WILL.I.AM REVIEWED JUST A BAND'S SINGLE

Kenyan all boy group Just A Band have found out that Will.i.am reviewed one of their tracks called Save My Soul a while back.

Here is what they said on their Facebook page







...and this is what Will.i.am said about the single

AY’S NEXT PROJECT IS WITH T PAIN

Hot Secrets has learnt that Tanzanian rapper AY has already recorded a single with American rapper T-Pain and is planning on shooting the video.

The rapper was in the country for Saturday evening award show EMAS where he bagged the award for Best Collabo for him musical effort with Mwana F.A. in the track Habari Ndio Hiyo.







Other winners included a tie in the Best Male category where Dr. Claude of Rwanda and Jaguar shared the award. Best Female went to Juliana for her single Alive Again while Best Group was P-Unit. Gospel group BMF bagged the Best Gospel Group for the single I Live For You and Emmy Kosgei scooped the Best Gospel Collabo for her callabo with Lynn in the single Omegeu Rerein. Kidum and Papa Wemba were both awarded in the Best Male in the Afro Fusion and Rhumba category respectively. South Sudan rapper Lam bagged the Best Video for Stay in Love.

Anyhow, AY released his latest collabo with Romeo and La'Myia Good – actress Meagan Good’s older sister - for the single titled Speak With Ya Body.

ALPHA, DAVIS AND MSECHU TO JAM WITH CABO, SHAGGY AND EVE ARE COMING

So word on the street is that the promoters who have been contracted to sign up acts for the Tusker All Stars finale concert are from Tanzania. Crying shame. After Kenyan promoters, Homeboyz failed in their bid to get Usher and Keri Hilson to sign on the dotted line, Clouds FM people have been contracted to get acts for the Tusker All Star concert.







Though it has not been confirmed by EABL, the acts signed for the October concert are American rapper Eve, ragga star Shaggy and Angolan Cabo Snoop – famed for his hit Windek.







This means that the winner for the Tusker All Stars reality television show will be jamming the stage with the three international stars. The winners of the concluded show were Alpha, Davis and Msechu.







Meet the all-star finalists



Alpha Rwirangira

Alpha has been on a roll and busy with music and performances since he won the 3rd edition of Tusker Project Fame.

The soft spoken but charismatic young man recently won the Pan African Music awards for best male artist with his song featuring Bebe Cool, Come To Me. He was also nominated for a Kilimanjaro Award in the best male artist category, for his song, Songa Mbele featuring AY.

Alpha has toured the region giving live musical performances and most notably he had the chance to represent Rwanda in the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa at the Fan Fests that were set up for fan entertainment.

The talented performer has also managed to catch his President’s eye and is feted by many Rwandese as a role model for the youth. He has obtained the President’s scholarship to study Music and Business at Fulbright University in Ohio, in the United States.







Peter Msechu

The Tanzanian who is known to be a bag of laughs has definitely been busy since he left at the end of the third season as first runner up.

Msechu has recorded songs with a number of producers back home in Tanzania. He has recorded Unaniumiza Roho with renowned music producer and Tusker Project Fame judge Hermes Bariki at his B Hits Studio and Majaribu with renowned producer Marco Chali of MJ Records.

He cites Tusker Project Fame 3’s Ngangalito as his favorite contestant since the inception of Tusker Project Fame. He says that he admires his fellow musician due to his humorous streak and his superb stage performances.

Msechu has had the opportunity to meet the president of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete and other notable leaders in Tanzania because of his new found fame.







Davis Ntare

Tusker Project Fame Four’s golden boy, winner of Season 4 and energetic performer, has relocated to Kenya and has been in studio with R Kay working on his debut album.

He recently released his first single Sheka Sheka on Sound Cloud and the video is currently doing the rounds on You Tube as well.

He writes his own music and therefore promises to deliver fresh and original content in his album debut.

ARTISTES UNITE TO FIGHT HUNGER

Top musicians are working together to fight famine under the umbrella of Africans Act 4 Africa, the artistes, aims to put pressure on their governments to fund relief for the hunger crisis.

Organizers by Afro Fusion act Sara Mitaru, the campaign is supposed to get the personalities involved in the crisis.

Sara has called, texted, Tweeted, and Facebooked her network of fellow musicians in countries as far apart as South Africa and Nigeria, calling for their participation.







Already Kenyan acts Nameless, Juliani, Jaguar and Sauti Sol are on board and are now being joined by P-Square and Asa from Nigeria and Tanzanian poet Maya Wegeris on the line-up. Youssou N’Dour from Senegal has indicated to organizers that he is interested in being involved.

According to various press outlets, Africans Act 4 Africa aims to spread this clear grassroots desire to help across the continent. Participants are discussing the possibility of scripting and scoring a single to be released to raise funds for the drought.



Check out the acts pledging their support

KENYAN GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING FLAVOR

Naija singer Flavour has being in the music industry for 2002 but y’all know him because of his hit remix Nwa Baby (Ashawo).







Well Flavour real name Chinedu Okoli began his music career in 2002 when he was 19-years-old. He joined the band Enugu in his home state as a drummer and went on to play the keyboard after performing with them for a while.







After going solo in 2004, he went on to release the albums Nabania (2008) and Uplifted (2010).



Have a listen at some of his music

TOP NBA EXECS AT SPRITE SLAM FINALE

Glen Rice



The conclusion of the energetic Sprite Slam competition that was held in various towns in the country drew to a close on Friday (12 August) was conducted by former Los Angels Lakers NBA shooting star Glen Rice, NBA scout Bul Bior and Denver Nuggets Vice-President Masai Njiri.

Njiri, a Nigerian from a Kenyan mother who said:'' The game of basketball can be used as tool to education, meet people and get job s and the Kenyan youth have the needed talent''. Rice said,'' Kenya has the talent and the players who participated in the camp can do better than what I did during my NBA career.







Rice also added that he was impressed with the shooting talent of the young Kenyans.

The champs at the finale were all male team Beez who edged out the S.W.A.T.S 7-5 to clinch the 3 on 3 Sprite Slam National championship title at the University of Nairobi sports grounds.







The winners competed against a total of 7 men’s amongst them high schools, universities, colleges and clubs.

Beez who fielded regular premier league players led by Evans Leting of USIU-A Tigers team, Brian Busu of Co-op Bank along with Brian Shivachi and James Omweno had an advantage of experience over the Swats team of the U.o.N.

Another winner was Upper Hill School student Dominic Omunaka named as the best player and was chosen to represent Kenya in the Basketball without Borders four-day camp in Johannesburg South Africa in September.







Alongside basketball competitions, the youth demonstrated their talent in urban expression through graffiti and dance competitions and rap battles that saw Wycliffe Elegwa (Nairobi) emerge winner in the graffiti category. In the dance category Hotraxx (Kisumu) while in the freestyle category Joseph Collins Onyango A.K.A CJ Double O was crowned the national freestyle champ.







A host of celebrity artists graced the event with performances by Calif Records Mejja, Jimwat and Kendi, Ogopa DJ’s Avril and award-winning gospel artist Daddy Owen.

Additional Sprite Slam competitions are taking part in Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique.

SHUGA TO AUDITION FEMALE AND MALE ACTORS

Upcoming production of Shuga: Love, Sex, Money has sent out a call to Kenyan youth to audition for two supporting roles. Auditions will be held on Saturday 27 August 2011 between 08:00 and 18:00 at Homeboyz Studios at Ambar House, Baricho Road in Nairobi. To be eligible to audition, you must be a Kenyan resident between the ages of 18 and 24 with good spoken English skills. No previous acting experience is necessary.







“We are looking for real and raw talent,” says Georgia Arnold, Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundation, “Shuga: Love, Sex, Money is going to follow the pace set by Shuga. It’s going to be a hard-hitting drama about sex and relationships. With principle photography for Shuga just a few weeks away, and the TV show premiering across Africa in February 2012 – this could be a huge career boost for aspiring Kenyan thespians.”







“Among the judges will be MTV Creative Director, Tim Horwood, actress Lupita Nyong’o, who played the pivotal role of Ayira in Shuga, Alison Nguibini (Shuga series producer), and Jacqueline Achieng from HFG. Homeboyz’s DJ Hassan and Corine will keep the crowds entertained,” continues Arnold.

Audition places will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis. The judges will chose six finalists, whose fate will be decided by public voting at www.mtvshuga.com between 29 August and 4 September. The winners will be notified on 5 September.







The first series of Shuga was filmed in Kenya in August-September 2009 and told a bitter-sweet tale of love, loss, sex, heartbreak and relationships, set in the clubs, bars, campuses and hangouts of contemporary Nairobi. With a raw and uncut view on the lives of sexually active young Kenyans, Shuga spot lit the risks associated with unprotected sex and the party-hard lifestyles of urban Kenyan youth, told through the interlinked tales of characters Ayira (Lupita Nyong’o), Ty (Pepe Haze), Felix (Tumisho Masha), Violet (Sharon Olago), Skola (David Omwange), Sindi (Valerie Kimani), Leo (Nicholas Mutuma), Kennedy (Antony Mwangi) and Virginia (Eva Kanyang'onda).

Shuga: Love, Sex, Money starts filming in Kenya in September 2011 and will be broadcast around the world starting 14 February 2012.