Kenyan Artists for African Music Awards (AMA)

After a 3month Successful tour in Europe SautiSol got back home last month and are now celebrating yet another success.

Sauti Sol (Kenya) has been nominated for: Best African Newcomer at the upcoming African Music Awards (AMA) that will be held Friday October 15th 2010 at the Wembley Arena, London.

Sauti Sol with their unique fusion of African and urban sounds have captured the spirit of many in the African continent and have deserved their spot amongst their fellow nominees in the category of Best African Newcomer, namely: Adiouza (Senegal) , Vocal Slender (Nigeria), Sarkodie (Ghana) and R2Bs (Ghana).

Let’s wish them the best and vote. Kudo's Bien Aime, Polycarp Otieno Willis Chimano and Delvin Mudigi.


Other Kenyan Artists in the Award are Nameless under the EastAfrican Artist category against Tanzanian's Marlaw and Alikiba, Uganda's Radio and weasle&Wesley and Juliana Kanyamozi,and also under African Song of the year, with his song SUNSHINE, another artist nominated is Amani who is under the Best African Female act alongside Adibuza of Senegal, Angelina Kidjo of Benin Barbara Kanam from Congo and Becca from Ghana.

Congratulatory messages are in order to Nameless and Amani

**Ally Rehmtullah- Tanzanian Designer**

Within the past three years, a new face has emerged! Ally Rehmtullah, a man who is significantly changing the direction and style of the Tanzanian fashion industry. Fashion, once a myth in the Tanzanian market, is now a prominent aspect of our daily lives – and Ally has played a role in this change.

Ally Rehmtullah personifies what fashion is about. His style for he embodies the life and becomes the creation that yields the fashion statements. If you have never met him before, Ally is a walking mannequin; it's no wonder why he has managed to dress the Dar-es-Salaam's finest icons.

In 2002, Ally moved to the states to study graphic design. Little did he know, he was always meant to be a fashion designer. Ally said, “I used to love watching the fashion students do their pieces. I watched them get their degree and at that point I realized, I wanted to do what they were doing.” Ally immediately enrolled in the Baum School of Art at Lehigh College in Pennsylvania, from where he graduated.

**ERIC WAINAINA** ' THE LEGEND'

Okey maybe he should have been the first man that hit my website,beacuse he domineered but hey! Now he is here lets do it.

'Daima mimi mkenya mwanainchi mzalendo’ must be a jam that relates wel to all of us especially with the memories of the ‘post election violence’ that rocked our country late 2007 and it reminds us every time what our forefathers went through for freedom and peace.

Having scooped the Received the Head of State Commendation for his responsibility to social justice (December 2006) Eric wainaina was born in Nairobi, Kenya, to George Gitau Wainaina and Margaret Wangari Wainaina. He has one brother, Simon Wainaina. His love for music started at a young age,although he grew up saying he will be a doctor. He got a piano at age 4, originally intended for his brother Simon who instead took keen interest in football. Wainaina thus grudgingly took piano lessons. He actively participated in the choir throughout elementary and high school at St. Mary's School, Nairobi, save for a short stint in basketball. Whilst growing up, Wainaina was influenced musically by international artists such as Papa Wemba, Youssou N'Dour, Lokua Kanza and Paul Simon.

SAUTI SOL & JUST A BAND WIN THE MUSEKE ONLINE AFRICA MUSIC AWARDS (MOAMAS)

Oooppss they did it again,barely two months after Sauti Sol won the CHAT Awards as the best group of the year, the four young men did it again, Sauti sol was crowned the Best Group as they tie with P-Square of Nigeria in the Museke Online Africa Music Awards (MOAMAs), this has been a great year for the young talents as they have already left four a tour in Europe.

In the winning list was still another Penya Signed, Just a Band popularly known as 'JAB' they won the Record of the year, Usinibore. The Three young men who brought the Makmende revoulution are sure a group to keep your eye on at siteiya.com as we will do a full feature on them.

Kenyan music is surely taking a good course and we are grateful for the bands lifting the East African Flag high.

All the manager Wesh could say was IMEKUBALIWA a swahili word for 'its been accepted'.

**Sauti Sol - The Face of Converse!**

Sauti sol, started with love for music and the love has been spread through their music and we have appreciated and noticed. Luckily we were not the only ones noticing.

Penya Africa is proud to announce the endorsement deal between Sauti Sol and the international brand Converse, which in Africa is distributed by Factory 55.

Factory 55s core objective is to increase brand image, building customer awareness and a clearly defined position in the minds of the target audience.

Factory 55 is driving its attention to endorsing young creativity by sponsoring the youth market in Kenya and in doing so, recognizes and therefore endorses Sauti Sol as the CONVERSE ALLSTAR brand ambassadors -“All STAR ARTISTS”, as a group that will communicate the Converse brand messages because they believe that the ALL STAR brand needs to be affiliated with an already recognized and award winning group (Sauti Sol) for their sense of style and fashion and primarily also because it believes that they are STARS in the essence of the meaning.

BENJAMIN WEBI 'THE DIFFERENCE'

‘Outside my window’ is his hit song that premiered Webi in the industry and a new look and feel to the Kenyan music was experienced and is still being experienced to date.

Benjamin Webi, the eldest in a family of three siblings holds academic qualifications in Sales and Marketing, he finds joy in traveling, swimming, watching movies, listening to and discovering new music, and is the 'difference' in GOSPEL Music

Dan 'Chizi' Aceda‘the crown prince of benga.’

I call him crazy okey we all do... but for real thats his name ‘Chizi’. They call him crazy because he really is but i think music made him krazy,YES music made him crazy, well maybe it did i will leave that out for you.

The 'crown prince of benga' is fast becoming the flavor of Kenyan fusion and jazz music with a reputaion that is growing by leaps and bounds. This multi-talented 25 year old released his first album titled Suluwe back in 2005 while at Nairobi based Kijiji Records.

An album that featured collaborated work with Kenya’s top musicians including Eric Wainaina, Kevin Wyre, Neema, Kanjii,Mbugua and Aaron Rimbui.

Suzanna Owiyo 'African Tracy Chapman'

Kisumu 100 is a song that made us forget our ethic differences for a while and everyone was humming the beat and not understanding almost all she was saying but sure thing the African Tracy Chapman Suzanna Owiyo has against all odd proved the intensity and depth of her culture in her music.

DELA THE DEFINED DIVA

‘Kama ningekuwa jua, mpenzi, wewe mwangaza wangu, kama nigekuwa sauti, mpenzi, wewe kipaza changu, kama ningekuwa wimbo mtamu, wewe maandishi wewe kalamu’

Trans’

‘If I was the sun, my love, you could my sunshine, if I was your voice, my love, you my speakers, if I was a sweet song, you would be the wordings and the pen’

Lyrics from her song Kama in the album Paukwa

Love for music in Dela Maranga’s life her stage name ‘Dela’ started at the tender age of only 7, and she was already singing in church, this continued to primary and high school and was an active member of the choir. She always wanted to be a recording artist so, after high school she formed a group and tried to work with other producers but it didn’t quite work out.

SAUTI SOL 'THE NEW BEAT OF EAST AFRICA'

Kenyans music passion has adopted a new turn making them to opt to listen to their own genres which to them has a local approach towards their culture and way of life. One group that has quickly emerged from the background to become recognized internationally is Sauti Soul, which means "sound of soul".

'THE VILLAGERS BAND'

No one can deny that Kenyan music has taken shape in the past few years, it has given birth to stars like Eric Wainaina, Suzanne Owiyo, Valerie Kimani, Wahu, Nameless, Wyre, Abbi, among others. Artists from all corners have hit the scene with songs that take East Africa by storm. The reception has been amazing people has settled for local music and you can hear it being played everywhere from the comfort of your house to the ‘matatus’, offices.