CELEBS AT THE UUNET EAR WALK

UUNET's George Obare pose for a photo with the UUNET OED walk Ambassador Eric Wainaina
This year’s UUNET Ear Walk saw a coupla celebs walk the talk. Joining the initiative's ambassador Eric Wainaina was Gospel DJ Soxxy.
Anyho, the walk was to rais funds to ensure children from disadvantaged families get corrective ear surgeries which would otherwise be very expensive.
UUNET Kenya managing Director Mr. Tom Omariba said the money collected will cover operations for approximately 600 children.
DJ Soxy of Kubamba Krew during the walk

CHIZI TO LAUNCH SECOND ALBUM

Self proclaimed crown prince of benga will launch his sophomore album in July 30 at the prestigious Kenya National Museum grounds. Dan ‘Chizi’ Aceda has titled his album Benganology because, “I am convinced that Benga is the music of the gods! I think it’s the true music of Kenya. So I dedicated the entire album to creating a fusion that would reach all other genres that I am better versed in like reggae, RnB, jazz and hip hop. Still I am so happy now that it’s come out as a catch phrase and is running all over the cyberspace,” Chizi chimed.
The album features a collabo with Eric Wainaina dubbed Guns and Arrows which Chizi decribes as “extremely poignant”, then there's my collabo with Wyre, Doris Onyango and Sanaipei Tande.
The concert will be recorded and packaged as a live DVD. Entrance to the show is set at Sh 800, which includes a free souvenir copy of the album or Sh 500 for ticket only.

ERIC WAINAINA COLLABOS WITH TOP SOUTH AFRICAN, BOLLYHOOD ARTISTES

Afro fusion guru Eric Wainaina has just completed a collaboration with South African RnB artiste Loyiso Bala and Bollywood’s top artistes Salim and Sulaiman Merchant.
The three will share a platform at Orlando Stadium in South Africa where they are scheduled to perform their single, Africa You are the Star, at the Fifa World Cup opening concert, June 10.
However, Kenyan fans will be able to meet the trio on June 12 for the official launch of the song at the Carnivore.
It’s also official, the trio will performing their song before a select private audience at the Nelson Mandela Foundation on June 7.
The team is also scheduled to perform at Mandela’s 92nd birthday, where the money raised will be directed towards children who benefit from the foundation.

THE PATRICIA SHOW IS BACK

The second season of the Patricia Show started on April 1 and is broadcasts on both M-Net East and M-Net West three times per week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Anyho, the first season Africa's latest and most exciting pan continental TV talk show hosted by Patricia Amira welcomed a number of guests like Suzanna Owiyo, Eric Wainaina, British pop star Jamelia, Ugandan Saxophonist Isaiah Katumwa among others.

This time round, I hear they have gone full Monty and have pulled all the stoppes to get unique quests on the show.

CHIZI'S ALBUM TO BE MASTERED BY JOHN LEGEND'S PRODUCER

Self proclaimed crown prince of Benga Dan 'Chizi' Aceda is toying with the idea of mastering his upcoming album abroad.
Chizi has been in communication with Dave Kush, a man famous for working with John Legend, Alicia Keys, Outkast and Al Green amongst many others. Dave is the Engineer at The Mastering Palace.
Chizi meet him when he was in New York, on tour with Mo Faya the political musical that starred Eric Wainaina and Valerie Kimani.
“I spent a lot of time roaming around trying to understand how the industry there works. I managed to make some really good contacts. I managed to get a demo to Dave Kush and after he reviewed it he sent me an email saying he would be open to mastering my upcoming album,” Chizi said.
However, The Blackberry singer is considering another studio, Hilton Grove Mastering, a UK based studio run by engineer Dave Blackman. “I have not made the decision yet on who will work on the album because I haven’t yet finished recording but I am certain that this record will be mastered by the best that I can find,” Chizi said, “It goes without saying that either of these options is very expensive but I am keen on making the investments so that I can get a good quality product out for my fans who have been waiting a very very long time for this record to come out.”

THE ERIC AND VALERIE SAGA

The very successful run of Mo Faya musical ended on a high but that cannot be said of the marriage between show’s author and creative director Eric Wainania and his wife Sheba Hirst.
Eric and Sheba who have for the long time presented the face of a happily married couple are reported to have gone their separate ways. And now their families are attempting to resolve the differences between the couple in the hopes that they will re-unite. Sheba is said to have moved out of their matrimonial home near State House to live with her parents on Thika Road.
Simon Wainaina, Eric’s only sibling, best man and manager said, “There has been serious family interventions on both sides to try and salvage this union and also safeguard the interest of the children already born.” Eric and Sheba have two daughters — a four year old and the last one who was born just two months ago.
It seems that the successful rehearsals of the musical as well as its very successful run as an off-Broadway production in New York gave rise to reports that the show’s leading actors Eric and Valerie Kimani became romantically linked. Sheba was the executive producer of Mo Faya, a venture that was sponsored by Safaricom to the tune of Sh11.6 million.
This week, Valerie confirmed she is two months pregnant and said she was “looking forward to being a happy mum. I’m not hiding that I’m pregnant. I’m in my first trimester.”
As for her baby’s daddy, Valerie said “I’m not interested in discussing my bedroom issues in public.”
She has no plans to slow down yet as her baby bump is yet to show. “The pregnancy fits in perfectly with my plan to hit the studio to record my second album to be released by Gallo Records.”
The singer who has yet to gain acceptance in the popular music scene since she won the Tusker Project Fame prize three years ago had the parting shot: “I don’t mind that people will be looking at me funny. They have been ever since l won the TPF.”
So there you have it.

THE REAL DEAL ON THE ERIC-SHEBA-VALERIE LOVE TRIANGLE

The very successful run of Mo Faya musical ended on a high but that cannot be said of the marriage between show’s author and creative director Eric Wainania and his wife Sheba Hirst.
Eric and Sheba who have for the long time presented the face of a happily married couple are reported to have gone their separate ways. And now their families are attempting to resolve the differences between the couple in the hopes that they will re-unite. Sheba is said to have moved out of their matrimonial home near State House to live with her parents on Thika Road.
Simon Wainaina, Eric’s only sibling, best man and manager said, “There has been serious family interventions on both sides to try and salvage this union and also safeguard the interest of the children already born.” Eric and Sheba have two daughters — a four year old and the last one who was born just two months ago.
It seems that the successful rehearsals of the musical as well as its very successful run as an off-Broadway production in New York gave rise to reports that the show’s leading actors Eric and Valerie Kimani became romantically linked. Sheba was the executive producer of Mo Faya, a venture that was sponsored by Safaricom to the tune of Sh11.6 million.
This week, Valerie confirmed she is two months pregnant and said she was “looking forward to being a happy mum. I’m not hiding that I’m pregnant. I’m in my first trimester.”
As for her baby’s daddy, Valerie said “I’m not interested in discussing my bedroom issues in public.”
She has no plans to slow down yet as her baby bump is yet to show. “The pregnancy fits in perfectly with my plan to hit the studio to record my second album to be released by Gallo Records.”
The singer who has yet to gain acceptance in the popular music scene since she won the Tusker Project Fame prize three years ago had the parting shot: “I don’t mind that people will be looking at me funny. They have been ever since l won the TPF.”
So there you have it.

ERIC BACK FROM NEW YORK READY FOR KENYAN SCREENING

After a successful tour in New York where his production of his own musical stage play Mofaya the Musical was performed, Eric Wainaina has described the tour as “A rollercoaster ride, non-stop adrenaline high.”
Eric and the Mofaya crew will stage the play for Kenyan audiences at the Go Down Art Centre starting November 11 to December 6.


Mo Faya
((((())))) Eric Stages Play in New York

Lwanda The Musical

ERIC WAINAINA TO STAGE PLAY IN NEW YORK

Singer Eric Wainaina is set to stage a play he wrote at the New York Musical Theatre Festival on September 29. The play produced by his wife, Sheba Hirst who is seven months pregnant is titled Mo Faya The Musical.
It is about DJ Lwanda a respected personality in Nairobi community of a slum called Kwa Maji. But Anna Mali, a greedy real estate diva, craves the land beneath their slum. She seduces the fiery young DJ away with a job at a top nationwide station, and organizes a violent campaign to terrorize the people of Kwa Maji. When the government and media turn a blind eye to the decapitated bodies in the streets, DJ Lwanda must return home to expose the truth.
The play will be staged seven times and runs until October 11. Former TPF teacher Helen Akoth Mtawali will also be providing additional music together with Joshua Mwai and Morris Otis Omollo.
The New York Musical Theatre Festival supports and promotes new musical theatre artists, producers, and projects. Since its inception in 2004, the NYMTheatre Festival has proven a remarkably effective launching pad, with over 40 shows transferring to successful productions on Broadway, off-Broadway, regionally, on tour, and around the world.
The production is sponsored by Safaricom to the tune of Ksh12 million.

ERIC WAINAINA: NO LOVE AND PROTEST

Fans will all have to wait forever till Eric et al get their game right a little bit longer before they can get their hands on Eric Wainaina’s latest album Love and Protest. The launch of the album that was scheduled to take place last weekend (September 12) has been cancelled. According to Eric’s Facebook status update late on Tuesday 8: “It’s with great regret that I announce the cancellation of the Love and Protest launch that was scheduled for this month. This is due to circumstances that were beyond our control. We deeply regret any and all inconveniences caused.”


More goss on Eric
:: ERIC WAINAINA POSTPONES ALBUM LAUNCH
:: Talented musicians get chance to attend Berklee