Be Afrika
DISCOVERED
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Contributor List 6 Be Trends 8 & 9 Quickie 10 Editor’s Note 10 Discovering Afrika 12 Cover Feature 14 Afro Art 21 Art of Fashion 25 Be Story 31 The Artist 33 The Mentor 37 Creative Government 40 Creative Entrepreneur 41 Discovered 45 The Creative 49 Afro Lens 51 Lifestyle 54 Tech 56 Creative Cities 58
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CONTRIBUTOR LIST EDITORIAL Marita Paulina Rina Maria STYLE Ojwa Styling BEAUTY Kanai Beauties ART & GRAPHICS Jesse Ondego PHOTOGRAPHY Ptech Photography Special Thanks to the Creative Contributors that participated in this issue. If you would like to join this long list of fabulous creatives email us on hello@ beafrika.online If you would like to be featured in our issues email us on hello@beafrika.online If you would like to work with us on a project please email us on operations@beafrika.online If you would like to advertise with us please email operations@beafrika.online
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BE TRENDS Celebrity branding or celebrity endorsement is a form of advertising campaign or marketing strategy used by brands, companies, or a non-profit organization which involves celebrities or a well-known person using their social status or their fame to help promote a product, service or even raise awareness on environmental or social matters. Endorsement is a channel of brand communication in which a celebrity acts as the brand’s spokesperson and certifies the brand’s claim and position by extending his/her personality, popularity, status in society or expertise in the field to the brand. In a market with a very high proliferation of local, regional and international brands, celebrity endorsement was traditionally thought to provide a distinct differentiation. But over the years, many aspiring brands in Africa have jumped on to this celebrity endorsement bandwagon. In Kenya brands such as Marini Naturals and Pauline Cosmetics have joined the celebrity endorsement and branding route.
about your product. Celebrity branding is all about using a celebrity's position of prominence to start a conversation. It's meant to make your product more visible, to get people talking about it and genuinely considering its merits. No two products are the same, and no two situations are the same, but celebrity endorsements are almost always a powerful boost to a brand.
Essentials of Celebrity Branding;
Attractiveness of the celebrity: This principle states that an attractive endorser will have a positive impact on the endorsement. The endorser should be attractive to the target audience in certain aspects like physical appearance, intellectual capabilities, athletic competence, and lifestyle. It has been proved that an endorser that appears attractive as defined above has a greater chance of enhancing the memorability of the brand that he/ she endorses. Credibility of the celebrity: This principle states that for any brand-celebrity collaboration to be successful, the personal credibility of the celebrity is crucial. Credibility is defined here as the celebrities’ perceived expertise and trustworthiness. As celebrity endorsements act as an external cue that enable consumers to sift through the tremendous brand clutter in the market, the credibility factor of the celebrity greatly influences the acceptance with consumers. Meaning transfer between the celebrity and the brand: This principle states that the success of the brand-celebrity collaboration heavily depends on the compatibility between the brand and the celebrity in terms of identity, personality, positioning in the market vis-à-vis competitors, and lifestyle. When a brand signs on a celebrity, these are some of the compatibility factors that have to exist for the brand to leverage the maximum from that collaboration. Celebrity endorsements – Do’s and Don’ts All brands must be aware of some of the important aspects of celebrity branding as discussed below:
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Consistency and long-term commitment: As with branding, companies should try to maintain consistency between the endorser and the brand to establish a strong personality and identity. More importantly, companies should view celebrity endorsements as long-term strategic decisions affecting the brand.
Three prerequisites to selecting celebrities: Before signing on celebrities to endorse their brands, companies need to ensure that they meet three basic prerequisites, namely the endorser should be attractive, have a positive image in the society, and be perceived as having the necessary knowledge (although it might be difficult for a celebrity to meet all three prerequisites).
to endorse brands, one obvious result could be the potential overshadowing of the brand by the celebrity. Companies should ensure that this does not happen by formulating advertising collaterals and other communications.
Celebrity endorsement is just a channel: Companies must realize that having a celebrity endorsing a brand is not a goal in itself; rather it is one part of Celebrity–brand match: Consistent with the the communication mix that falls under the broader principles discussed earlier, companies should ensure category of sponsorship marketing. a match between the brand being endorsed and the endorser so that the endorsements are able to strongly Celebrity ROI: Even though it is challenging to influence the thought processes of consumers and measure the effects of celebrity endorsements on create a positive perception of the brand. companies’ brands, companies should have a system combining quantitative and qualitative measures to Constant monitoring: Companies should monitor measure the overall effect of celebrity endorsements the behavior, conduct and public image of the endorser on their brands. continuously to minimize any potential negative publicity. One of the most effective ways to do this Trademark and legal contracts: Companies should is to ensure that celebrity endorsement contracts are ensure that the celebrities they hire are on proper effectively drafted, keeping in mind any such negative legal terms so that they do not endorse competitors’ events. products in the same product category, thereby creating confusion in the minds of the consumers. Selecting unique endorsers: Companies should try to bring on board those celebrities who do not The important aspect that companies must note endorse competitors’ products or other quite different is that celebrity endorsements cannot replace the products, so that there is a clear transfer of personality comprehensive brand building processes. As branding and identity between the endorser and the brand. evolves as a discipline companies must be extra cautious to utilize every possible channel of communication Timing: As celebrities command a high price tag, rather than just a celebrity endorsement. When companies should be on the constant lookout for all other steps in the branding process is followed emerging celebrities who show some promise and and implemented, then channels such as celebrity potential and sign them on in their formative years if endorsements can provide the cutting edge as it did possible to ensure a win–win situation. for Nike and many others. Brand over endorser: When celebrities are used BeAfrika Page| 9
Editors Note What’s your brand? When you start your business or become a business you are going to be asked this question all the time. So what is Be Afrika’s brand? If you’ve been with us since last year September, I think you get an idea of it by now. Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, large or small, retail or B2B. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets. But what exactly does “branding” mean? How does it affect a small business like yours? Your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors’. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be
and who people perceive you to be. The foundation of your brand is your logo. Your website, packaging and promotional materials-all of which should integrate your logo-communicate your brand. Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Your distribution channels are also part of your brand strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally are part of your brand strategy, too. Consistent, strategic branding leads to a strong brand equity, which means the added value brought to your company’s products or services that allows you to charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command.
A space for African creatives and creatives interested in Africa. Follow us on Facebook Be Afrika Instagram be__afrika Twitter be_afrika Page| 10 BeAfrika Pintrest Be Afrika Online
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DISCOVERING AFRICA
Osborne Macharia is an award winning self-taught contemporary photographer and multidisciplinary artist. A Kenyan native, Osborne has made a mark both on the local and international scene with a unique, fantastic and creative oeuvre that fittingly sums up the Afrofuturism movement. Osborne uses his imaginative eye to combine unrelated elements, scenarios and human interaction to create new, out of the norm narratives. He credits his artistic freedom to his exploratory nature, which is evident in his project. He has an ability to bring stories to life from behind his camera lens. In his work—commercial or personal— he has an aptitude for animating his characters so that they always seem to be jumping out at you with something to say. Working with top models, eccentric subjects, makeup artists and his able stylist Kevo Abbra, he applies his techniques and editing skills to create artistic works never seen before. His works show dedication, encouraging viewers to open their Page|
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eyes to new perspectives. His narrative style of photography is not only entertaining but it also makes for a powerful platform to convey an important message on topics like gender abuse, ivory poaching and victims of war-torn regions in Africa. He has established himself as the go-to collaborator for editorial
and commercial projects. From his extensive portfolio, you can tell he seeks out the perfect concepts and moments to set his remarkable work. He need to set oneself apart from the over flow of emerging photographers, is something Osborne understands well as told by the fantastic growth in creativity and uniqueness with each project he unveils. Besides his personal projects, he has been commissioned by business brands globally to create images for their product promotion campaigns. His latest work, christened Ilgelunot, is his own interpretation of the Black Panther movie that he had been commissioned to conceptualise by Disney/Marvel for the launch of the film in London. The talented artist has for the first time shot Hollywood actors in New Orleans, Louisiana after he was handpicked by renowned film director Ava DuVernay to shoot the key artwork for the American Drama series Queen Sugar. The show is executively produced by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey and airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
As a commercial photographer, Osborne Macharia has been privileged to work with some of the top local and international brands including Coke, Absolut Vodka, MTV Base, Volkswagen, Samsung, Danone, Nestle, Cadburys, Forbes, Pepsi, Guinness, Mercedes, and Kenya Airways as well working with international agencies from London, South Africa, Cyprus and US. Macharia was part of the team that won Kenya’s first ever Cannes Lion in 2015, one show finalist, being featured on Lurzer’s archive of the 200 best digital artists worldwide 2015/16 and 2017/18. A finalist in Hasselblad Masters 2016 competition as well as being
featured in respected publications and news channels such as CNN, BBC, Huffington Post, Adobe Create, Design Indaba, Okay Africa, Afro Punk, Elle Magazine, Fubiz, Abduzeedo, African Digital Arts, and Behance curated galleries. His work has also been displayed in exhibitions in London, Addis Foto Fest, Lagos Foto Fest, Rome, Austria, Bahrain and Rio. He also runs an outdoor lighting workshop series called Lightfreaks that aims at developing a new breed of professional photographers with a keen eye when it comes to lighting with the emphasis on creating their own unique styles. BeAfrika Page| 13
Creative Muse NAME: FABIDA ABUTAH AGE: 22 OCCUPATION: STUDENT, MODEL WHAT INSPIRES YOU? My Mother. She inspires me to the core of my being. All the experiences we’ve gone through inspire me every day when I wake up to crash my goals. No matter how many walls, obstacles, or naysayers attempt to get in my way, I’m always focused and committed to achieving my dreams and I’m confident that I will! GREATEST CREATIVE CHALLENGE? I’ll have to go with being UNIQUE. Nowadays everything is being done or has been done before and in the Creative Industry, you need to be unique and consistent in whatever you do to remain relevant. But in everything I put my mind to, I simply put my own twist to it ‘a lil touch of Fabida’ just to make it my own.
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PROCESS FROM CONCEPT TO FINISHED PRODUCT? I’m usually inspired to come up with various ideas. Then I pitch them to my fellow creatives i.e. the photographer, make-up artist and sometimes the stylist. Most of the time each one would add their own ideas and contributions and we’d make a few changes to the project. We then set a unanimous date for the photo shoot and after which the final edited photos are released to various social media platforms and websites just to showcase and sell our work. But for some photo shoots, the clients u s u a l l y already have a concept and all I have to do is dress up, show up and kill the show! Ha-ha. Photography: @ urbanvisuals_ MUA; @ makeupbygina_254
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MAIN FEATURE FADHILI
"I get a lot of my inspiration from African stories and daily life experiences. That's how I make my music uniquely African"
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Tell us about yourself? talking, to playing around with languages- pretty much I am a music artist, collaborating with other artists in an everything I do. And when it comes to music, I love to not effort to create content for the African music market. I am say things flatly but to find a way to creatively say things. a Pan-Africanist. I love nature, culture, people and family. What is your perspective on the music industry? People in your field that you admire? The industry has really grown in the past five years. I admire, Hugh Masekela, Erick Wainaina, Suzanna I started out in 2008, that’s ten years ago, so if I look 5 Owiyo, Habib Koite, Olive Omutujju—the list is just years back, I am so impressed at where the industry is endless. now. We are at a place where we can appreciate art, we can look at different art forms and find audiences for it. How do you incorporate creativity in your free time? From visual art to performed art and I feel there has been In my line of work being an artist, you are constantly a growth, especially in Kenya because it had been a very doing things that require you to create. So my free time is lacking environment and I’m happy that we are actually filled up with very innovative ways of doing things. I have growing. It’s better than it’s ever been, in fact right now it’s a very innovative approach to everything; from cooking, a beautiful sunrise for the music industry. BeAfrika Page| 17
Do you think the industry has evolved from when you started? Yes. As I mentioned before, we’ve come a far way. There is so much that has developed. For example: PRSK- the Performance Rights Society of Kenya and Kenya Corporate Board that protect artists from corporate infringement. Somethings makes sure we are covered, insured. It was interesting when I got the call the other day to go pick up my health insurance car as a registered member from PRSK. Do you think there are enough youth opportunities? Of course there are! Youth opportunities shall not be created by the government. They shall not be created by society. They shall not come from anywhere else apart from the youth themselves. We create our own opportunities, we are supposed to look into society and see what is lacking and create means to meet the needs. I read somewhere that if you want to make it in life, if you want to be successful in life, find a need and meet that need. The moment we identify needs in society, then we have created opportunities for ourselves because we find purpose and I don’t need to talk so much because there are enough youth opportunities. We shall not sit back and wait for the government to fix it. It’s not going to happen, we’ve been waiting since the 1960s, and it’s 2018. Wake Up, find what’s fits you as a young man, as a young woman and run with it. What are the challenges of being a musician in Africa? Of course it’s there, but it’s mostly financial. I don’t believe the creative aspect is really an issue, because being a creative in Africa and being a musician especially in Africa, you cannot compare the competition with the developed world ‘coz they’d had it for years. Page|
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They’ve been doing it for years, had time to evolve and grow with it in a way we also emulate from them, we learn a lot from them and we adopt and borrow a lot of technology from them, but I feel like being a musician in Africa is a challenge because everything already exists there—tech wise. If you need to do the coolest video, the equipment is here. If you need a script, we have amazing talent, right here in Africa but can we be able to afford this level of skill? It can be challenging for a young Kenyan to balance local identity with international influence. How do you think we can best keep and promote the Kenyan brand? I feel the Kenyan brand may be best promoted by going back to our roots. The Kenyan brand is not—we do not have a sound that is distinctively Kenyan. We have borrowed from all over the place. We had a chance to do that in the 1960s and before the colonial masters, came but we have been too disunited to have that. I’m not saying it’s impossible but it has been too long that we have been used to adopting and conforming that, currently, it may be difficult to find our own voice—right now, Nigerian hits are raging so we follow that trend; dancehall is cool right now, everyone does dancehall; hip hop is banging, we all follow hip hop. Nothing against that, but I feel like, do your hip hop yes, but give it a feel of where you are from—what do they chant, or traditional instrument that they use. Have a piece of that, sneak that into your music and that’ll make it original. That’s going to be your Kenyan s BeAfrika Page| 19
AFRO ART
Kaylan Michael a.k.a Lost In The Island I didn’t choose this career, I believe It chose me. I have always been interested and passionate about Art. I remember always drawing when I was 6 years old and Art is the only thing that helps me disconnect with the exterior world and let my imagination carry me away. Art is something I can’t live without, almost like my shadow. I am inspired by Life, my experiences, Science, Fashion, Music, The Universe, Spirituality and Nature, an endless source of inspiration. In addition to that, I’m drawn by my inner-me, my mood, and the moment of the day; It’s therapeutic and it’s just my way of releasing my creative spirit. I am also inspired by my fellow independent artists; Page|
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They inspire me to create more. I have worked on a series of collages for Urban Tribe Movement an awesome social network for people using business, art and technology to further diversity & inclusivity. I have also worked for VIDA, a Google Ventures backed company that brings artists and makers together from around the world to create original, inspiring apparel in a socially conscious way. I have worked on a collection of silk scarves. In addition, I have collaborated with different artists in designing their album/mixtapes covers. It was a pleasure working on Emmanuel Jal’s album cover, Kôba Building a France based west African rapper, Fredy N, a talented singer from France and Guetts a rapper from London. Stay tuned for more collaborations.
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Art of Fashion The drums of Africa beat in my heart. Photography by Keef Photoraphy Body Art by Edwina Mosby Models Brian Onyango & Brian Nacials
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Be Story
The new Art new Audiences Grant by British Council
The new Art new Audiences Grant by British Council new Art new Audiences (nAnA) is an annual open call for 18 to 35-year-old artists, arts organizations, and art collectives from cities within England; Ethiopia; Kenya; Northern Ireland; Rwanda; Scotland; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; and Wales. new Art new Audiences gives an opportunity for artists from these cities to create new art together, and to showcase this art to audiences across these countries. new Art new Audiences Grant • nAnA will fund 5 new projects in 2018; • Up to £30,000 will be allocated to each project; • Artists, arts organizations and/or art collectives from the specified countries (listed above) must connect to co-create, co-facilitate or co-produce new art together. • new Art new Audiences 2018 is particularly interested in supporting projects by artists, arts organizations and/or art collectives that already have, and want to build upon, cross country collaborations and connections. • New partnerships are also encouraged and in the FAQs, you will see how British Council are offering support to identify arts partners in the UK and the East African region; • There are no restrictions on art forms and there are no restrictions on themes. Eligibility • Applicants can apply as an Page|
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individual artist(s), an arts organization (s) or an art collective(s); • Each project must focus on the creation of a new piece, or a new body of art; • At least three different countries must be involved in the project, with at least two of these countries being from the East African region (and from the countries specified above); • new Art new Audiences focuses on supporting art sectors within cities from the countries specified – artists, artworks and au-
diences must be connected to cities; • Each project must focus on reaching an 18 to 35-year-old face to face, and online audience. nAnA aims to increase the visibility and awareness of new contemporary art from East Africa and the UK. The engagement of an online and/ or face to face audience is therefore essential; • All key contributors involved in the project must be between 18 and 35-years-old; • The projects can be match funded by other financial partners;
• Applicants can apply more than once to new Art new Audiences; • Those who received new Art new Audiences 2016/17 grants (either primary or secondary partner) are also eligible to apply to nAnA 2018. However a primary nAnA 2016/17 partner cannot apply as the lead partner for nAnA 2018; • All projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving funds from the British Council; • A mid-project report and an end of project report will be ex-
pected in order to receive payment, a template will be provided for these reports; • The project must be administrated by one person or organization. They must have a bank account and a national ID in order to receive funds. They must also be responsible for the mid-project, end of project report, and for the externals communications of the project; • 70% of funds will be granted upon signing a contract with the British Council, the remaining 30% of funds will be granted upon
submitting your mid-project report. How to Apply To apply for new Art new Audiences you will have to complete an online application form which can be found here. For more information, download the nAnA 2018 application information pack (Adobe PDF 414KB)
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The Artist
Edwina Ndiba
GRAINS OF MELANIN Photo by Lines Photography MUA Neg MakeUp & Uncle Kim Makeup Hair by R.Kambua What inspires you? ART, Art inspires me... I'm attracted to anything with an artistic concept What is your greatest creative challenge? My creative challenge is mostly fusing everything together and making everything one and make sense; the makeup, accessories, outfit and the photographic feel must all give one message, not create questions What is your process from concept to finished product? Its kind of like film making... I get an idea, sometimes with the help of friends, we meet physically to lock the idea down and know exactly what we want to do, next is now looking for the right photographer or one with a type of feel that your concept needs, a stylist and a good makeup artist follows, because with professional modeling makeup is a vital tool. We pick a location according to the concept, then we go ahead and shoot on a day that we are all free, to avoid hurrying and having half baked work. Lastly is coming up with a name, hashtag and caption. Also the post processing which I love because it brings out a kind of artistic feel to the picture as well.
“I used to read magazines and would collect the pullouts for makeup artists. I was fascinated by it and wanted to be in a magazine one day. Now I am consumed by the art of makeup.�
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Creative organization
The GoDown Arts Centre
development through training workshops that are held throughout the year, while creating an environment The GoDown grew out of a need articulated by a for innovation and collaboration between artists. The wide range of artists in the late 1990’s for provide a present space occupied by the GoDown is a renovated space holding the vested interests of Kenyan and 10,000 sq meters warehouse with studios, rehearsal East African artists in a cross section of disciplines. and performance spaces. The GoDown also has an Notwithstanding the energy behind this exciting new exhibition gallery where exhibitions can be shown, initiative, the search for space lasted nearly three years and meetings or performances held. as potential spaces were identified, reviewed and The Centre provides the first Kenyan multipursued without closure. disciplinary space for arts and host organizations However, determination culminated in the representing a variety of art-form and also residence identification and later development of the current programs. The Godown Art Centre brings artists and physical site, which combines inexpensive, wide-open audiences together in ways that refresh, challenge and spaces, in an accessible and appropriate location with inspire. It is fast becoming a focal point in East Africa basic facilities for performances, studios, rehearsals for innovation, creativity and performance. Since the and exhibitions. The GoDown Arts Centre, the first Go Down’s inception, it has initiated and hosted many of its kind in East Africa, is a not-for-profit entity that exciting art residencies, workshops, performances, now has a number of residential visual and performing exhibitions and discussion forums. artists groups, all occupying a common space. It serves as a place where creative ideas can be generated, mingled and cross-referenced. The GoDown Arts Centre promotes professional BeAfrika Page| 39
Creative Entrepreneur
How d for the I was e tender a prac a film spare t did wa film ne As I gr photos For sc photog I went campu camera photos I ventu decide thing f experie how to digital and sha people to take potenti It is at photog 2016, m Kenya and be
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did you get your idea or concept e business? exposed to photography at a very age. In the early 2000s, my father, ctising professional teacher had camera that he shot with in his time. The first photography task I as helping him stick the processed egatives to their respective photos. rew up, he taught me how to take s and this passion was ignited. chool sake, I parted ways with graphy for a number of years as t through the system. While in us, my dad bought me a digital a that I used to take all manner of s in my campus days. After campus, ured to academic writing, having ed formal employment was not the for me based on my attachment ence. In my spare time, I learned o edit photos that I took with my camera using adobe Photoshop ared the same online. After a while e took notice and started asking me e their photos. It is safe to say my ial market came looking for me. this point that I gave professional graphy a thought and in February my brainchild Lines Photography came into being, getting bigger etter to date.
have you managed to build a ssful customer base? ological advancement and easy to photography gear has led to om in professional photography has in turn flooded the market. mer acquisition and retention ore comes in handy for us as sional photographers as it is the staying in business. The biggest that has pulled many customers business and retained them is the y of our work. At just two years in ld, our work really stands out. The of our photos, our vibrant colors he experience that is shooting with eps our customer base growing ally, ranging from individuals to rate entities.
as their official photographer, companies including Resolution Insurance, ABNO Softwares Intl, Nimble Group Africa among others. We have also done assignments for UN Environment, County Government of Kitui, Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) among others. Revenue generated has enabled us to keep growing in terms of personnel, gear and skill.
What is unique about your business? Quality, efficiency, affordability. Affordable quality delivered in record time is our operational philosophy. Before I was a photographer, I was a client to other photographers. One of the challenges I encountered was very late delivery of photos. I equate photos to food on matters delivery. Photos should be delivered fresh and hot as soon as possible and that is what we do at Lines photography without compromising on At the moment, how do you measure/ quality or breaking our clients’ banks. define success? Away from the normal ways of What kind of culture exists in your measuring business success, I evaluate organization? How did you establish mine based on how much I impact those this culture and why did you institute I interact with through my photography. this particular type of culture? Every time I do a task that meets the At Lines photography, we tend to be client’s expectations in all aspects, that’s more of shooters than editors. Currently success to me. I treasure the satisfaction in the photography world, there is an that comes with a job well done that influx of professionals who rely on the remuneration that comes with it. software and post production to give Secondly, I am a personal trainer to a their clients the best quality of work number of photographers. I pass down possible. We do it different. Being a self- whatever little knowledge I have with taught photographer myself, the biggest them and the first bunch of trainees is lesson I have acquired is not to rely on shooting quality and getting gigs, that is software and post production to rectify more than success for me. aspects of a photo that I can get right in camera. This is the culture I abide by, pass to my team and the students I train. If you had the chance to start your Being capable manual shooters means business over again, what would you we take less time working on our photos do differently? after a shoot and this ensures our clients I would shoot less. By shooting less I mean, get their photos in the shortest time major on a few branches of photography possible. rather than shoot everything like I did at the beginning of my career. My first What’s most exciting about your portfolio had every kind of work I did in raction to date? ( In terms of the team, my first year as a photographer, which as number of users/subscribers, Revenue, you would guess, was a year of extensive funding, Partnerships, accolades experimentation to see what would work among others) for me. As a result, my first portolio left potential clients confused about what Over the two years we have been in my strengths are, and did not bring in the industry, we have made remarkable much work. Learning from that, I have growth. The biggest indicator of this lies narrowed my art down to portraiture, in our clientele base. We have acquired events and conceptual work, with a and retained a wide range of clients portfolio ranging from individuals to parastatals and global brands. Just to mention but a few, we have worked with Redbull Kenya BeAfrika Page| 41
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Discovered BERYL OWANO
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Tell us about yourself? I’m Beryl Owano, a musician from Nairobi Kenya. I've been singing all my life actually. Music is my passion and besides being a professional TV producer, I take it as a full time career too. I love anything to do with art and I love being an entertainer. What are the challenges of being a musician in Africa? In Africa we don't have many opportunities as such those in the Western world. We're still trying to fight our traditions and it's making us lug behind. Our industry is still trying to introduce many opportunities like talent shows to discover more talents, the record labels
are still trying to come up with strategies of pushing more artists. We're getting there since many African artists are already trying to break the large bridges from before. The Coke Studio sessions are one of the projects breaking the bridges and I know we're on the right path to taking over. Do you think the industry has evolved from when you started? Two years ago, I'd say the music industry was full of corruption and favoritism. I'd also say that we are giving a large space to music from the outside world. But right now I see a lot changes. Our Deejays, Presenters and promoters are now giving us the platforms and I really appreciate that. We have lots of talent in Kenya. Our people just need BeAfrika Page| 45
to trust us and give us a chance. Artists are really trying out here. Tell me about something you’ve created. Nabaki, my favorite among my songs. It’s an idea I got from being depressed outta love. The song talks about one choosing to stay in a relationship however toxic or however uncomfortable or hurting it is. Its a song I wrote from my personal experience. Hopetone Blaze is a producer based on Europe who’s worked with some of the big names like Richie Spice. He’d come to Kenya on vacation and requested me to go do some background vocals for his artists, and in the process I heard this beat he was playing and I really liked it. I asked whether I could work with it and he didn’t mind. Going home, the only thing that was in mind was the relationship I was in
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and so it was kind of God sent ‘coz the flow just came. I then recorded and also involved my producer Jacky B because he understands me more musically and there it was. How do you keep up with industry trends? That I fully leave it to my producer Jacky B. There are times I need to do different songs which I do, but later on we discuss and realize we have to keep up with the trend because I’m still trying to come up. Well, it’s not like we don’t trust our works but some things you can’t fight when you know you’re not strong enough or lack the tools to tackle them. So, I’m pleased to have him around, he really guides me. It can be challenging for a young Kenyan to balance local identity with international influence. How do you think we can best keep and promote the Kenyan brand?
Trends. They are like “peer pressure” and they actually do set the mood of fans or the audience. But our local audience only appreciates when an artist uniquely brings out that local part in his/her art. Something that presenters, DJ’s, writers should know is that, we’re African, unique in our own way and that will never change. They should actually help us sell the uniqueness we have to the outside world. They should give us more airplay—I mean we do have all types of songs they’ll need for their particular programs. But also we artists should know that it’s us to break or make us up! Establish a brand and make the record straight on what exactly you do, that way it’ll be easy to be recognized.
Which track best represents you? I’ll say among my tracks, Nabaki does represent who I really am musically and my thoughts. I’m a singer, writer and performer. In this song, I tried to bring up all those elements: tried to tell a story of my relationship, then had to make sure my vocals were on point and also had some dance moves too. That’s totally who I am. Generally RnB are my roots but when I heard Afro Pop, I fell in love with it too and I fuse the two so much. What’s next for you? I have so many projects ligned up, I have targets awaiting to be reached and I’m just hoping and praying that all goes well. I’ve got to be smart too with my releases since I don’t wanna end up disappointing my fans. I’m leaving everything to The Almighty.
Any advice for the youth? Youths should know that we are what we claim to be. We have so much potential and therefore should wait on no one to do things for us. Let’s be disciplined, start with what we have and go for it. For us ladies, we should stay focused.
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The Reel ANNRITA KIRIAMITI AGE 26 ACTRESS, WRITER, COMMERCIAL MODEL
How did you get into film? I always knew I wanted to be an actress from a very early age, but I didn’t get to act in my first film until 2013. It was a short film called The Lucky One, in remembrance of the Westgate mall attack.
what moves them, what is important to them, their perspective on life and how they would react to different situations. This always helps me with getting into my character and taking the character’s life and making it mine. It is one of my favourite things about acting.
What difference do you see in yourself from the film time you were on a set to now? Being on set and taking on a new character has a peculiar way of opening you up and teaching you things about yourself you didn’t know existed. I think that is always the difference for me. When I leave a set I find that I usually have discovered more to me and my nature.
What has been your greatest challenge? My biggest challenge has been constantly believing in my craft. Self-doubt is rampant among creatives, especially when you feel that the work you are putting in isn’t getting seen enough or isn’t good enough. I am learning to trust in my abilities even when there is no one around to affirm it. I have also learnt to keep creating, even when it doesn’t feel good enough, create. That is how we grow in our craft, by doing the thing that needs to get done.
What is your creative process? I am an emotional person and I believe that if I can feel it, I can express it. So my creative process heavily involves getting in touch with myself and my feelings. When I do that I am then able to write about what is on my mind, and what it is that I really want to convey to the world. This applies to both my writing and my acting. When I get a new character, I like to know Page|
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Do you feel like the Kenyan Entertainment Industry is one to sustain a career? A few years back I might have given a different answer, but in this day and age, I am wildly optimistic that it can be done. With the advent of social media, I feel that if you work smart, you can salvage a lot from your career
as a Kenyan entertainer. We are at a point where corporate brands, both local and international, are increasingly looking for artists and personal brands to work with. I think how you market and build your brand as an entertainer in Kenya determines how well you are able to monetize it and make a sustainable career for yourself. But just like any business, you will need a game plan. And that’s where a lot of artists miss out. What would make the Kenyan industry unique? How do we create our own brand and identity? Simple, by telling our own stories, in their true authentic form. This is especially a task for the writers and directors. Let us write films that celebrate our uniqueness as Kenyans, let us incorporate the diversity of our culture, our languages, our interactions with each other. They don’t all have to be rosy stories either. We face a lot of hardships as Kenyans too, let us put that in our art. Your story should at least have a reflection of our political climate; what are the strengths and struggles unique to our women, how does society treat our men, who are our legends, who are our gods, our myths? Let us show off our landscape more, Kenya is a beautiful country and there are so many stories we are yet to tell. What makes you unique? I would say being the daughter of a reformed bank robber and a former nun gives me quite a unique perspective on the world. My uniqueness is in how I perceive the world and its workings.
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Afro Lense Simon Chege THE GLOW
Photography Lines Photography KE Models Selphine Seline & Edwina Mosby MUA Uncle Kin MakeUp & MakeUp by Shiro
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Lifestyle
Social Media Influencers, how do they get so popular? Ever seen someone on social media, with a hundred thousand followers and wondered, how in the world did they get so popular? They’re certainly experts, and are good with their words, but there’s often nothing spectacular about them. They are just social media users who have established credibility in a specific industry, have access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach. Simple, right? Maybe, maybe not. So what did they do to achieve this level of popularity and authority? 1. Start Small. Everyone starts with zero followers and zero influence. It is important to remember that when you feel hesitant about trying Page|
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to gain more followers, or if you can’t see your current influencer targets as anyone other than celebrities. Nobody starts out popular; everyone starts out unpopular. 2. Create a foundation with a Steady Streams of Content. One of the most important keys to amassing a following is providing a steady stream of content—even more than providing perfect content or new content 100 percent of the time. Obviously, your content should all be
high-quality, and as new and original as possible. However, you need to publish consistently if you want people to stick around and come to view you as an authority on a given subject. 3. Engage in Individual Interactions. Individual interactions are valuable in almost any social media strategy. Why? Because people like to feel like they matter. Focus on answering individual questions, or replying to content created by individuals in your
core following. If they feel listened to, valued, and respected, they’ll probably become much more loyal to you and encourage their friends and followers to follow you as well. 4. It’s Not What You Know, it’s Who You Know. No matter how much of an authority you are, it won’t matter to the community if you don’t have the approval and acceptance of other highly-regarded experts. Before you can start making strides as a thought leader in a given industry, you need to work with or be acknowledged by other authorities on the subject. 5. Be a Crowd Pleaser, publishers love that! Getting notoriety in a given community means publishing content with some of the top names in that industry, but you can’t post just any content if you want to make a name for yourself. Instead, you need to publish top-tier content specifically tailored for the audience the publisher is targeting—even if it’s a little different from your usual targets. If you make your publishers happy, they’ll reward you by giving you more freedom and more exposure, which you need if you want to succeed. 6. The Key 20 Percent. About 20 percent of your followers will be responsible for 80 percent of your growth; these will be the evangelists spreading the word about your presence, sharing your content, and supporting you. Keep an eye out for these rare followers as they join you, and make sure they feel welcomed and appreciated. 7. Make Your Own Luck. In some ways, today’s social media influencers were lucky and that luck may have been artificially created. For example, being in the right place at the right time, but if you study your demographics and content trends, you can time your content
more accurately. Or some content going viral by hapchance, but if you consistently create high-quality work for long enough, eventually one of your pieces will get picked up, too. Timing and persistence are keys here. Once you understand these tips,
being a social media influencer might seem more achievable. The truth is that everyone has the potential to become an influencer. Just discover your niche, use your strengths, find opportunities and dedicate the time and resources necessary to become one. Reference: Forbes BeAfrika Page| 55
Tech OPPO and Dolby Laboratories Announce Global Strategic Intellectual Property Partnership Nairobi, Kenya, March 22, 2018 - OPPO, the leading smartphone brand among young people has formed a global strategic intellectual property partnership with Dolby Laboratories, a world-leading expert and developer of audio, imaging and voice technologies. This co-operation will see OPPO collaborate on Dolby’s High-Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding (HE AAC), JPEG-HDR and other audio and video technologies. High-Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding (HE AAC) is an international standard for audio encoding authorized for use by Dolby Laboratories to hundreds of companies around the world. JPEG-HDR is part of the static image encoding standard whilst also storing data in a highly dynamic range of more than 8 bits so users can sample the entire range during post-processing.
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"OPPO, a leader in global consumer electronics, is well-known for its smartphones incorporating innovative technologies, and we are delighted to welcome them to our community of global partners,” said Andy Sherman, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby is a leader in creating spectacular audio and video experiences, and we are excited to partner with them to further our innovation and global growth,” said Adler Feng, Director of OPPO IP Department. “This partnership will enable us to create more remarkable smartphones with exciting technological innovations and spectacular user experiences." This year marks the 10th anniversary of OPPO smartphones. At the beginning of 2018, OPPO officially entered the Japanese market and will soon enter the European market, providing more young people with products that combine advanced technology and design.
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Creative Cities Kigali, Rwanda
How well does Kigali prosper in Visual arts: Music, theatre and performing arts, film and documentary, traditional arts, urban culture, education, literature, cultural heritage and museums, urban plans and implementation, what are the favourite activities and how have they evolved with time? Rwanda is a country on the move. In recent years, the country has achieved remarkable development. In February 2015, the country adopted its “National Culture Heritage Policy”, which aims to “Operationalize the existing or develop new legal instruments and facilitate full exploitation of the economic potential in the creative arts”. In line with this policy, Rwanda has already undertaken cultural mapping, and it has finalized a “Five-year Strategic Plan for the development of Creative Industries 2017-2020”. This project in Rwanda aims at building capacities of CCI actors in Page|
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order to strengthen this industry as a strategic growth sector contributing to economic growth, job creation, revenue generation, and improving conditions of life. It does so by identifying capacity gaps of stakeholders, providing training and raising awareness of the general public about the contribution of CCI to sustainable development. The project builds on
the ongoing UNESCO activities on culture and communication in Rwanda. The aim is to contribute to the development of cultural industries in Rwanda, through identifying capacity gaps and developing and implementing capacity-building programmes for artists, cultural professionals
of geometric shapes in shades of black, white, and red. Another example is local Afrobeat artist Mani Martin collaborating with the traditional dance troop Inganzo Ngari. The Inema Gallery is the heart of Inema Art Center. It hosts a permanent show for ten artists in residence at a time to explore their creative talent, specializing in contemporary African arts, crafts, music, and dance, with new paintings hung every day. They also showcase artists from
around the world. Recent shows include American, Belgian, and Moroccan painting and sculpture. The Gallery is a dynamic space and frequently fills for poetry nights, workshops, or cultural evenings.
and representatives of concerned government ministries/public institutions in Rwanda. An admirable example of this is fashion designers like Linda Mukangoga of label Haute Baso: By collaborating with local artisans and empowering young women to preserve traditional craftsmanship, Mukangoga is breathing new life into cultural designs like imigongo, a spiral
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