It’s Been Real…


There comes a time when the readers are more important than the writer. – The Greatrnk

Once upon a time, long long ago when I was busy doing nothing and basically just minding my own business, my good friend Chiira asked me to check out his blog, The Trot and the Run. So I took like a minute and since I was using my phone, for some reason, it (the blog) did not get my attention. I should mention that at the time, there were like enough bloggers for me to count with my left hand and I had fewer followers on twitter than Ole Kiyapi has teeth. After a time, t, – in which it had passed my mind that the Chiira blogs – he again asked me to check out his blog and I spent the entire afternoon blog whoring on his blog. He is that good!

 

I spent the next three months learning from him by reading everything he was penning down. The problem with the Kenyan blogosphere now, unlike then, is there are people who stumble on a blog post and before they are done reading, they have their own blog, all signed up to wordpress or blogger and a lousy post in which they call themselves writers yet they have the audacity to use ‘am’ as a short form of ‘I am.’ As if that is not nauseating enough, it’s in the title and the post is full of grammatical mistakes and enough typos such that if the typos were votes, they would get Kamenchu elected as President in a landslide first round victory! Story for another day.

 

To circumcise the very long story, I started up The Greatrnk on My Opera and later, my mentor advised me to move to wordpress. Having blogged for a year, earned badges and honours, I called it quits. My mentor told me generals do not quit, they just take a break. Okay, have you ever listened to Kanye’s Big Brother? It is a song in which Kanye goes on and on about Jay, the guy who is legally married to and sleeps with Beyonce. To some point, the song almost makes Kanye look gay. I may be guilt of the same here. Anyways, true to my mentor’s words, I made a comeback from retirement like Jay, only that my comeback has not resulted in me getting a Beyonce for myself but I am working on it.

 

I am afraid, it is time for me to hang the boots again. I would like to thank everyone who took time to read, comment and share. You are all awesome people and I cannot thank you enough. Those who used their precious airtime to text me and tell me they loved my blog or a post, I am so grateful. The critics, I appreciate you too. You are just as important. The bloggers who provided guest posts for my blog, I cannot thank you enough. Basically, anyone who has taken their time for this blog, whether it is reading, commenting, sharing, hating etc, I salute you. I cannot mention all of you because you are too many and mainly because I risk forgetting one or two.

 

PARTING SHOT: Is someone at Ghafla writing about my retirement. I sure hope there is. Okay, I kid! There comes a time when the readers are more important than the writer. Obviously, this quote stolen from the late George, ahem, Saitoti has nothing to do with what I am about to say next. I have hung the boots on greatrnk.wordpress but do check me out on greatrnk.com. The website is still raw, but it is up. A lot is yet to be done, that is just the sketch and you will see many changes as time goes by. Also, everything that is here is also there, except this post. The welcome post is what I never did here. A poem!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, it’s been real!

Focusing on Self


by Arum the Champ

Today I am going to write about something that I have been dealing with recently. Something that I became consciously aware of and it somewhat freaked me out. After noticing that I did it often I also realised that many other people did it too, which ofcourse forced me to analyze it and subsequently write something about it (yes writing is my therapy).

So anyway today I will talk about criticism and how we self-sabotage ourselves when we always focus on criticising others instead of ourselves. I have to admit, due to some of my personality traits I am good at focusing on flaws, mistakes and errors of other people. Infact, it does not help that I am a perfectionist who sometimes tries to prove others wrong just for the sake of feeling like I am right.

It is easy to criticize other people, infact when you criticize you somehow get a delusional feeling that you are better than another individual. A couple of years ago when I was going through a particular phase in my life, I came to learn of a concept called ‘projection.’

Simply explained, it states that the traits which we identify in others whether good or bad are somehow inherent in us. Yes, when you throw out that “she is so manipulative” comment at another, it may mean that deep inside we share that character trait. Projection and the awareness of our strengths/weaknesses is a fabolous way to master or discover who you really are. I would have gone deeper in to it but that is not my focus today.

Back to criticism….. the thing with criticism from a distance is that most of the time it may be coupled with hate or an inferiority complex. It is easy to focus on others flaws yet forget that we are human beings that have loads of issues to deal with.

to the point………

our progress as individual is greatly limited when we keep on focusing on what others need to do with their lives. I suggest that it would be better if you focused more on yourself and what we need to do to become better individuals.

Am I saying that we totally refrain from criticising injustices? no. What I mean is that we should focus more of our criticisms on our selves and continually challenge who we are on a daily basis. In our relationships/friendships instead of focusing on what others should do to make us happy, put your ego aside and instead ask yourself what you can do to improve ourselves and make them have a great experience when interacting with us.

Self criticism is one great way of taking control of our lives and constantly improving on who we are as people……

so, what do you need to improve on as a person?

write it down, share it with a friend and make a commitment to continually work on the issue no matter what it takes.

About the Author: Arum The Champ is a blogger who writes mostly about how people (should) behave on twitter. You can find his hilarious writing at The Rare Champ

The Vault 2.0: The Roof Top Party


the vault december edition copy

The Vault, as the name suggests, is a medium through which Christian hip hop artists get to share the treasures that God wants to reveal to each and every person through His Word. With lyricism, rhymes, poetry and a journey of their experience in ministry and in salvation, these Kingdom ministers are set, not only to entertain but to point this generation to Christ.

The bi-monthly event was an idea of five close friends who shared a common love for Hip Hop music. The concept behind the vault was to create a platform where hip hop and poetic artists in Kenya and around the world can get an opportunity to showcase their talents without any limitations.

Dan Gee, one of the people behind the event says, “We found out that compared to artists from other genres, hip hop artists in Kenya barely get the opportunity to perform in this other events and most of them end up discouraged and eventually giving up on their dreams, it is for this reason that the Vault concept was born.”

The bi-monthly event aims at getting the artists this opportunities, exposure, mentorship and also training them on how to become artists of international standards. The idea behind having the event once in 2 months was to kill the monotony of having a monthly event, and also have people looking forward to the event.

The 2nd Edition will be held on Sunday the 16th of December 2012 at the Abondoz Restaurant Roof top that is situated at the Luther Plaza, along Uhuru highway opposite the central park as from 2PM to 8PM; this edition dubbed ‘the roof top party’ is set to be a Christmas party that all Hip hop fans will remember for a long time.

The 1st Edition, read about it here, was held in October 2012 at the Kenya National Theatre and was an instant hit, with performances by some of the best hip hop artists in Kenya, including Maluda, S.P.A.T, Kelele Takatifu, H3, Dan-gee, Nasara the poet among others.

The 2nd Edition will have one of Kenya’s pioneer hip hop artist and multiple award winner Holy Dave perform as the Focus artist of the day, Holy Dave is widely known for hits such as not a joke, Niko na reason, press on and his recent runaway hit Ni Msoh. He will also be sharing about his life, journey and music ministry.

Other performing artists include: veteran poet Number 8, Signature, Treble, B4C, G-Cho Pevu, Alex Newnique and TIO. On the wheels of steel will be the Vault’s official deejay Ken Tha DJ backed by one of the leading Gospel Hip hop deejays in Kenya, the one and only Deejay Gee Gee of the Tri Crew.

This Edition of the Vault is proudly sponsored by Butterfly Republic, CPR Radio, Kelele Republic, Epic Concepts and X-hoodz Entertainment.

If you are a hip hop enthusiastic, come bang your head to your favorite tunes mixed by your favorite Deejays. If you are not a hip hop fan, come hear what the best in hip hop have to offer as you enjoy the energetic performances, the beautiful view of Nairobi from a roof top, great food, great company and some Barbeque.

Lets go over the details again (which are on the poster):

Event: The Vault 2.0 – The Roof Top Party.

Venue: Abondoz Restaurant Roof Top

Time: 2PM to 8PM

Main Artist: Holy Dave

Other Performing Artists: Number 8, Signature, Treble, B4C, G-Cho Pevu, Alex Newnique and TIO

Damage: USD 2.34 (with the current prevailing rates) or Kshs. 200.

Also read about the event here by Ascofu. Like the Vault’s facebook page here follow the them on twitter here and RSVP the event on facebook here.

ZIADA Nairobi Worship Experience: How it went down


Have you ever been speechless? Speaking for myself, yes I have and still am. And this feeling of speechlessness has infected my pen such that I lack words to describe the experience. I blame all this predicament on the ZIADA team of Zidi the Band, Adawnage and Number 8 for the wonderful peace concert, ZIADA Nairobi Worship Experience, held as Kenya celebrated it’s 49th Birthday on 12.12.12. The event featured other wonderful artists such as Nasara the poet, Carlisto, Mercy Wairegi, Beat Marvel, Gerriey Wainaina, Makena and Mwanga Band.

Everything about the event was awesome: From the praise and worship led by ZIADA to the live performances – which were backed by ZIADA – of Nasara, Carlisto, Mercy Wairegi and Makena to the performance by Mwanga Band (as the MCs and ZIADA went to change to different attire) to beat boxing by Nasara, Beat Marvel and Carlisto to the final performance by ZIADA and the cake commemorating 49 years since independence.

As I have stated, I find myself without words to express what went down. As they say a picture is worth more than 1,000 words, I got permission from Kweli Magazine to post some of their pictures on the event so that this post can be at least 10,000 words..More pictures can be found here 

Wahinyaj winning an album

Wahinyaj winning an album

Pastor Peter cutting cake

Pastor Peter cutting cake

One Nation Under God

One Nation Under God

Number 8 doing his thing

Number 8 doing his thing

Band Mwanga bringing the house down when the ZIADA team had gone to change

Band Mwanga bringing the house down when the ZIADA team had gone to change

Nasara beat boxing

Nasara beat boxing

Mercy Wairegi

Mercy Wairegi

The next big thing Makena

The next big thing Makena

Look at the kid

Look at the kid

Gerriey Wainaina

Gerriey Wainaina

David Ogara, the pianist.

David Ogara, the pianist.

Carlisto

Carlisto

They came back in colourful attire

They came back in colourful attire

Happy 49th birthday. Cake by Valentines Cake House

Happy 49th birthday. Cake by Valentines Cake House

Band Mwanga

Band Mwanga

And here is what was said on twitter….

Safaricom live and Kenya music week should take notes from #ZiadaNairobi on how to manage gigs – Lellimandela

#ZiadaNairobi best way to finish my leave……now kesho jobo asubuhi – sushiwara

Totally blest at #ZiadaNairobi. – pinkyshizga

I’m out of words to explain the joy that I’m having … #ZiadaNairobi was just the bomb – VinMacharia

You guys are looking great,,, suggestion…just merge and remain ZIADA forever – busharoh

#ZiadaNairobi was awesome awesome – MudenganiT

I couldn’t make it to #ZiadaNairobi but whatever happened there must have been God’s doing!! The praise reports tell it all. ZiAda, keep on! – MissRipplez

#ZiAdaNairobi was pure bliss, on a level of its own. Whaatttt?? – vikmunala

Mad talent represented at #ZiadaNairobi equals to an epic day …#OneNationUnderGOD – Didi_romi

My 12.12.12 spent well at #ZiadaNairobi it was epic I tell u Epic:) – ms_makena

#ZiAdaNairobi AWESOME!AWESOME !YOU GUYS R A BLESSING – ElleOkumu

The #Kenyan flag decor at the #ZiadaNairobi concert, which was epic!! God bless Kenya. #Kenya365 #Kenya – Kenya_365

true definition of #beatboxin nasara the poet n carlisto at#ziadanairobi – antwanruiyot

So the lady had to M.C with an ipad. and the guy some piece of paper. yawa #ZiAdaNairobi – Owagah

Well done @EmeraldEventsKe on #ZiadaNairobi – well planned, organized, managed & executed event! Much respect! – justalffie

The event was sponsored by Orange Kenya, NTV, Cocacola, Valentines Cake House, Swizz Entertainment and RiqRiq. Mad respect to the MCs Faith Muturi and Larry Agufa for a job well done.

The  event was managed by Emerald Events Kenya. Follow them on twitter here and like their facebook page here.

 

ZIADA Nairobi Worship Experience


Dec 12, 2012 (12.12.12) is an important date. For one, it is the last of the repeating dates until Jan. 1, 2101 (01.01.01) meaning for most people alive, it will be the last repeating date they get to see. Moreover, at 12:12:12 p.m., the day will offer fans of the number 12 a whopping six repeats! 12/12/12 12:12:12. Nice, ey. As if that is not enough, at 1:21:02 a.m., palindrome lovers everywhere can rejoice in the single second that marks when the date-time combination is the same read both forwards and backwards: 2012-12-12 1:21:02 = 201212-1-212102. Most importantly, 12.12.12 will mark 49 years since Kenya got it’s independence and 84 days to the general elections. 84 is not an important number unless you take 12 and multiply it by the number of days we have in a week and voila! Okay, enough of the OCD.

All these numbers will be useless but one thing will remain; and that is our country Kenya. The state with which it remains depends on us as a people. We all know what happened after the 2007 general elections and as a country, we cannot afford to go through the same again. It is this in mind that ZIADA -which comprises of award winning bands (Zidi the Band and Adawnage Band); and reknown poet Number 8 – has come up with a peace concert dubbed ‘ZIADA Nairobi Worship Experience’ on the day Kenya got it’s independence, that is 12.12.12. The event’s main purpose is to unite the country ahead of next year’s polls under the theme One Nation Under God.

 ZiAda

Brilliant works of photography on the beauty of our country captured by talented, professisional and widely celebrated photographers has been lined up. This work of photography will preceed a musical event in which ZIADA will perform featuring strong leads and additional home-grown artists auch as Mercy Wairegi, Nasara the poet, Carlisto, Makena and Mwanga Band. The photography and worship experience is set to be one whose impact will linger on long after 12.12.12.

Details about the event are on the poster but here they are again:

Event: ZIADA Nairobi Worship Experience.

Date: 12.12.12.

Time: 3 – 6 PM.

Venue: Parklands Baptist Church.

Artists: ZIADA (Zidi the Band, Adawnage and Number 8) featuring Mercy Wairegi, Nasara the Poet, Carlisto, Makena and Mwanga Band.

Theme: One Nation Under God.

Entrance: FREE!!!!!! (Just bring yourself).

Also, read about the event here by Kenyanmom, here by Kawiria and here by Kifalme.

Follow (and RSVP) the event on facebook here and follow Adawnage, Zidi the Band and Number 8 on twitter for more details about the event.

This is one event you will not want to miss!!!!

How to be Single During the Holidays


by Kay Winders

The holidays are a great time to be with the people you love. For many people, this means spending time with their husband or wife and their children. For many, it means spending time with their extended family, including those near and far.

For singles, the holidays can be a bittersweet time. It can be both a joyous time and a lonely time. By seeing everyone else with their spouses and their children, you may start dwelling on the fact that you are not with anyone. Add to that the inevitable questions, comments, or outright pressure you may face from family and friends about why you’re still single or just when you’re going to get married or have kids.

It doesn’t have to be this way. There are a few ways that you can get through the holiday season and make it just as fun and joyous not just in spite of your single status, but because of it. Here’s how to be single (and fabulous) at the holidays:

Spend Time with Other Singles

When you spend all your time with families and married couples, you may end up comparing your situation to theirs and feeling worse about your situation than you need to feel. You also might face the inevitable barrage of questions about your single status, which can annoy you and make you feel worse.

Don’t subject yourself to that. Instead, choose to spend the majority of your time around other singles. These are people who can commiserate with you about being single — or celebrate how fabulous it is to be single.

Attend Lots of Parties

Parties aren’t just a great way to celebrate the holiday season — they are also a great way to meet new people and to take your mind off things (like how you’re going to deal with your mother asking you why you still haven’t had a baby). You never know: You also just might meet someone fabulous at one of the parties!

Of course, not all parties are going to lift your spirits. If the invite comes from a married couple with kids, chances are that the other guests will also be married or have kids. Being around a lot of couples may only remind you of your single status — or bring obnoxious questions. Better to stick to parties with other singles, young people, or co-workers.

Host Your Own Party

Don’t wait to be asked to the dance — host your own! Hosting your own party can make you feel fun, popular, and loved — all the things you might not be feeling without a mate at your side during the holidays. Throw your own party and invite all your friends and co-workers. You’ll be too busy kissing under the mistletoe and singing Christmas carols to worry about why you’re single (or if it matters).

Have a Sense of Humor

Instead of getting defensive or angry at the inevitable questions you will get about your single status — “Do you think you’ll ever get married?” “Aren’t you worried it will be too late to have kids?” — adopt a sense of humor about it. Don’t honor the questions with genuine answers. Say things like, “No, I’m too young to get married” (even if you’re 50) or “Oh, man, I forgot that I need to have kids! I better make an appointment to do that next week.”

Of course, you’ll have to temper your humor for your audience. While you do want to deflect questions and make light of the situation, you don’t want to create a holiday rumble at the dinner table.

Remember the Benefits

One of the best ways to get through the holidays when you’re single is to remember all the reasons it’s great to be single. Think about it: You don’t have to argue about whose family you will visit for Christmas dinner. You don’t have to suffer unbearable in-laws. You can sleep in any day you want. You don’t have to put up a Christmas tree or decorations if you don’t want to. You can eat pumpkin pie and eggnog every day for breakfast if you want.

Being single means doing what you want when you want. Remember that and do something fun!

The holidays don’t have to be a lonely time or a dreaded time in which you subject yourself to even more questions about why you’re still not married. Use these tips to get you through the holidays so that it’s a fun and festive time for you, too — single or not.

How do you get through the holidays when you’re single? Share your tips in the comments!

About the Author: Kay Winders is presently the resident writer for www.badcreditloans.org, where she researches the best way for people to pay off their debts without damaging their credit. In her spare time, she enjoys freelance writing, the beach and gardening.

Tangaza Mwangaza by Mwanga Band


Tangaza Mwangaza- Poster

Tangaza Mwangaza (Announce the Light) is the first Mwanga Band concert. Mwanga Band has been called to be the light to this generation through annointed and professional music, prayer, the word of God and also as fearless and fierce influencers. This concert which will be on Dec 1 at Parklands Baptist from 4pm-7pm and will focus on the issue of youth and HIV/AIDS with the main message being abstinence. Come and listen as they launch their music to the world.

Details are in the poster, but here they are again:

MAIN BAND: Mwanga Band

FEATURING ARTISTS/ BANDS: Adawnage, Christine Ndela, Kaberia, Zidi the Band

DATE: 1 December 2012

TIME: From 4PM

VENUE: Parklands Baptist Church

DAMAGE: FREE!!!!

For more details, like the mwanga band page on facebook, follow them on twitter and RSVP the event on facebook.