CLASSICISM AND KENYAN MUSIC FANS

February 24, 2025 44

Written by Edwin Agesa on Monday, 24 February 2025.

Early this year there was a viral post on X that ridiculed people who listen to Swahili songs on Spotify.

Spotify is a boogie app at least according to my books. Sisi ni mbogi ya Tubidy. Mdundo, where you’ve got to wait for advertisements about painkillers before ngoma icheze.

So I kinda understood how this individual was shocked that people who pay for Spotify could have time to listen to Swahili music.

Then I realized we also do the same as Kenyan fans. We have labeled Bingo music “Ushago music” for a long time.

I’ve heard SewerSydaa Mkadinali ridicule Mbosso. I’ve heard various fans trash Bongo or Swahili music. For this set of fans they want to appear gangster. Bongo is punny ass music. According to them.

Then there’s the “classy” bunch. Gengetone ni mziki ya High schoolers.

Last year Arbantone came and tried to fit in with the classy bunch but a year later, we’re back to ground zero. Trying to get what next. Trying to promote the next “genre”.

It’s still February. Let’s give it time.