From left: Musicians Yahya Hamadi Mwagarashi aka Yashry, Nyota Ndogo and Susumila.
As I sat in the back of a flashy matatu, exhausted from a long day at work in Mombasa, all I wanted was a quiet ride home.
However, the moment the driver turned on the music system and Susumila’s ‘Siasa Duni’ blasted through the speakers, I was instantly transported back to my childhood in Eldoret.
Back then, the vibrant beats of Kenya’s Coastal music were my window into the unique culture and boundless energy of the region.
As the music played on, I could not shake off the feeling that something was amiss: The scene didn’t seem as vibrant or alive as I remembered it, despite now living in the very city whose music once made me want to visit.
That is when the question hit me: When did the rain start beating the Coastal entertainment industry?
Yahya Amadi Mwagarashi, an upcoming artiste from Kwale County famously known as Yashry, had the privilege of performing for both President William Ruto and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta.
He is among the hundreds of talented youth in the region who have ambitions of making it big in the music industry.
According to Yashry, his love for poetry and songwriting pushed him beyond reciting poems and writing lyrics; he felt the need to do more.
"I come from a well-known family in Kwale, where talent runs deep. I think I inherited this gift from there. I started by singing covers, and for the past three years, I’ve been pursuing music professionally," he said.
For him, the Coast music industry is filled with talent, but there is a significant struggle, particularly for young, upcoming artistes, to find the necessary support to succeed.
"We have incredible talent in the Coast, but we lack people willing to support artistes, especially financially. The process of making music and living up to the standards of being an artiste is costly. I struggled until I met a well-wisher named Abubakar Banze from Kombani Homes, who decided to manage my brand, something many artistes don’t have," Yashry explained.
He acknowledged that promoters naturally gravitate towards artistes who have made it in the industry whenever there are events in the Coast region, and many times the local artistes who are still struggling are left out.
His sentiments were echoed by veterans in the industry, who highlighted systemic issues that have held back the region's musicians.
Hassan Faisal Ali, a veteran hotelier and the manager of Coastal Films Productions, who has been in the entertainment scene for more than 14 years, noted that the Coastal music scene in the 2000s was incredibly vibrant.
The industry was divided into two distinct groups: bands like Safari Sounds and Salama Band, who thrived on hotel gigs and became part of the coastal allure for tourists, and recording artists like Kingsting & Bed Bug, Sudi Boy, Susumila, Nyota Ndogo, Cannibal, Escobar, Ally B, Prince Adio, among others whose originality and unique singing styles earned them national fame.
Back then, the coastal city of Mombasa was abuzz with entertainment events, from nightclubs located in almost every corner of the Central Business District and its outskirts, live band performances in hotels, to beach parties that attracted thousands of revelers.
Today, the city's nightlife is a shadow of its former self.
"The scene was buzzing with life. The hotels were packed with tourists, both local and international. This gave the bands an audience and allowed them to make money. The live music they played, which was purely coastal, made its way into the hinterlands," Faisal explains.
While these artistes initially enjoyed a solid foundation, the lack of long-term support meant that their earnings were not sustained; a phenomenon that Susumila, one of the area's prominent artistes, addresses in his song Rambirambi, featuring Kigoto.
In the lyrics, he laments how Coast musicians possess remarkable talent but face numerous challenges within the industry.
Susumila talks of how musicians are forced to relocate to Nairobi where their talents are used to benefit others after which they get dumped, conflicts within the industry locally and lack of support from top industry players.
Faisal is in agreement as he believes these factors have significantly dimmed the lights of the coastal music industry.
In addition to this, he says the rapid growth of Tanzanian music scene, popularly known as Bongo, also played a part in affecting the Coast artistes.
“I have met so many artistes who used to be mega stars, but they are now struggling. They still want to bask in their glory days. Initially, our solo artistes were so interesting and unique that organisers in Nairobi wanted them. But as soon as Bongo music, which was similar to ours but more organised, crossed the borders, it swallowed our own music,” says Faisal.
John Kagimbi who is popularly known as Producer Totti, a music producer who has had a profound impact on the industry by working with many of the region’s big names, says there came a time when the disconnect between artists and business stakeholders widened, leaving Coast artistes in the dark.
“Coastal music made a significant impact on the Kenyan industry. It was once very vibrant. Music is like fashion; trends come and go. Working with the likes of Nyota Ndogo and Ally B, I learned that our downfall began when our artistes couldn’t thrive because they didn’t fully understand the business side of music,” says Producer Totti.
He explains that many musicians from the region still produce great music, but the industry needs a more holistic approach to revive it or push a new sound forward.
In previous years, business individuals believed in and invested in showbiz, but that support is now lacking, with artistes struggling to connect with businessmen in the region.
“Musicians understand their art, but they also need to learn about the music business. This is the only way the industry will be sustainable. Artistes are taking on all roles themselves, forgetting that managers exist to open doors in the corporate world on their behalf,” says Totti.
Faisal explains that the biggest fall came when the previous county government administration of Mombasa intervened.
However, the plan was met with many challenges to the point that local musicians did not feel its impact.
"The regime had a good plan to organise concerts and empower the artistes. However, this was not done equitably,” adds Faisal.
For a brief period, it seemed like the governor’s support would create new opportunities, with young talents like Masauti rising to prominence.
However, as Faisal points out, while some artistes flourished under former governor Hassan Joho's patronage, others found themselves struggling to maintain their foothold in the industry.
Musician Mwanaisha Mohamed, popularly known as Nyota Ndogo, notes that the cultural window that once allowed Kenyans to glimpse into the Coast music industry has since closed.
"I believe the Coast music scene may have faded because our music is not given the respect it deserves. Musicians from other countries, like Celine Dion, continue to perform, yet here, we're told to stop singing because we've aged. The playing field should be level for everyone, both the new generation and the old," says Nyota Ndogo, who relocated to Voi where she runs a hotel business.
She says lack of respect for music legends has made it difficult for artistes who truly understand music and have been in the industry for a long time.
She adds that Promoters and DJs are signing their own musicians, which interferes with their judgment when it comes to music they choose to play.
“The celebrity presenters act like they know everything, and in doing so, they've ruined the industry. That's why I'm here in my hotel cooking. At least I know that by the end of the day, I'll be able to feed my kids. There are shows happening right now, but they act like we don't exist and never invite us. The last show I performed at was in December, how are we supposed to survive like that?" says Nyota Ndogo.
She adds that media owners who are opening stations left and right should ensure that their platforms are supporting Kenyan music.
"Media stations are killing local artistes, yet presenters tell us that Kenyans prefer music from outside the country. We ask them, how would people even know if you never publicised our music? I’m grateful for Urbantone, as it has made things a bit better, but how can you justify allowing only 25 per cent local music?" adds Nyota Ndogo.
While the Coast music scene may have lost some of its allure, despite the presence of talented artists from the region, reviving the industry to its former glory will require significant effort.
This revival is crucial not only for the music industry itself but also for the tourism sector that once benefited from its vibrancy.
