After two years of collecting ‘some’ of East and Southern Africa’s finest artists, Jazz guitarist/composer and arranger Eddie Grey presents the album Stories by the Lake.
This Recording features, Winyo, June Gachui, Oith Ratego, Dela, Nali Rabeson, Jameri Sax, Benga pioneer Ochieng’ Nelly among others.

Join us this ensemble for an interactive and intimate encounter with the band performing ‘up-close’, talking through the recording experience and enjoying the environment.

Limited edition (advance) copies of the album stories by the lake will be available this night.

Party starts from 5pm till dawn.
Tickets available at the gate: Kshs 500 only
BOGOF from 5pm to 7pm on local beers

On the occasion of the first residential workshop of ESoDoc International in Africa which will be held in Nairobi from 28th January to 4th February 2012, there will screenings and presentations of outstanding films and projects from Europe, Africa and Asia.

ESoDoc International is a training initiative for documentary filmmakers who work on films with a social impact and who apply innovative techniques and methods of storytelling and distribution.

Participatory Video is one these, a way of telling stories from within, a social tool where ethics meet aesthetics. On Sunday 29th and Tuesday 31st January a selection of award-winning projects realized with this method will be shown.

On Friday 3rd February, new documentary, cross-media or participatory video projects developed at ESoDoc International will be publicly “pitched”.

ESoDoc International is promoted by ZeLIG school for documentary (Italy), in partnership with Formedia (India) and Amref (Italy), with the financial support of the new EU Fund Media Mundus (international.esodoc.org).

The Literature Forum brings together upcoming women writers and literary critics to share and discuss stories, poems and current literary trends with the aim of enhancing their creativity. The forum provides a space to listen to the voices of established and budding female writers – voices of women with a passion for literary adventure.

The first product of the Literature Forum is out and available in bookstores in Nairobi: Fresh Paint – Literary Vignettes by Kenyan Women. The volume comprises a selection of poems and short stories presented at the Forum over the last 3 years.

AMKA and the Goethe-Institut organise the monthly readings in the library of the Goethe-Institut every last Saturday of the month.

Participation in the forum is open to both men and women and interested participants may send their poems and short stories to amkaspace@yahoo.com

Date: January 28, 2012
Venue: Goethe-Institut
Time: 6pm
Entry: Free

Michel Ongaro is one of the best known singers and songwriters in Kenya. Ever since he was a young child he had a strong interest in music. Influenced by African rhythms, Jazz as well as Latin and classical music, he gradually became a multi-instrumentalist and started to compose his own music pieces. He produced his first album in collaboration with the German band The Embassadors.

Since then Michel Ongaro never stopped engaging himself in music. GI are proud to announce that the release concert for his new album will be held at the Goethe-Institut Nairobi. The album’s title is Mazoea, which in English means “habit”.
The music is largely acoustic, a fusion of Kenyan rhythms such as chakacha and bengaamong others, creating a unique sound, which you are going to experience at the concert.

We are working with a music archive/ museum in Rio de Janeiro. We are looking for as many vinyl albums of African and Arabic music as we can find from any country on the African continent. Our goal is to attain up to 10,000 vinyl albums over a year or two.

We will buy record collections from collectors or music fans in Kenya and will pay a fee to the person we hire for each album they buy for us. We will also pay to ship the albums back to the museum. The albums must be in good condition – both covers and playing surface.

We will be in Nairobi February 5 – February 7 if you happen to have a readily available collection and would be interested in meeting.

Looking for immediate work- please contact via email as soon as possible if interested! email: Kelley@rockamedia.com

The Brazil World Music Museum website

Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (http://kehpca.org ) and Kenya Cancer Association are holding a special film screening at Braeburn School on Saturday 4 February 2012, 2.30pm.

The event will be a charity awareness film event for World Cancer day, which is an initiative that takes place in countries across the world every year. The film to be screened, Life Before Death, is a multi-award winning documentary about terminally ill patients, their families and the extraordinary health care professionals fighting to change the culture of medicine to be more focused on care, rather than exclusively on cure. It is an intimate hopeful and life-affirming collection of stories about living well and dying better. The film travels to 11 countries, and through the eyes of patients and their families we discover the inherent humanity that empowers the best of us to care for those beyond cure.

The Kenya World Cancer Day theme song ‘I Fight For You’ featuring Abbi Nyinza, Ilaria Della Bidia and Charlie Lustman will be launched during the event.

The event is free to attend.

The GoDown is also preparing for its first of several convenings on the theme NAIROBI- an exploration of its origins, highlighting how culture and the arts have, and continue to contribute to the formation and life of the city. A group of 20 participants will kick start this conversation on Monday 30th January 2012.

Screen on the Green’s first free public screening called “Pamoja Kwa Amani” focuses on the post election violence experienced after Kenya’s last election in 2007, but is forward-looking to the upcoming elections, addressing what Kenyans’ aspirations are for the future. In addition local Kenyan film talent will be showcased to convey the message.

Three Kenyan movies – two short films, one feature length:
Why Now – GingerInk (short film)
Wale Watu – Cajetan Boy (short film)
Togetherness Supreme – Hot Sun Films (feature length)
All movies are General Exhibition (GE)

MBUSI from Ghetto Radio event MC extraordinaire.

Bring something to sit on and to munch on.This event will be held at the Sunday 29th January 2012 at Central Park (in front of Serena Hotel) from 11am. It is a daytime event using a large digital screen

For more information: http://www.screenonthegreen.co.ke

Patrick Kinuthia’s ‘Colour Journeys’ exhibition opening this saturday 28th with a cocktail at 3pm.

After the successful launch of the Shela Hat Contest 2010 we would like to welcome to our next artistic competition, to be held on 11. February 2012. The partisipants are supposed to design funny hats from used materials picked up
from anywhere such as paper from cement bags, pipes, bones, shells, plastic, wires, palmleaves, fabrics, coral etc.

Minimum age for all contestants should be 18 years
Deadline for registration is 31. January 2012.
Registration offices: The Base, Seasouk Shela near Shela jetty
Contact: Mafreeza 0721731375, Salim Mirza 0722669017
Hotel Jannatan Contact: Nasir Faraj 0711972590

After preselection a limited number of 120 hats will partizipate the final competition. The judges will estimate the artistic talents and artisan quality of the partizipants shown in their hats. To complete the day there will be extra
activities like swimming for kids and tag of war.

The Beathogs Live (Funk Soul)

When: Saturday 28 Jan. 8:00pm until 11:00pm

Where: Kengeles Lavington Green, Nairobi

The topic of discussion will be Media and political Violence

Panelists:
Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o : Minister for Medical Services; Secretary-General, ODM
Macharia Gaitho: Managing Editor (Special projects) The Daily Nation
Rosemary Okello-Orlale: Executive Director, African Woman and Child Feature Service (AWC)
Karambu L. Ringera (PhD): Founder and President, International Peace Initiatives (IPI)

Moderator: Kwamchetsi Makokha – Media Consultant

The format of the roundtable will include brief presentations by the panelists and an open public discussion session.

Music by: Sarabi, Sage, JayDabliu and Wairimu Ng’aru
Poetry by: Jemedari [Jemedari Flows], Wacera [ Girl in the City Bus], Kavossa Asavva [The River of Words Flows]and Wanjeri Gakuru [Live.Love. Laugh.]
Gallery : Best of 2011
Film*: Dawa by Mark Kaigwa and Wageuzi: Battle 2012 by Andrew Kaggia

*This is a new addition to Kinanda plus the two film makers will be on location. You are encouraged to come and chat them up about their work and inspiration behind their works.

As is the case there will be great artsy vendors, good company, crazy cheer and great food/drinks.

For more info and updates: Follow them on Twitter: @kinandaArtsfest, Facebook: Nairobi Kinanda Arts Festival
and Google+: Kinanda Festival
Website: www.kinandafestival.com

The Saatchi Gallery, London and Google are looking to offer students a chance to showcase their work on the worldwide stage.

Contest winners will have their photos viewed online and also win great prizes: 100 people shortlisted will get a Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone; 10 finalists will see their work exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery, London; one winner will go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to an amazing destination with a professional photography coach.

Submission is open till 31 January 2012. There are 10 different and inspiring categories to choose from. The submission process, rules and all details can be found on the official site.

Are you a  Creative,ArtyCulturalist, Techie or Innovator? The First Creativez Meetup 2012 kicks off at the iHub, 4th floor at Bishop Magua Centre on Sunday January 29th from 2.00-5.30pm.

The speakers – Ceo of Brand Kenya Mary Kimonye and Ceo of Brainwave Communications (a leading visual arts company) Rio Alves will be sharing their various experiences and tips on “The Business of Creativity”

If you want to find out how to position yourself as a Kenyan Brand? What sort of support if possible we can can expect from Brand Kenya? At what stage should we review businesses and figure out whats working and change models? Global avenues for positioning yourselves not just as visual artists but as a creative entity etc, Intellectual property rights etc- you DONT want to miss this!

For More information or to RSVP for this Free event email TheCreativez@gbs.co.ke or tweet @TheCreativez

Nadia Kisseleva moved to Kenya in 1980. She organized a number of solo exhibitions and was an active participant in numerous group shows. She also opened an art school ‘Nairobi School of Fine Art School and was one of organisers of ‘Artforce’ group of artists, which held several exhibitions at FFC and British Council.

After 16 years Nadia moved to the UK with her family and continued to exhibit and develop her practise. In 2006 she successfully graduated from Wimbledon College of Art (University of Art, London) and continued to study as writer and teacher.
She was a member of prestigious Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) and an active participant in The Birmingham Art Circle. In the year 2003 one of her works ‘Lost Ship’ received RBSA price for the most outstanding and innovative painting of the year.

Nadia will talk about different influences on her work, which will include three main periods in her life:
1. Influence of Russian academic school and significance of drawing in her work.
2. The change in the colour pallet and creation of dramatic contrasts in her paintings under the direct influence of Kenyan environment.
3. Development of artistic consciousness and focus on project based work as an outcome of her studies in the UK.

Designer pieces and artistic photography will be available at discounted prices
GATE ENTRY: KSH250 (Advance available for ksh200 until 27January contact: 0711205520)

Note: Call 0727702713/0720172293 or 0736709145 to for RSVP, LIMITED SPACE FOR 200 GUESTS

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/298984753480517/

A dollar a day is a wonderful 18 track album produced by Kenya’s South African based Akili Blaq. The project was overseen by Kenyan artist/activist Muki Garang, founder or founder of Maisha yetu (Arts and culture ngo). The music in the album is prominent with a mixture of cultures from East,west  and South Africa, with innovations in contemporary Hip-hop, a fusion of Setswana and Swahili.  The content in the musical compilation is not isolated to the youth but also accommodates the wider African society. It covers topics such as; Civil strife, The Malema effect,Love, HIV and Aids, Xenophobia, land reform policy and ethnicity.

This project involves renown artists from across the continent: Mpho ya Badimo(Motswedini fm,Mafikeng), Lerato Mosimane (formerly of BOP Tv), Apu, TLS, Relevant source(SA), Angell Nthoi (Botswana),Bra Sam Bass (Zimbabwe) Ngozi Chukura (Botswana),Omodada (Nigeria) and Kenya’s Akili Blaq who doubles as a rap artist.

Lastly the album contains interviews with policy makers and stakeholders from the post apartheid region mainly Sylvia Liabile (Chair person of South African Business committee on Hiv and AIDs).

The album was produced during the month of December 2011 at Dextraw studios in Mahikeng,Northwest province, South Africa

Download the complete album and find out more about the project on Maisha Yetu’s website: http://maishayetu.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/a-dollar-a-day/

This Weeks Theme: A New Approach to Solving some of the World’s Problems

Talks Featured:

Noreena Hertz: How to use experts — and when not to
R.A. Mashelkar: Breakthrough designs for ultra-low-cost products

Hosted by: Andrew Mutua

For more information email: Farida_sher@yahoo.co.uk; irfan@whiterose.co.ke; salim_keshavjee@yahoo.com;

Artists’ expressions in paintings, sculptures and mixed media are invited on the theme “Nairobi” for the annual Manjano Exhibition. The theme aims to draw out artistic expression that explores the diverse aspects the city of Nairobi – its people, the city environs and urbanscapes, the colours, textures and moods of Nairobi, the activities and lifestyles of its inhabitants, feelings the city evokes, etc. Here are the rules for the submissions:

1. A maximum of 2 pieces of work may submitted for selection in the Manjano Exhibition
2. The works should have been executed within the course of last year (i.e. since January 2011 and not any earlier).
3. Works may be submitted under any of the following 2 categories: Student or Practicing Artist.
4. Selected works will hang in the Manjano Exhibition and shall be judged. Cash prizes will be awarded for the top 3 positions in each category.
5. Deadline for submission of works is January 27 2012. Works should be submitted at the GoDown Arts Centre, Dunga Rd, next to Giro Bank.

Manjano is organized under the auspices of the GoDown Arts Centre. For further enquiries contact:
Manjano Committee c/o Lima Mbai 555227, 555770
Email: limambai@thegodownartscentre.com
Or connect on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/278133812246209/

Laikipia Wildlife Forum cordially invites you to an evening show casting conservation led development with the premiere of the LWF documentary ‘Laikipia: The Land of Life’ and the official launch of the book, ‘Laikipia: A Natural History Guide’

Date: 27thJanuary 2012
Venue: Louis Leakey Auditorium, National Museums of Kenya
Time: 6.00 pm
Event: Movie premiere & Cocktail
Guest of Honour: Hon. Ndiritu Muriithi, MP Laikipia West   

Rules and regulations
Application form
Dead Line: May 15, 2012
Festival dates: October 13-21, 2012
Contact Person: Marion Berger / marionb@fcat.es

Call for entries and more info available on their web site: http://www.fcat.es/FCAT_en/

Also performing Sage and Afrology Band

Opening Date: January 20, 2012
Venue: Phoenix Players, Professional Centre
Runs until: February 4, 2012
Tickets: Kshs 650.
Student nights Every Thursday buy 1 ticket at Ksh. 400 and get 1 Free

SYNOPSIS
Four teenagers take a day trip to Cologne. By the end of the night, their world has been turned upside down. One is dead, two are in police custody, and the fourth is recovering from stab wounds!

Performances by drummers from bands such as Gogosimo, Ricky na Marafiki, Usual suspects and Afro Simba, Muthoni the Drummer Queen amongst many more

An academic public lecture, the 3rd of a series of distinguished lectures.

Presented by: Dr. Patrick Low, Chief Economist World Trade Organization (WTO)

Topic: Trade & Environment in Africa’s Economies

Date: January 18, 2012
Venue: Confucius Conference Centre, Education Building, Room Ed 213, Second Floor, main campus
Time: 2.30pm
Entry: Free

Marathon website

Paul Onditi was born and bred in Kenya where he studied to College level. He there after proceeded to Germany where he joined Offenbach Hochschule Fur Gestaltung.( University of Arts) .

“My work in in summary revolves around life and issues affecting it. I have come to do pieces of works that strike a balance between the old and the post modernism. This is seen in the mode of images and even color work at large. I am one artist fascinated by how changes occur in human nature and behavour.  These are factor that attribute to either the good or the evil that we see today…” Paul

About PAWA254
This is Nairobi’s unique new social enterprise and collaborative space for creatives and youth to achieve work of social impact. It opened its doors on January 3, 2012.
This hub aims to house, foster, and catalyze creative and community-driven projects for social change across Kenya. It is the first of its kind in Africa.

PAWA254 derives its name from a combination of “power” in Swahili and 254, Kenya’s country code, as a symbol of national strength and unity.

The new hub aims to facilitate the use of visual and graphic arts, independent and citizen journalism, documentary film and photography, and digital and social media as means of civic expression and social action. To achieve this, the hub facility will bring together established and aspiring photographers, cartoonists, animators, creative designers, video & filmmakers, as well as entrepreneurs and activists, to work, learn, and share in an environment that inspires creativity and innovative efforts to bring about social change.

PS: This is a membership paying facility and more information can be found on their website http://www.pawa254.org/