When you watch television in Kenya or elsewhere in the African continent, you will without doubt notice that many music shows are tailored to the burgeoning youth/teen population. The media managers and content buyers have somehow created an impression that in music programming, it is just the youth that matter.
However, there is another audience that has been left out and in my opinion, this segment represents the true connoisseurs of good music. I am talking about the crowd that turns out in huge numbers when legendary artists like Salif Keita, Youssou Ndour, Hugh Masekela, Oliver Mtukudzi, Kanda Bongoman, Rokia Traore, Baaba Maal, etc come calling in Nairobi.
This crowd has ensured the success and growth of events like Blankets and Wine and even the quintessential Safaricom jazz event. The offering for this audience on our silver screens is limited.
Ngoma, a Kymsnet Media Network production will seek to talk to this audience and provide a weekly offering of some gems from the motherland. There is absolutely nothing wrong with what the current broadcast media is offering the youth. However, the biggest strength in Africa is our diversity and this is best captured by the sounds and rhythms that come from this great continent. There is another side that speaks of African pride, the African sound—benga, mbalax, rhumba, taarab, etc. There is also exemplary jazz and reggae sounds and others.
