BLU*3/ BLU 3

BLU*3 WAS FORMED AS AN ALL GIRL GROUP IN UGANDA, IN 2004 AS PART OF A TALENT SEARCH CALLED "COCA COLA POPSTARS".....THE NAME STANDS FOR "3 BLACK LADIES FROM UGANDA"..THE GROUP INCLUDED JACKIE CHANDIRU (JACKY), LILIAN MBABAZI (LEE), AND CINDERELLA SANYU (CINDY)..THE GIRLS HAVE AMAZING VOCAL TALENTS AND ARE GOOD SONG WRITERS TOO..NOT FORGETTING THEIR AMAZING DANCE ABILITIES.



THEIR FIRST ALBUM "HITAJI" BLEW EAST AFRICA AWAY AND SOON ENOUGH, THEY WERE ON EVERYONES LIPS....THIS ALBUM WON THEM THE KISIMA AWARDS (KENYA) BEST ARTIST/GROUP AND BEST VIDEO AWARD(2005) AND BEST EAST AFRICAN ALBUM AT THE TANZANIA MUSIC AWARDS (2005)
THE ALBUM CONTAINED HITS SUCH AS FRISKY AND HITAJI THIS VIDEO ALSO WON THEM BEST VIDEO IN THE PAM AWARDS, UGANDA (2005)

IN 2007, THEY RELEASED YET ANOTHER ALBUM "BURN" WHICH CONTINUED TO ADD TO THEIR MILESTONES (MONTELL JORDAN WAS A GUEST AT THE ALBUM LAUNCH)...THE FIRST SINGLE FROM THE ALBUM IN WHICH THEY FEATURED NAVIO WENT ON TO BE AN INSTANT HIT
AND ALSO WON THEM ANOTHER BEST VIDEO OF THE YEAR AT THE PAM AWARDS (2007)

ANOTHER HIT FROM THIS ALBUM WAS "NSANYUKA NAAWE"


HOWEVER COME 2008, IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT CINDY HAD LEFT THE GROUP IN UNCLEAR CIRCUMSTANCES AND THAT THE GROUP WAS NO MORE NOT ONLY THAT BUT THAT THEIR MANAGER HAD ALSO THROWN IN THE TOWEL ON THEM...THIS NEWS WAS RECEIVED WITH MIXED REACTIONS, SOME SAYING IT WAS EXPECTED AS THE GROUPS WHICH HAD WON THE SAME COCA COLA COMPETITION IN KENYA AND TANZANIA HAD BROKEN UP IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEIR FIRST ALBUMS. ALL THE SAME EVERYONE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SAD AS THE GROUP HAD ALREADY CREATED SUCH A HUGE FAN BASE ALL AROUND AFRICA AND ABROAD...

BUT AS LUCK WOULD HAVE HAD IT, AFTER CINDY LEFT, JACKY AND LEE DIDNT GIVE UP OR SPLIT UP, INSTEAD, LATE THE SAME YEAR THEY CONDUCTED AUDITIONS AND THEY RECRUITED A NEW GIRL, EDITH BAGANDA AKA MYA AND REBRANDED THEMSELVES AS BLU 3 (MINUS THE STAR/ASTERIX)- MYA IS ALSO AN ACCOMPLISHED SINGER, SONGWRITER AND DANCER, HAVING BEING A MEMBER OF KOMBAT DANCERS AND ANOTHER FAMOUS GIRL GROUP IN UGANDA KNOWN AS OBSESSIONS.


2009 HAS GROWN TO BE THE HUGEST YEAR FOR BLU 3 AS THE GIRLS RELEASED THEIR NEW ALBUM "BE FREE" IN OCTOBER 22 (2009)...THIS ALBUM HAS WON THEM ACCLAIM BOTH IN AFRICA AND BEYOND...THE ALBUM HAS SEEN THEM NOMINATED AT THE MTV AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS FOR THE BEST GROUP AND BEST PERFORMER.
THEIR FIRST SINGLE OFF THE ALBUM "TOGETHER" WAS ANXIOUSLY AWAITED AND LUCKLY DID NOT DISAPPOINT..

THEIR OTHER SINGLE "WHERE YOU ARE" FEATURING RADIO & WEASEL STAYED ON MTV BASE AFRICA AND EUROPE CHARTS FOR 2 WEEKS, AND ON EAST AFRICA'S CHART FOR OVER A MONTH!!!

"WHERE YOU ARE"

ANOTHER HIT WAS NZIJUKIRA:

THE GIRLS CONTINUE TO WORK HARD AND ONLY TIME WILL CONTINUE TO TELL OF THEIR SUCCESS. THEY ARE AT THE MOMENT THE UN GOODWILL AMBASSADORS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF MIGRATION (IOM) A ROLE THEIR SHARE WITH OTHER GREAT NAMES IN THE WORLD SUCH AS ANGELINA JOLIE, RICKY MARTIN AND EMMA THOMPSON. THEIR ROLE IS TO SENSITIZE AND MOBILISE PEOPLE AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

NAMELESS

NAMELESS, ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL ARTISTS IN MY COUNTRY, KENYA, IS FAMOUSLY KNOWN FOR HIS HITS AFTER HITS AND HAS QUITE A FOLLOWING IN KENYA AND BEYOND.

BORN DAVID MATHENGE IN 1976, NAMELESS HAS NEVER HAD ANY MUSICAL TRAINING AND ONLY HIS PASSION, HARDWORK, DETERMINATION AND TALENT HAS SEEN HIM THIS FAR. HIS FIRST SHOT INTO MUSIC WAS IN 1999, WHILE IN HIS SECOND YEAR OF UNIVERSITY, STUDYING ARCHITECTURE...HE PARTICIPATED IN A CONTEST IN ONE OF OUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS (CAPITAL FM) WHICH HE WON AND LANDED A RECORDING DEAL WITH PRODUCER, TEDD JOSIAH...

HIS FIRST SINGLE "MEGA-RIDER", INSTANTLY HIT AND WAS ON TOP OF EAST AFRICAN CHART SHOW FOR FOUR WEEKS!IN 2001, HE MOVED STABLE TO OGOPA DJS WHERE HE SIGNED A DEAL AND RECORDED, MAJITU AND MANNERLESS:

MANNERLESS - NAMELESS - KENYAN - artist...WHICH WERE ALL INSTANT HITS.

HE THEN COLLABORATED WITH AMANI AND DID ANOTHER SONG, "NINANOKI" WHICH LASTED 7WEEKS ON TOP OF THE KISS FM CHART(A LOCAL STATION).

HE ALSO DID "BOOMBA TRAIN" WITH THE LATE ESIR (ONE OF KENYAS GREATEST MCS, WHO DIED IN A TRAGIC CAR ACCIDENT WHILE TOURING WITH NAMELESS IN 2003)...THIS SONG WON HIM THE BEST SONG IN THE KISIMA AWARDS IN 2003 WHILE ALSO BEING NOMINATED FOR BEST MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR.


ALL THIS TIME HE WAS RECORDING HIT AFTER HIT...HE STILL JUGGLED WITH UNIVERSITY AND HE FINALLY GRADUATED IN 2002 WITH SECOND CLASS HONOURS!

10YRS DOWN THE LINE, NAMELESS IS STILL GROWING MUSICALLY AND STILL CHUCKING HIT AFTER HIT (HE NOW CONCENTRATES FULLY ON HIS MUSIC, DESPITE THE DEGREE)...HE JUST RECENTLY (OCTOBER 10,2009) WON 2 MTV AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS, ONE FOR BEST MALE ARTIST, AND FOR HIS COLLABORATION WITH UPCOMING ARTIST HABIDA (SUNSHINE) HE WON THE LISTENERS CHOICE AWARD:

HE POSSES GOOD VOCAL ABILITY AND HIS MUSIC IS RYTHMATIC, CATCHY WHILE EDUCATIVE....WELL, SOMETIMES ALSO CHEEKY.

HIS OTHER HITS INCLUDE:
SINZIA

SALARY:

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NAMELESS VISIT:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Mathenge

JJC

I JUST HAD TO BLOG ON THIS GUY MAINLY BECAUSE OF A NEW SINGLE WHICH HE HAS JUST CHUCKED CALLED "WE ARE AFRICANS", PLUS WE SHARE THE SAME PASSION..AFRICA!

JJC IS A NIGERIAN-BORN RAPPER WHO IS BASED IN THE UK...HE DOES HIPHOP, AND HE IS ALSO A SONGWRITER AND DJ. HE HOSTS A BI-MONTHLY PROGRAM ON BBC RADIO1 WHERE HE HIGHLIGHTS AFRICAN MODERN MUSIC.HIS SHOW IS CALLED AFRICAN VIBE (WORLD TOUR)

HIS NAME JJC IS SHORT FOR "JOHNY JUST COME" WHICH IS A NAME GIVEN TO NAIVE AFRICANS VISITING UK FOR THE FIRST TIME AND ARE STILL NEW TO THE CULTURE, AND LANGUAGE.BUT HIS REAL NAME IS ABDUL BELLO.

HE IS ALSO THE SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER OF THE ACCLAIMED RNB/HIPHOP GROUP IN THE UK CALLED BIG BROVAZ....

HE HAS NOW RELEASED A NEW SINGLE...WE ARE AFRICANS...OFF OF HIS SOON TO BE RELEASED SOLO ALBUM WHICH WILL BE KNOWN AS "UNITED STATES OF AFRICA"...THE SONG IS AFRO POP AND VERY CATCHY, AND HE EQUATES IT TO BE THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF A UNITED STATES OF AFRICA....WHICH IS AN AFRICAN DREAM WE ALL HOPE TO BE REALITY...

HERE IS THE VIDEO,RECENTLY RELEASED, WHICH ALSO FEATURES J-ROCK AND RANDY OF BIGBROVAZ:

FOR MORE INFORMANTION ON JJC CHECK OUT: http://www.jjc2uk.com/Home.aspx
OR http://www.myrhythm.com/jjc.htm

FALLY IPUPA

BORN IN 1977 IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, FALLY IPUPA FIRST STARTED MUSIC AS A HOBBY, AND DID NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY DESPITE BEEN SO VOCALLY TALENTED...HE STARTED SINGING OFFICIALLY IN 1990 IN VAVRIOUS BANDS AND LATER ON JOINED LEGENDARY KOFFI OLOMIDE'S BAND QUARTER LATIN WHERE HE TOURED BOTH EUROPE AND AMERICA.

HE LATER BROKE OUT FROM THE GROUP IN 2006 AFTER BEING WITH QUARTER LATIN FOR 10YEARS AND WENT AS A SOLO,MOST PEOPLE WERE ABIT SCEPTICAL... BUT THE RECEPTION WAS AMAZING!!! THE PEOPLE IN CONGO LOVED HIM AND ALSO IN PARIS HE WAS WARMLY RECEIVED. HIS FIRST ALBUM DROIT CHEMIN COVERED HITS LIKE LIPUTA,

ORGASY

AND MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE BAKANDJA:

HE IS CURRENTLY ONE OF THE HIGHEST RIDING ARTISTS IN AFRICA, AND HAS HAD BIG SHOWS IN BOTH PARIS AND NEWYORK....HE WAS ALSO A GUEST PERFORMER FOR THIS YEARS MTV AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS HELD IN NAIROBI IN OCTOBER 2009 - THAT MADE HIM THE FIRST FRANCOPHONE ARTIST TO BE PART OF THE ANNUAL EVENT...HE HAS AMAZING VOCALS AND DANCING PROWESS THAT LADIES FIND IRRESISTABLE.....

HIS MUSIC IS A COMBINATION OF LINGALA (CONGOLESE SOUKOUS) AND RNB/HIPHOP..... HIS LATEST ALBUM "ARSENAL DE BELLES MELODIES (A2bm)" AFFIRMS HIS POSITION IN THE AFRICAN MUSIC INDUSTRY AND HAS RECEIVED OVERWHELMING SUPPORT AND LOVE...IT INCLUDES HITS SUCH AS
CHAISE ELECTRIQUE (HE FEATURES OLIVIA, FORMERLEY OF G-UNIT)

AND MY FAVOURITE, "MABELE"

YOU CAN CHECK MORE INFORMATION ON FALLY IPUPA ON http://www.fally.cd/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

I-AM-D'BANJ

HE IS ARGUABLY THE HOTTEST ARTIST IN AFRIKA RIGHT NOW...ALL THE WAY FROM NIGERIA...D'BANJ IS CREATING WAVES ALL ACCROSS AFRICA...

BORN DAPO DANIEL OYEBANJO..HE SITES HIS MAIN INFLUENCE TO BE FELA KUTI...HE PLAYS THE HARMONICA (AMAZINGLY WELL, KEEP A KEEN EAR IN ALL HIS SONGS), WHICH HE WAS INTRODUCED TO BY HIS LATE BROTHER..HE IS A SINGER/SONGWRITER AND CLASSIFFIES HIS MUSIC AS RnB/AFRICAN HIP HOP....HE IS SIGNED TO MOHITS RECORDS WHICH Z HOME TO MANY BIG NIGERIAN ARTISTS INCLUDING NAETO C, WANDE COAL, IKECHUKWU...

HE IS COMMONLY KNOWN IN NIGERIA AS THE KOKO MASTER..THIS IS COINED FROM THE A WORD "KOKO" IN WHICH HE REFERS TO THE LADIES IN HIS SONGS...HE CURRENTLY LIVES IN LONDON

HIS SONGS ARE QUITE CATCHY AND RIDICLOUSLY INFECTIOUS...THIS HAS WON HIM MANY FANS ACCROSS THE GLOBE AND LED HIM TO WIN MANY AWARDS INCLUDING MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS FOR BEST AFRICAN ACT 2007, KORA AWARD 2005, AND JUST RECENTLY (OCTOBER 2009) HE WON THE AFRICAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR FROM MTV MUSIC AWARDS(MAMA)

AMONG HIS HITS INCLUDE: 1. WHY ME

2. FALL IN LOVE

AND HIS LATEST: GBONO FE LE: (I COULD NOT FIND OFFICIAL VIDEO)


FOR MORE ON DE KOKO MASTER YOU CAN CHECK http://www.mohitsrecords.com/index2.php

KENYATTA DAY

Today is Kenyatta day in Kenya, a public holiday to remember the 20th of October 1952, when the state of emergency was declared in Kenya after the British colonialist realised that the Kenya African Union(KAU) a movement by Kenyans who wanted Kenya to be allowed its freedom, was getting strong and "dangerous" for them. The movement was led by Kenyatta at the time after taking over from James Gichuru and it had a following of strong willed and strong minded Kenyans among them, Billdad Kagia, Fred Kubai, Paul Ngei, Achieng Oneko and Paul Rubia. On this fateful day all of them were detained by the British colonialist together with hundreds more Kenyans who were part of the movement. The six Kenyatta, Kubai, Kagia, Oneko, Ngei and Rubia were convicted and taken to Kapenguria Jail where they spent seven years tilling the land and diggin their graves.....all in an effort to make our Country a sovereign land.....but 46yrs down the line was it worth it....have we shown that we deserve the freedom????

You are probably confused now since this is supposed to be a blog about music....but the reason i mentioned the above story is because i believe that you forget your past and you will be a slave to the future.

Today i take time to highlight an artist called Nazizi who apart from being a pioneer in the Kenyan music industry and one of my favourite artist from my homeland, she is doing great music despite the many hurdles that Kenyan musicians face and this can be seen in her release where she sung a song called Jeshi......

In this song she calls out on her other artists whom she first started out with in the industry and she tells them not to give up despite the hurdles that they may face and that they should keep on with the struggle.....just like our freedom fighters, fought long and hard and faced many challenges.....they too should soldier on and eventually they will win the fight or at least fought a good battle.....

I hope they listened...

In the beginning of the song she has sampled part of the speech of who latter became Kenya s first president on Independence: HIS EXCELLENCY JOMO KENYATTA!

Kaboom!