newer than the year itself. It just had to be

because Spellcast’s very first birthday was

fast approaching and so the creative director

(famous Mr. A) and his crew began prepara-

tions for an anniversary show that was later

christened Safari Sanaa. This was a great

highlight for the year 2015. In Safari Sanaa,

Spellcast provided a forum in which its young

members and friends received the opportu-

nity to showcase their talents, from dancing,

to singing and acting. The show was a great

success even as Spellcast turned a whopping

one year.

As Spellcast grew older, more members were

incorporated into the family as the group

known as Yizwani, which is Zulu for “Hear”, a

group of young talented boys. I can attest to

it that those young boys were heard loud and

clear.

As the younger members were preparing

and performing, the senior half of Spellcast

was busy with two major works in the kitch-

en, namely Sarafina and Mnyanzi wa Menza.

These two were to be the major shows of

2015, with Sarafina in September and Mnyanzi

in December to close the year. In between

these two there would be other shows like

AcaWars, a great and epic battle between

various Acapella groups that would face off

against each other in the hopes of winning.

Alas, due to unavoidable circumstances, the

Acawars which were scheduled for Septem-

ber as well was indefinitely postponed as was

Sarafina, which was as of then (July) far from

complete. This was a low moment for all of

Spellcast since everyone had been really and

truly excited for the two events; especially

as Accawars had a monetary incentive (the

amount is unclassified for security reasons). In

place of the postponed shows, there would

be a smaller show in Braeburn that would

basically showcase people’s talents and

provide previews for the three major shows in

the Great Itinerary of Spellcast (GIS): Sarafi-

na, Mnyanzi wa Menza and Gor Mahia. Even

with the aforementioned setback, Spellcast

was then hit by a harder one just a couple of

weeks before the show: The Braeburn theatre

was undergoing renovations and would be

unavailable for both rehearsals and perfor-

mances. Things began to look dire indeed

and the evil god of panic tried to grip us in

his chilly tentacles but Spellcast proved to be

too hot. We rallied and managed to book the

Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA)

Auditorium. Adverts had to be changed rap-

THE SANDS By Moses Opere

OF TIME

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BANDS IN SPELLCASTBands have been a phenomenon for over a century now, and have constantly been the centre piece of pop culture throughout the

world. Tuja May and Rebbeca Claire got a chance to interview two bands that are associated with Spellcast and that continue lifting

the Spellcast Banner high. Tuja May Spoke to a band of women with powerful voices while Rebecca Claire spoke to a contempo-

rary band, with a fresh twist.

idly to show the change of venue.

Despite all the setbacks, the CUEA show,

labelled Indlela Wathi was held successful-

ly with a beautiful African Theme and the

newer members got the chance to showcase

their talents and get the feel of being on

stage in front of a live audience, perform for

them, and get an immediate response.

Post-Indlela Wathi, it was all hands on deck

for the Sarafina show, which had been sched-

uled for October in the newly renovated

Braeburn Theatre. A Writing Committee was

formed in which the creative young minds

delved deep into African History to draw out

the Apartheid story and tell it in the modern

day in a way that would bring out the truth,

not for bitterness, resentment or even worse,

revenge, but for honour to those who paid

the ultimate sacrifice and for the memories,

lest we forget from whence we came and

be lost in the sands of time. The script was

beautifully done and soon the D-Day arrived

and Spellcast literally took flight with its best

performance yet. The Sarafina Arc of Spell-

cast has many fond memories, the greatest

of which (besides the performance itself)

was the Sagana Camp held for team-build-

ing and rehearsal. The Spellcasters found

themselves in that camp and returned charged up, ready to light the stage. Two fully sold-out

shows stand as a testament to that.

After Sarafina, the directors and the creative team decided to give the members a break to

recover (and finish exams) and rest in preparation for an even bigger 2016, a year full of prom-

ise.

I can safely say that 2016 will be a tremendous and momentous year for Spellcast, not be-

cause of pride or misguided hope, but for the simple reason that we strive to leave our mark

wherever we live. Life as we know it is a struggle and we are ever buffeted by the storm of

the sands of time. Left alone and unguided in this storm, many are lost yet every once in a

while there arise those who stand unmoved by the storm and all who come after them can

look back and get the strength to look forward. We do not fear that ability in us to be that

reference. Instead, we strive to reach for it in humility and love. In this storm in which we find

ourselves, Spellcast shall in time be the art guide and haven.

< Music, a bridge for us to cross the raging river of time.

12 13

U-ZWAZOInterview by Tuja May

“Together we are a prayer, together as a clam.”

U-zwazo. Why the name?U-zwazo is a name of a Japanese and Haiti Origin meaning “Gentle Birds”. We are in fact like birds. Gentle yet daunt-

less. If music was a forest we would be the birds that build nests on less preferable trees. We are majorly an a cappella

tri, we make use of the power that lies in well arranged harmonies with little or no use of accompaniments which is

unlike what has so far been largely exploited.

How many members does the band comprise of? Three of us; Gabriella Kanja, Joy Anami and Ivy Ng’iru. More than friends, we are family.

How did you all meet? U zwazo started out exactly a year and 2 months ago, in church, Consolata shrine, where all of us are members of the

youth group, and are Parishioners In the church.

Our aim was basically to reach out to people through music, and send as much positive vibes as possible to our audi-

ence. In short, we found a home in music, and we want to share this home with the world.

What is your biggest challenge?Our Biggest Challenge will have to be balancing school and practice but as we said, we stick together because we are

family.

What would be your biggest achievement so far?Our greatest achievement would be bringing the homeless home. What this means is, using music to speak to the

souls of our audience,

Being able to capture emotions and pass messages, and even if for a few minutes and Bring the Beauty and intelli-

gence of the universe among men.

Parting shot?Our Final words would be Sourced from a book titled “SUNDIATA:an epic of old Mali “ writen by D. T. Niane...

“ the world is full of mystery, all is hidden and we know nothing but what we can see. The silk-cotton tree springs from

a tiny seed-that which defies the tempest weighs in its germ No More than a grain of rice. When the seed germinates

growth is not always easy; great trees grow slowly but they plunge their roots deep into the ground. “

Love, live laugh...

14 15

‘Black& I’...that is an interesting name. Why the name?

Our name is based on what we do and who we are. Black,

is for the kind of music we play. Our art is black, not in the

colour sense, but in the cultural sense.

I, because we are one. When we think of ourselves, we

are not several individuals put together, but a single unit.

You’d understand it now, when we say, “I am an awesome

band” :)

How many members does the band comprise of?

We are a 7-member band at the moment.

How did you all meet? And tell us a little about each one of you.

We met mainly through Spellcast and mutual friends.

Lee: Our acoustic guitarist and vocalist. He kind of plays

the role of our Lee-der lol. Extremely strong-headed, he

helps us meet deadlines; stay committed and pushes us

to the limits. He contributes a lot to our development and

progress.

Samora: The lead vocalist. She plays a social role in it all.

Sort of keeping tabs on people. She seems to be a key

determinant of the mean energy of the band.

Martin: our bassist, would pass for a comedian. He’s the

joker amongst us. You can always be sure of having a

laugh with him. He is also amazingly innovative.

Gabu: our drummer. If I was to describe him in two words,

they’d be photophobic and crazy. He helps taps into

everyone’s creativity by encouraging us to go crazy with

what we do. Music is an art, art is not confined to rules.

That’s his sort of thinking.

Nyokabi: On the keyboard and cello. 99% of the time,

she just goes with it. She’s so chill. Maybe a bit too chill?

Haha, she’s one of those people you can trust to always

come through for you without asking too many questions.

Risa: who can be a one-lady-band on her own, chooses to

play the bass guitar in the band. She is a musical genius.

Almost never speaks, unless she feels the need to do so. I

like to think she speaks through her instruments.

Last but not least, Eugene: our Manager. Definitely the

band’s biggest support system. He’s a producer so basi-

cally plays all our instruments on computer. This plays a

big part in helping us integrate our sounds and just blend

everything together and mix it all up well He’s like our live

idea box.

What motivated you to all come together and do what you do as one?

I wouldn’t say that anything in particular motivated us.

We all had our individual arts and we simply decided to

put them all together and see what would come of it. We

really didn’t know what was coming for us, neither did

we have any concrete plans prior to forming the band. It

was kind of like an organised jam session, and from there,

bonds were formed. I guess the rest is history.

What is/are your greatest achievements since you started out?

Our greatest achievement was probably being able to

land a gig within about 3 days of forming the band. It was

extremely short notice, but with help from here and there,

we managed to pull through. The organisers of that very

first gig still call us up whenever they need a band. Being

able to build such loyalty with clients right from the start

is humbling.

Where do you see yourself in the nearest future..?

We are focusing on expanding our fan base. Near future

is relative, for now though,we want to amplify our name

and our music out there.Let’s leave it at that.

Parting shot?Watch this space!

BLACK AND IInterview by Rebecca Claire

16

It’s all about perception.

You see...

The sun is actually white... It just appears yellow through the earth’s atmosphere.

But that doesn’t stop children from painting yellow circles in the corners of their

pictures.

And we enforce it.

With our sunflowers and halves of yellow suns.

But that’s just a sliver of our human experience. You know?

That tall guy with the hoodie pulled over his head? He just wants to get home.

The woman in the short skirt the side of the road? Her first time in this city... She’s

lost.

The guy in the Merc with the nice suit? He’s the chauffeur.

And it goes further...

Deeper...

Where glowing smiles hide pain,

And rambling mouths hide crippling anxiety.

But we just see that jovial girl.

That idiot who won’t shut up.

Don’t think of this as me blaming you for anything.

I’m not, I really am not.

But I’m just saying that if there’s anything we as a race are effective at, it’s deluding

ourselves.

Our lies are not malicious at first, but they are comfortable.

Or, at the very least, easy.

They let you switch off your brain and just let instinct control you.

They let you fear.

They let you hate.

They let you love.

They let you feel without having to struggle with the true madness of it all.

They keep us sane.

But they give us stereotypes.

They give us prejudice.

They give us yellow suns.

By Samuel Chris Kombo

20 21

By Eugene Muthumbi

What is Electronic Music? And at what point in history did humanity first consider this haphaz-

ard mix of frequencies to be music? Well, if my mom and the internet are anything to go by,

“Electronic Music is noise that began when all talent was lost and computers discovered”. Oh, was that

mean? Oops, I’d apologize for their ignorance and arrogance but sadly, it’s not in my place to do so.

Quite concisely however, a less soul-jarring definition would be something along the lines of “any music

made using synthesizers and other electronic instruments”.

Now, what is Electronic Dance Music (EDM)? Commonly (atrociously and absolutely wrongly, I might

add) referred to as Techno, Dubstep or House by the more ignorant folks, I don’t think one needs the

anecdotal rocket scientist to realize that it’s a blanket term that refers to Electronic Music that one can

dance to. See? It isn’t that hard to figure out… I think.

But why do people seem to always want to vehemently attack and belittle this monster of a genre?

Well, my sentiments, simply put, are that most people hate what they don’t understand; and really, what

better way is there to understand something than to try classifying it into manageable bite-size groups?

I mean, that’s what they did to the gigantic, unfathomable, ever-growing taxonomic tree in biology

which now seems to be a bit less scary than it once was (Though it still wreaks havoc in many a minds:

mine included).

However, before we delve into the awesomeness that is EDM, you must understand that, just like the

biological systems of this universe, it is difficult to organize and box in all the subgenres of EDM into

definite groups due to their overlapping similar characteristics (in terms of rhythm, tonality, etc.), wrong

labelling by the world’s population and endless mutation of this type of music over the course of time

which results in discovery of new subgenres every other day. We will however try our level best to sum-

marize a genre (that could quite easily qualify to be the largest of them all) in a few paragraphs. Do you

think you can keep up? Okay then. Let’s get started!

Born in the US and Europe, EDM can be divided into three, based on its roots:

-House from Chicago

-Techno from Detroit

-Trance from Germany

HOUSEThis danceable and quite repetitive genre was greatly influenced by Disco and Funk. Characterized by a tempo of

between 120 and 130BPM, a 4x4 beat, a minimalist progression and an offbeat hihat, original House Music didn’t

have much to offer: no big build ups and/or breakdowns. Yup. That’s right. It was rather bland, boring and drawn

out. I mean, 12 minute songs are really hard to listen to when it’s all repetitive. It is, however, the father of many more

exciting subgenres including (but not restricted to):

Progressive House

Featuring the works of the likes of Deadmau5, this name was derived from the slow progression of the songs in terms

of evolving melody lines, buildup of layers without clear choruses or break downs and a calmer vibe.

Contrary to popular belief which has been propagated by record labels (Spinning Records and Revealed Record-

ings… I’m looking at you), artists and promotion websites, it is NOT the same as instrumental house (#justsoyou-

know).

Deep House

This beautiful, emotive subgenre is slow, bass-heavy and relaxing. But like many other genres, you will find that this

original sound has been replaced by a faster, more hyped, sound that masquerades as it.

Labels like Anjunadeep are a good place to start in your search for quality Deep sounds.

Electrohouse

22 23

This is like the baby brother of all these House subgenres. It has flooded the industry with uplifting catchy melodies,

clear build ups, drops and choruses. It is found in large quantities in clubs and festivals. Songs in this category are

many a times (heartbreakingly and painfully) thrown under the umbrella that is Progressive House.

Other notable subgenres include: Afro-house, Tech-house, tribal, minimal, French house, Eurodance, Electro, Tropical

House and the infamous Bigroom House that had its boom (<pun fully intended>) in 2012.

TECHNONext up we have Techno (which, I must reiterate, is not the same as EDM. It’s the “not all drugs are medicine” story all

over again).

Being the US (Detroit, to be precise) version of Electropop, it was characterised by Electropop’s robotic sounds, a 4x4

beat just like house and a lot more repetitiveness. It was almost a replication of the Eurosound with some soul infu-

sion and (thankfully,) it doesn’t have subgenres per se. It is however mashed with other genres to bring about its many

forms and changes for example: Tech-house and Tech-Trance.

TRANCEOriginating in Germany, this amazing genre places its focus on more complex melody lines, a dreamy soundscape and

“dance-ability”. With a tempo of about 130-140BPM, the spacey-ness of the music brings about the “trancey” effect.

Notable producers include the likes of Armin Van Buuren and the legendary Paul Van Dyk.

It is broadly split to hard and soft trance and therefore the old, original trance is no more. #teardrop

Its subgenres include:

Uplifting Trance

This is characterised by drops and massive, airy melody lines. The songs are quite literally half-build up and half-

breakdown.

Seemingly quite different from old school Trance (which had no drops, was slower and more dreamy), Uplifting Trance

is usually made in an “Intro>Build up>Relief>Drop>Chorus>Outro” kind of structure.Paul Van Dyk and Arty’s “The

Ocean” is a beautiful example.

Progressive Trance

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Just like its cousin, Progressive House, it’s slower, softer, and dreamier than most new school Trance subgenres.

Above and Beyond’s older works easily showcase the beauty of this subgenre with songs like “Can’t Sleep”.

Psychedelic/Goa Trance

As the name suggests, this subgenre is thought to have originated in India and is characterised by a fast tempo, no

uplifting melody and trippy acid synths and arpeggios. One usually has to have some xenobiotics swimming in their

bloodstream to understand this one.

If you thought that it ends there, then you need this write-up more than anyone. Tired? Go get another glass of your drink of choice because we are only just getting started!

Other subgenres worth mentioning include:

Electropop (Electronica fused with Pop), Synthpop (Electronica fused with Rock) and Technopop- This was all thanks

to Kraftwerk: the godfather of Electronica

Hiphop- Yes, even this self-sustaining genre/culture is under EDM. Influenced by RnB, Reggae and funk in the 70’s, it

is characterised by breaks and vocals (aka Rap). It grew to influence numerous non-4x4 genres like Breakbeat, Jungle,

Triphop and Dubstep.

Breakbeat- This one is characterised by a broken beat (Well, duh!).

Drum and Bass (DnB)- This one tends to be one of my favorite subgenres and is characterised by broken beats and

Reggae-like basslines.

Dubstep- While it was originally slow, dark, bass-heavy and chill genre, it has evolved into a high energy, glitch and

aggressive commercial Dubstep (read Skrillex). It is characterised by the snare hits on the third beat instead of the

second which is unlike most EDM.

Downtempo- This slow, calm and chill-out genre lives in the shadows of its bigger, louder and more obnoxious

brothers: only being played in chill-out rooms at raves. It covers Chillout, Ambient, Triphop and Lounge.

Garage- This one is heavily influenced by house and is characterised by a vocal and hiccupping, time-shifting beats.

It includes: 2-Step, Speed Garage and UK Garage.

Hardcore- Hardcore is known for its fast tempo and gritty sounds. It has numerous subgenres including: Happycore,

Hard Techno, Hardstyle and Nightcore which rarely make sense unless you are tripping on some acid.

And finally, Trap which is one of the youngest of the subgenres and is closely associated with new school Hiphop and

also has a number of subgenres under its name: Chill Trap, Festival Trap and Melodic Trap, just to mention a few.

I don’t know if you have realised how mind-blowingly far-reaching this genre really is. With its fingers stuck three

phalanges deep in so many pies, we have only managed to scratch the surface of what could probably qualify to

be termed “the biggest iceberg in music”. And really, more than just bombarding you with names and genres you

probably wouldn’t recognize if they slapped you in the face, this was to allow you to understand that this is a diverse

genre with a place and space for everyone. The number of subgenres (Yes, there are many more that even I have

never heard of) is just a testament of the world’s creativity and self-expression. No blanket statement can ever cover

this genre because all this (… all that I’ve written out…) is only a few frequencies in the spectrum that is

the noise we listen to.

#CSR2015By Gachura and Waitherero

Becoming a Spellcast Media member requires commitment. It is almost like being married. Even

so, we believe giving back to the community is our way of thanking the Universe for our gifts.

And that for us is the greatest commitment we seek to uphold. The following are CSR projects we

undertook last year despite the insane year we had.

Morning Star Children’s Home Kiambu. The home is located a 10min drive from Kirigiti town

off Kiambu road. The aim was to have a day where we can just share with the young ones while

cooking, cleaning and playing with them. Kalongo anyone? The home houses about 50 children,

from the age of about 3 years to a few in campus. Several have completed school and are work-

ing as doctors, business people and there’s one playing volleyball with the Kenya National Team.

Coincidentally on the day of our visit, a delegation of the children was going to support her at

the Kasarani Stadium. We had our fair share of fun with the children and the day was a complete

success.

The next was a Painting Expedition Lavington Mixed Secondary School.The school is located in

Lavington, just past Lavington Mall opposite Lavington United Church. A public school that serves

240 students started in 2009 to serve the children who resided in Kawangware and Gatina Slum.

The mission of the charity was to paint two of the school’s classes for their form four students and

furnish the teachers tables. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to interact with students or staff

as this exercise was undertaken during the school holidays. But we did interact with the paint on

our bodies.

The last and most interesting perhaps in the nature of our interactions was a visit to Deep Sea. A

rehabilitation home located around deep sea slum past Highridge. The home serves the home-

less around the slum. The proprietor Mr. Clifford Oluoch attempts to rehabilitate them through

other avenues such as sports and music aside from providing food and shelter. The objective of

the community service was to help nurture the talents of the street children that are in the home.

With that, we were able to teach them a brief skit to perform for a small audience over Christmas.

They are quite the talented ones! We also had the opportunity to have a session with the children

and share with them some words of encouragement.

And you? Have you given lately?

28 29

C Y A N

photography

30 31

by Anonymous

‘Cyan’ is a photography series exploring the sky in a different light, literally. The sky is contrasted with various objects, most especially the clouds, which help to bring out the otherworldly feeling of the pieces, and yet still keep them grounded in reality.

‘Cyan’ is above all, a celebration of different ways of seeing the world around us.

A D I A H A U M O by Anonymous

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PROFILESThese are the profiles for the team leaders in Spellcast.

36 37

LEE OYUGIUniversity of Nairobi, Medicine

“I joined Spellcast solely as a singer but became an instrumentalist as the Spellcast band came into being. So now

most of the time I am an instrumentalist and will be seen with the guitar but from time to time I sing. My experience

so far has been fantastic. I have loved every step of the way and I’m waiting for more. I have met wonderful people,

inspiring people and had a lot of laughs. I have found friends in Spellcast and I’m almost sure that they are and will

be there to stay. Well aside from school, I love to play the guitar as you might probably have already deduced, watch

rugby, play rugby, hit the gym, watch a meaningful movies, swim, meet people”.

Lee Oyugi was recently appointed as the new Marketing Director, making him a member of the Board. He has taken

over from Abby Kamau, who was appointed Co-Creative Director and COO.

CHARLES NYIHAUniversity of Nairobi, B.A in Design

“An artist in love with beauty”.

Charles Nyiha was recently also given the post of Co-Creative Director, and he too is now a member of

the Board.

38 39

TUJA NDERITU

“I fell in love with theatre when I joined Spellcast. I had liked it before, but the sanctity in which I hold it now

is unexplainable! My soul leaps and I feel such a presence when there is a spotlight on me and I become a

character”.

DAVID GACHURA

Strathmore University, LLB

“I love experiences. I love expression. Art is an expression. Spellcast is an experience.”

40 41

FLORENCE WANJIRUUniversity of Nairobi, Computer Science

“I’m an introverted extrovert. A tad shy, especially in new environments. I’m a lover of the simple things in life.

and math. and cats. Acting brings my soul to life. Takes me to nirvana. Allows me to feel so many things at the

same time without the commitment of actually feeling them. It’s like a fleeting escape.. My escape.”

DAIZY NDUTABrookhouse International School, BTEC Music

“Yes. It’s Daizy with a ‘z’. I believe laughter is food of the soul (people think I have a laughing problem) A

crazy fan of Bob Marley and The Weeknd. I’m a music lover,an upcoming sound engineer. I source my inspi-

ration from everywhere and everyone. And I am just; Too weird to live and too rare to die.”

42 43

VICTORY MUSUVIWA NGUNNZIJKUAT, BSc. Public Health

“I joined Spellcast Media when it first started in 2014. For the time I’ve been there my experience has been amaz-

ing. I’ve met alot of really great people and learnt alot from each and every one of those people. When I first joined

my aim was just to find something interesting to keep me busy before the start of University but it turned out to be

so much more than just a fun thing to do. It’s been great and I look forward to working with Spellcast for many more

years to come. So, a bit about me. I love food and my mum. But of course mother comes first. I have a little brother

that I adore. Okay he’s not exactly little but anybody with a sibling would understand.” NICHOLAS KANYAGIAStrathmore University, BSc. Informatics

“I joined Spellcast mainly because of my friends. I’m a gamer and an anime freak... Empha-

sis on the freak... The FREAK!!“

44 45

GUEST INTERVIEW FADHILEE ITULYAInterview by Glynnis Maina

On the 29th of November 2015, Spellcast Media closed the 2015 creative curtains by performing at Utam Festival, held at

The Elephant. It was a successful event aimed at promoting the African Culture through arts. Our very own Glynnis Maina

spoke to the master mind behind the event who is also an amazing musician whose music is deeply rooted in Culture-Fadhilee

Itulya.

Who is Fadhilee Itulya?Fadhillee: Fadhilee Itulya is an enterprising young musician, collaborating with other artists, in an effort to produce

innovative shows and be able to share and put into practice his knowledge for the development of the Arts scene in

Africa.

When did you start your career as a musician?I first set off his music carrer with Alliance Française de Nairobi, one of Kenya’s leading cultural operator in 2008.

I also feature on the Spotlight on Kenyan Music Vol. 4 compilation released in 2008 following a country-wide talent

search. Spotlight on Kenyan Music programme was initiated in 2005 by Alliance Française de Nairobi in partnership

with the Department of Culture and leading Kenyan music promoters, to develop authentic Kenyan music rooted in

the country’s diverse musical traditions. It exposes and accompanies talented musicians in their quest to further their

musical careers

What Genre of music would you classify your music given its great diversity? I mean it even touches on a bit of jazz…

I find it so hard to answer that question all the time. Thing is, it’s Different. See, over the years I have been exposed

to a vast spectrum of music and musicians thus I have exchanged, adopted and learnt various styles or genres that

I fuse into my music to create quite a different sound that becomes almost impossible to fit it in a box of specifics.

Though I can say its theme based, creatively scripted, critical, political, sarcastic, poetic, sometimes about love, then

hurt break- the usual stuff hehehe but Afro fusion in jazz then pop then rhythmic then cotemporary...say close to soul

so let’s say alternative afrosoul!

If you are not making music what would be your next favorite thing?If I’m not making music, my next favorite thing is creating networks. Meeting new people learning new ideas, shar-

ing what I know with whoever is offering to listen hehehee then grinding on implementing what I learnt. Which is still

music related. But here is the order FAMILY - MUSIC - FRIENDSHIPS. Catch me every other lucky weekend in shorts,

as usual, with my son at a bouncing castle or trampoline near you :) or just at home fixing dinner when everyone else is

probably at the local joint watching soccer having a beer or something :)

What inspired you to start UTAM FESTIVAL and develop to where it is today?UTAM FESTIVAL was inspired by the need to foster a culture of nurturing heritage. We have so much artistic heritage

that can be put out there to stir income generating projects to change lives of many and yet it’s hidden in our cultures

that we have neglected and looked down on it as backward. This is a Kenyan Annual Multi-Cultural Music Festival that

gives a platform for global cultural integration using Art. We aim to showcase expose and share East African arts and

culture to the world, as well as displaying and sharing cultures from around the world in Africa to build peaceful coex-

istence, lasting friendships and exchange program opportunities in all fields of performed and visual Art.

With the New Year what are your plans for UTAM FESTIVAL?The only plan there is, is to grow!!! Utam festival 2016 is going to be bigger better brighter and we pray so hard that

we keep the theme and not conform to a commercially inclined event. We are value based and so we hope we can

get as many partners as possible so the vision above can be achieved with minimum constraints, UTAM is much big-

ger than Fadhilee. It’s a Cultural institution , it’s a movement.

With the recent posts on social media Utam Festival has received a lot of attention having featured artist like Wangechi and the numerous sponsors on your posters. How did you

manage to pull this off?

It would be a lie to say that all this was just me and being good at this, the truth is Utam just like the name itself is

built on the solid foundation of RELATIONSHIPS. Our culture is to keep close ties with every person we meet; in fact

the African society has a general view that the community is one. This was put across very clearly to every last person

that was part of Utam 2015. There was a whole team of talented youth behind the scenes that worked day and night

to make the mark and keep the standards. There were well wishers and friends who came in to support, artistes that

offered to just be part of Utam in solidarity with a fellow artistes dream, institutions that gave themselves to support

at minimal cost. And may I take this golden chance to say a honorary Thank you to these true Ambassadors of culture.

And that’s was how we pulled it off.

As a youth what would you advice young people who aspire to produce music like you have and even probably put together a festival celebrating music or any other art?

I would advice all youth chasing after any career in life be it in or outside arts to Defend their dream, have a single

eye. Be so committed in what you pursue until your brand goes before your name. Have a character of humility, ask

for help, work on your people skills, don’t burn your bridges, relationships will welcome you where even your money is

unwelcomed and most importantly be accountable to someone.

Getting a bit personal, who is Martina Abrahamsson she appears a lot on your page and you on hers, is she that special someone?

If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.

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just love

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