Author: Tela Wangeci

When Ballantine’s X Boiler Room announced their fifth installment of their community driven three-day concert to help shine light on Nairobi’s diverse music scene, excitement filled the air. All roads lead to The Mall, located in the suburbs of Westlands to commemorate and celebrate alternative music, community spaces and East African club music. The pomp and excitement of the open air space, which hosted the event, could be felt a mile away with the organisers ensuring the smooth sailing of each day’s soirée. DJ Coco Em acted as the curator at the three-day event which ran from 28 - 30 March featuring educational talks, masterclass performances and the party broadcast. 

Day One: In Conversation with Coco Em and Panellist Talk 

The event kicked off with two major educational talks that highlighted the current state of the music scene in Nairobi and East Africa at large. Kicking off with Coco Em, the celebrated DJ’s main topic was the “Rise Of East African Music.” Making her debut at Boiler Room five years ago, Coco Em noted the chronological and gradual change of the club scene. She said, “Years before the digital migration, artists relied on clubs to promote their music. You would hear a track over and over again until you found a way to purchase the album or the track.” 

An interesting conversation popped up when Coco Em discussed how colonisation affected the music released by East Africans. One of the biggest talking points in most music discussions is always what is the East African sound in comparison to West Africa which flourishes with Afrobeats. Coco Em was quick to address the discussion point mentioning the need of owning native sounds before adapting to foreign productions. “We were stripped of our original sound and made to think anything coming from our motherland isn’t good enough.” 

After the one hour conversation with Coco Em, a new group of panellists entered the stage as they discussed “How Community Run Spaces and Collaborations Can Help Nurture Kenyan Alternative Scene.” Featuring Radio 254 owner Njukia Kihia, multidisciplinary artist Bakhita, Dj Shock, Huilly Huile, and affiliates of Santuri East Africa: a community run production school, the second hour of the conversation kicked off with Kenya’s definition of alternative music. Alternative artist Bakhita opened the floor with a simple explanation, “It’s what is not played on mainstream media.” While DJ Shock had a different opinion, describing it as what is not popular among the industry gatekeepers.  The panel came to an agreement that it reflected a lifestyle and not a specific sound. Discussing the need of community run spaces, Radio 254 stood out with its mission – playing 100% Kenyan content 24/7. The station has been home to over 1000 interviews with Kenyan artists since its inception in 2021. Njukia Kihia insisted on the need of having such spaces as they help promote upcoming artists rather than focus on artists who have already made a name for themselves. 

The night ended with more pearls of wisdom from the industry key players paired with a light 30-minute DJ session giving space for interaction and networking. With day one wrapped up, the attendees went on their way as they geared up for the next day which would be filled with dance moves from the spectacular masterclass.

Day Two: Dance Masterclass With Gifted Queens

Dance is a huge part of Nairobi culture. Be it getting sturdy as you listen to Drill or shaking your waist while vibing to some coastal tunes, dance has been a great way for Kenyans to let go of their worries.  The Gifted Queens are dancers who morphed into artists conceptualising the art of dance and music. Consisting of five ladies signed under Ape Music: Evaline Wanjiku, Gladys Njihia, Gloria Songoro, Lynnette Mumbi, and Velmah Vugutsa have propelled Nairobi to great heights. The most memorable moment was in 2019 after Jason Derulo’s management team reached out to them on Facebook and asked them to be part of his “Shut Up and Dance” music video.

The masterclass kicked off at 7:00pm on 29 March with the theme being “Nairobi Dance Moves.” Featuring the popular dance trends that have dominated the Nairobi scene including Odi Dance, the dance group were adorned in shirts printed with an enlarged Q representing queens. They took the crowd through a three-hour dance session featuring some of their songs including “Bestie.”

Day Three: Live Broadcast Part Curated By Coco Em

If there is one thing the Nairobians know to do, it is party. While the prior days of the event were characterised with a fair crowd appearance, day three had a gigantic crowd ready to party. The night was characterised with excitement as the line-up featured live performances from Nairobi’s favourite rapper Boutross (otherwise known as the Shrapgod) and Brandy Maina; plus live Dj sets from Dj IV,  Boboss Bosboss, Budalagi and more. 

With crisp attention to the 2023 Boiler Room X Ballantine’s True Music Studios theme, Dj Monateng – a Dj duo featuring Avocado The Dj and Dj Miss Ray – captivated the party driven crowd. Mixing East African Club tunes from the early aughts and the alternative Kenyan music scene, the duo created a night of excitement formulating the perfect entrance for the Shrapgod’s performance. Performing hits such as “Story Ilianza Like This”, the crowd was echanted as they chanted along to the lyrics. Boutross showed the essence of collaboration as he brought out two of his friends: Groovy Jo, a budding female rapper and Juiceemann who featured on Boutross’ hit song “Angela.”

As the night slowly faded away, so did the excitment of the event as the attendees realised it was time to get back to reality with the end of the amazing three-day festival.