What 60pc local content means for Kenyan music

Members of Elani Bryan Chweya (left) Maureen Kunga and Wambui Ngugi during the Nokia exclusive party at tree house on April 4, 2014. PHOTO| CHARLES KAMAU 

In Summary

• The Music Policy Bill is a very positive thing to Kenyan arts, if followed to the letter.
• The industry stakeholders are our Moses on Mt Sinai while the policy is like the commandments.
• Sticking with the analogy, the music consumers are like the Israelites, who got accustomed to Nigerian music and decided they would worship the Caros and Johnnys.

By GEORGE OMONDI
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There have been stories doing the rounds on social media about a Kenya Music Policy draft Bill stipulating that  radio stations  “play 60  per cent  local music”. It led to a heated debate among Kenyans, with some saying that if the 60 per cent rule becomes law, it would be tantamount to forcing people to listen to Kenyan music.

This sounded ridiculous, coming from Kenyan music fans who scream “Support Kenyan music!” from time to time.

The group opposed to being “forced to listen to bad Kenyan music” probably hasn’t even  read the music policy as much as some were raising valid concerns.  Some were concerned about lack of “enough” local music.

Their concern was how urban radio would survive on 60 per cent local music when it’s less than 60 per cent, not knowing the vernacular radio stations have been surviving on local music for years.

The Music Policy Bill is a very positive thing to Kenyan arts, if followed to the letter.

The industry stakeholders are our Moses on Mt Sinai while the policy is like the commandments.

Sticking with the analogy, the music consumers are like the Israelites, who got accustomed to Nigerian music and decided they would worship the Caros and Johnnys. It is undeniable that the quality of mainstream Kenyan music is below average, with one simple song after the other, and one poorly conceptualised and executed music video after the other.

Kenyan music is stuck in a one-hit single phase. It is as if their strategy is to make a one-week anthem for a dumbed-down audience and move on to the next.

GROWTH POTENTIAL

The Kenyan music space has the potential to grow and to hold its own against the rest of  Africa.  But the 60 per cent Kenyan content proposal might turn out two ways; it might be the best thing  ever to happen to local music, but it could also end up being the worst thing ever to affect local music.

One issue that is rarely mentioned is that the Kenyan entertainment scene operates along the lines of cartels, where close -knit groups “eat” together. It is the same circle of DJs, TV presenters and radio host friends who have been benefiting from the small cake that is the music industry.

This brings us back to the point about people being concerned that the consumer will be forced to consume “bad” Kenyan music because many rely on radios as their only source of music. Apart from their folksongs, they don’t know Kenyan music beyond what’s hot on the radio as at that time.

And this is how the 60 per cent local content rule might do more damage to the local music industry than there already is, because that means the same musicians who get played on radio get even more airtime.

It means the same cartels or circle of friends get more airplay, which will lead to them earning more royalties while less known, struggling musician receive little or no airplay.

The 60 per cent local content means the musician has to work harder, it means radio presenters and producers need to start having a clue, doing a little research here and there on Kenyan music.

Sixty per cent means there is enough sensible music to balance out the nonsense some recording studios have been fronting as music.

The rule means the next H_art the Band and Elani will have an easier time coming up; it means there is space and an environment for competition, which we lack.

The 60 per cent local music rule means we will have a wider variety of Kenyan music