BY EMBUKANE LIBOSSO

The Sema Stori (Sheng slang for Stories that Speak) project is brought to you by Docubox East Africa with the support of Comic Relief Collaboration. Drawing fine young filmmakers from the East Africa region working within their local communities, the project seeks to spark conversations around mental health, early childhood development, gender justice, and the right to safe secure shelter and settlement.

Sema Stori is working with skilled and locally rooted filmmakers to share stories about the issues from their own perspective. It focuses on creating documentary shorts which will be made through small awards to talented filmmakers in the East Africa region, and with support to assist film makers in accessing mentoring, tapping into opportunities for their films to be seen, and focusing up front on the social impact they want to create. Docubox based in Nairobi, Kenya leads the project – an African led film fund, run by African filmmakers for African filmmakers.

Judy Kibinge, Oscar Academy nominee, founder of  Docubox and known for producing critically acclaimed films including: ‘Coming of Age’, ‘Dangerous Affair’ and ‘Something Necessary,’ is well aware about the funding challenge among African filmmakers. Judy says, “I was too familiar with how difficult it was for African filmmakers to keep making excellent work without more support – funding, technical input, networks, the list goes on.  We couldn’t have been readier to have a conversation with Comic Relief when we heard about the direction they wanted to take.”

The first film to premiere on Wednesday, August 12^th, 2020 was “It’s Okay Not To Be Okay,” a film by Eugene Muigai. The short documentary film is a personal story following the life of Eugene Muigai, a boy who has struggled with depression. It follows his personal journey from childhood through adulthood, as he struggled with feelings of inferiority, feeling misunderstood, hated, and alone, without a clear purpose to justify existence in this world. Mental health has long been a subject that has drawn stigma and ridicule locally, and that is exactly why Sema Stori chose it as one of the four pillars in the Sema Stori Program.

“I am a creative who is passionate about storytelling, and I enjoy every aspect of it,” Eugene Muigai speaks of his passion for film.

Every Wednesday the project will be rolling out the films on the Sema Stori Facebook page for the public to watch and raise conversations during the week. Later on a panel will be invited the following Wednesday after the documentary premiere for a series of talks and conversations. This will run from August to October. The month of August focuses on mental health.

Creative storytelling is a growing industry in East Africa. Judy Kibinge adds on the Comic Relief website, “We’re so excited and looking forward to supporting the creation of this series of short films – important stories told by local voices. We’ve left it entirely to our filmmakers to let us know what stories they are burning to tell, and Docubox and Comic Relief can’t wait to keep you posted about them all.”

If you’re wondering what impact driven storytelling is all about, Thank You For The Rain is a great example of this

supported by a range of organizations including Docubox. Released in 2017, it follows the story of a Kenyan farmer Kisiilu who started to use his camera to capture the life of: his family, his village and the damages of climate change. During the film we see him transform from a father, to community leader, to an activist on the global stage inspiring climate action.

Sema Stori is unfolding and that story behind the story is what the project hopes will end up being as powerful as the stories themselves!

BY EMBUKANE LIBOSSO

Nigerian afro-dancehall superstar Patoranking announces his third album, Three, arriving August 28^th via his own Amari Musiq imprint and US-based Indie powerhouse, EMPIRE.

Contemporary and multifaceted, the new album bills from “Odo Bra” with Ghanaian highlife star King Promise to “Whine It” with Kenya’s Sauti Sol.

Without a doubt there’s no shortage of musical diversity on Three. The project delivers a heavyweight slice of conscious reggae on “Lion in the Jungle” while the tender “Matter” sees Patoranking reconnect with Tiwa Savage, with whom he previously teamed on breakout track, “Girlie O.”

“Three is a strong number,” Patoranking says of the album title’s significance. “It stands for how I see language. In making the album, we tried to look at love, life and happiness. If you are listening to any of the tracks, even if it is a dance track, I want you to feel love.”

BY EMBUKANE LIBOSSO

Let’s delve into a showcase of hip-hop, Afro-beats, trap, Afro-pop and R&B. We also discover a versatile and matured Nyashinski, or Nyash as we used to call him back in the days. A man who proved that a Kenyan rapper could make a comeback after years from the game, and still dominate the airwaves. He reinvented himself as the comeback king.

The title track from the album Lucky You sits at number eight. I went all the way down to start off by listening to it perhaps to get a glimpse of what the album holds. The thing about the song is that he slams anyone who believes he has made it all this way because of luck. It is his open letter to some of his fame struggles. You can mock his struggles, but he proves he has done things differently since his hey days.

Tying back to the first track on the album Greener, Nyashinski addresses the proverbial statement that grass is always greener on the other side. The intro is captivating. He uses the classic style he did with Now You Know, using his voice on a repetitive hook, and lacing the track with his flow. The deeper humming and human beat boxing vibe add flare to the track.

Sweet Aroma is a laid-back track. It is a celebratory song. Like pretty much all rappers, he is aware that not everyone is happy with his comeback, but he still remains G.O.A.T.

With a Latin pop chop, we find Nyash on G.O.A.T where he hails his longevity in the industry. The tempo is perfect for him to toast his rhymes and he is not one to forget his roots, hailing Sauti Sol on the track. Listeners will find the Latin chords springing to mind but will also find his flow not left aside.

Glory is Nyashinski’s raised antennae in tune to the past as well as the present. While the fans and industry alike glorify him, he has his glory fixated on God. The playful song in terms of words and lyricism finds a Nyashinksi who has a grip on consciousness: “Glory si hupea God / Lawama shetani na bangi / We jiconvince unafanya kazi / Mi niko kazi we jali kutrend.”

Traveller is a song that is harsh in a way. How do you tell your lady that she will just be another memory? How do you tell her that despite what she had planned that night, tomorrow you will be gone? Eyebrows raised on this one.

With Time we stumble on a sentimental Nyashinski. He comes out a little motivational but always one to introspect on how well he can maximize his time. Man, who knew Sheng slang can sound so uplifting. This is one for any streets to uplift themselves.

That consciousness extends to his last tracks, Wach, Too Much, Fathela and Flowers. He remains wise, warm but still talking about real issues.

• Lucky You the album just leaves you eager to see where Nyash goes next!

  Tracks:
  Greener
  Sweet Aroma
  Glory
  Traveller
  G.O.A.T
  Time
  Everyday
  Lucky You
  Wach
  Too much
  Fathela
  Flowers