Sauti Sol Release Collabo With Uganda's Bebe Cool

East Africa’s music giants Sauti Sol (Kenya) and Bebe Cool (Uganda) have released a new collabo. The new song is titled Mbozi Za Malwa, Luganda for conversations that usually take place when friends are having a drink at their local joint. 

Sauti Sol

Written by Yesse Oman Rafiki and Sauti Sol, the song has a dancehall vibe and was recorded in Kampala, Uganda. It was produced by Danz, co- arranged by Sauti Sol and mixed and mastered by Ogopa Inc.

"In many African communities, if you want to know the latest gossip, visit a local bar or high end bar with friends for a drink and all talk will rotate around what is making news in the community," explains Bebe Cool.

Sauti Sol added, "We had an amazing time working with Bebe Cool. Our East African fans have been requesting for this and we hope they will love it as we do."

The two parties have also announced an online dance contest between Kenyan girls and their Ugandan counterparts, in the run-up to the music video which has been scheduled to be released on April 24th this year. Using the hashtag #MboziZaMalwa, the winner/s from each country will get to go head-to-head with each other. 

Bebe Cool

The ultimate winner/s will be announced by Bebe Cool on April 26th and will get the bragging rights of "The Best Dancer/s in East Africa", a chance to hang out with an artiste of their choice between Sauti Sol and Bebe Cool and take home $500 (Ksh50,000). The contest will run from April 17th - April 26th.  

The rules are simple;

Just go to SoundCloud and search for Mbozi za Malwa. Create your own dance video or with friends. Record and upload on Instagram using #MbozizaMalwa. Sauti Sol will repost videos from Kenya while Bebe Cool repost videos from Uganda. Sauti Sol will pick the Kenyan winner/s and Bebe Cool to pick Ugandan winners. One final battle between Kenyan reps and Ugandan reps and the winner takes all!!

ZIFF And Trace Mziki Announce Partnership

The Zanzibar International Film Festival,  in    partnership    with    TRACE    Mziki,    is    proud    to    announce    the    East    African    Music    Video    Award,    a    new    category    that    will    honor    the    directors    and    producers    who    make    East    African    artists    look    so    good.      

The    award    for    best    video    will    not    only    celebrate    East    African    artists    with    the    vision    to    create    quality    music    videos,    but    also    the    behind-the-scenes    teams    that    make    these    videos    possible.    For    a    number    of    years,    ZIFF    has    recognized    that    music    videos    are,    in    fact,    short    films    and    should    be    treated    as    such    within    the    confines    of    the    film    festival.       

   

ZIFF    Festival    Director    Fabrizio    Colombo    explains    further,    “this    award    is    a    way    to    promote    storytelling    development    in    music    videos    and    encourage    the    skills    of    producers    and    directors    who    might    start    out    with    music    videos    and    then    find    their    way    towards    feature    length    films.    Recent    film    like    Oscar    winning    “La    La    Land”    shows    how    much    music    and    dance    are    part    of    the    history    of    cinema.”   

   

TRACE    Mziki,    East    Africa’s    biggest    and    most    popular    music    video    channel,    is    also    committed    to    growing    the    East    African    music    industry    and    encouraging    the    production    of    high    quality    videos.   

   

TRACE    CEO    for    Eastern    Africa,    Steve    Agutu    explains    further: "The    partnership    with    ZIFF    to    start    this    category,    coinciding    with    the    festival’s    20th    anniversary,    was    a    no    brainer.    The    category    will    further    cement    our    long-standing    goal    to    not    only    improve    the    quality    of    music videos,    but    also    to    recognize    the  people    who    work    to    make    this    possible.    The    creation    of    this    category    is    indeed    as    timely    as    it    is    important,    and    as    TRACE    we    will    inject    the    high    standards    in    music    video    selection    that    has    propelled    TRACE    MZIKI    to    its    number    one    status.”    

   

A    panel    of    judges    from    the    TRACE    Mziki    selection    committee    will    select    the    final    nominees    from    all    videos    submitted    and    these    videos    will    be    screened    throughout    the    festival    ahead    of    the    main    evening’s    show    in    the    Old    Fort    Ampitheatre.    A    final    winner    will    be    announced    on    the    closing    night    of    the    Festival.   

   

All    East    African    artists,    as    well    as    video    producers    and    directors    are    encouraged    to    submit    their    videos    via    the    submission    form    on    www.ziff.or.tz    in    the    section    east    African    Video    Music    Competition    and    then    send    the    form    and    your    video    link    to    videos@ziff.or.tz   

   

The    deadline    for    submission    is    30th    May    2017   

   

Please    note:    Videos    must    be    for    an    East    African    artist    and    must    have    been    created    in    2016    or    after.  

STL's Single “WORK” Ranked On Italy's Top 100 Radio Charts

Kenyan-Norwegian artiste Stella Mwangi aka STL is once again breaking new ground, this time in Italy! The fifth single off her super successful self-titled EP, Work, is currently ranked at number 18 on the Italian Top 100 Radio charts. 

STL

Since its premier in Italy in March, the single has been creating a buzz and is on high rotation. The track is still buzzing and as become the Number 1 Dance track from Independent Italy at the moment. 

Earlier in the year, Work was also picked to create promotional material for the TommyLand Concert organized by world-renowned fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and American supermodel Gigi Hadid in Los Angeles. Additionally, it is also the official theme song for Reebok Classics “Free Your Style” campaign, 2017.

Stella Mwangi’s self-titled EP has landed several Hollywood gigs making her one of the most successful East African artistes in the music business of licensing in Hollywood. Her unique and authentic sound continues to spark interest from Kenya to Hollywood to Europe.

STL's other works

Stella Mwangi’s EP is a fusion of songs with high energy and her distinct Hip Hop flow that unites her fans across the globe. The EP’s first single, Big Girl, was leased to Donut Media, an American production that specializes in producing TV and YouTube content on the freshest car, motorsports, supercars, auto news and car and prank videos every week.

STL

Set It Off was featured on Being Mary Jane season 4, with Get Up & Go being taken up as a soundtrack for Rosewood Season 2. Stella is also the founder of Vaa Ki Afrika, a sprouting Scandinavian fashion web store selling Kenyan fashion abroad.