Art Caffe: We Are Not Racist

ArtCaffe have released a statement about the racist claims levelled against them on social media by one of their customers.

The statement read: "The Artcaffe Family, would like to respond to the Facebook-generated account of what happened at the Village Market Artcaffe Bakery on June 18, 2013.

A customer approached our Village Market branch bakery for his regular purchase of croissants. He was sold a large number of croissants, approximately 50 per cent of the remaining stock. We were happy to have his business; the client was immediately served as per his order.

On noticing the large size of the order, the branch manager advised the customer that in future it would help Artcaffe if the customer made larger orders in advance.

Advanced orders help the bakery plan for the greater need, ensuring that pastries remain available for take-away and in-person customers.

The suggestion was not well received leading to a minor disagreement in which voices were raised. The client was asked to step out and calm down as he was interfering with other customers who were having their breakfast. He left and came back into the restaurant after a few minutes where he had a fruitful discussion with the management team before leaving with his croissants as per order.

In the end the matter was resolved amicably. The manager and customer shook hands and the customer stated that he would continue to be an Artcaffe customer.

NO arrest or threat of arrest occurred during or after the incident.

The disagreement was based purely on the size of the order and NOT on race.

As a Kenyan company we do not tolerate discrimination in any form in our establishment. We employ and support over 550 staff members and their extended families, living and working here in Nairobi.

We work very hard to ensure that our customers get great food and service every day.

Where we have an incident of poor client service we use it as a learning experience to ensure that we improve our customer experience. We encourage customers who have received poor service to lodge a complaint with us to enable us improve our services so that the experience is never repeated.

Artcaffe is and will continue to tirelessly work to improve our service.

We thank all our loyal customers who have stood by us and continue to show us their love and support. We strive to continue to provide you with the best service and food possible and look forward to continuing our lasting friendship."
Sent from my BlackBerry®

Hollywood Film Featuring Lupita Nyongo Releases Photos

The Hollywood film that cast Kenyan actress, has released photos from the Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave.

The movie is based on a true story and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup, “a free man tricked, captured and sold into slavery in the film based off of Northup’s autobiography.”

Supporting Ejiofor are Kenya’s Lupita Nyongo who is joined by holywood stars like Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt and Paul Giamatti, among others.

In the photos you can catch a glimpse of Lupita in the movie. It is set for a December 27th, 2013, release.

 

JMartins Stuns Teen Fan With Sh85,000 Wristwatch

18 year old Musa Isa  from Kogi State will certainly have a tale to tell when he goes back to school.

But first, he has to come to terms with it himself. Because on Saturday, at the 2nd leg of the Star Music Trek concert which held at Lokoja stadium, Lokoja, the young secondary school student not only got a chance to see his favorite star-JMartins- face to face, he also left the venue with a special gift from the artiste, a wrist watch valued at over $10,000!

Urging the young boy to work hard and take his studies seriously, JMartins handed over his watch to an obviously overwhelmed Musa who will probably remember this act of generosity for a very long time to come.

Amidst the thunderous applause, there are very many for whom this bold gesture comes as a surprise- not because the reticent artiste is tight fisted but quite the opposite actually - because JMartins is well known for leading a quiet life and keeping his generous deeds well hidden from the public eye.
Sent from my BlackBerry®

Sauti Sol Gives Away New Love Song For Free!

Sauti Sol, East Africa’s Most Gifted Video of 2012 Channel O winners and Kenya’s high-flying recording/performing band, finally release the music video to “Still the One.”

The video of the single (released in April) off their soon-to-be-released third album is Sauti Sol’s most anticipated release to date. The audio version of the song has also been made available for free download at the Kenyan Music distribution website, Mdundo.com.

Sauti Sol explains; “We are really happy with the new video just released 12 hours ago, the response has been overwhelming. Sauti Sol's music is for everyone to enjoy and we are tired of fans not being able to get our music. We therefore hope that everyone will enjoy Still The One as a free high quality download from Mdundo.com”.

Check Out Nessa's Si Ndwele

Check out The soulful Nessa who has unveiled her new single Si Ndwele under the Team Mistari label.

Loving the soul and feel of the single.

Here have a listen...

Dohty Family: We Are Not To Blame

Now, the Dohty Family guys have come out to distance themselves from the Saturday chaos that were the reggae concert organised by Big Tunes Live and was to be headlined by Tarrus Riley And Alpha Blondy.

In a statement, Kris Darlin said, "...first, I, Kris Darlin on behalf of Dohty Family would like to apologise to all our fans and friends for the turnaround of events on Saturday 15th night at KICC.

"We Dohty Family were only contracted by the promoter of the TARRUS RILEY & ALPHA BLONDY Big Tunes Festival Kenya to supply DJ’s (Dohty Family djs) and an Emcee to host the event (Kris Darlin)...As such we were not responsible for the event logistics and the subsequent NO SHOW of the main artists.

"As we are looking forward to the OFFICIAL STATEMENT from BIG TUNES. We would like to state that also Dohty Family is DISAPPOINTED with the turn of events. It is not in our interest to be associated with PROMOTERS who do not have the interest of REGGAE MUSIC and its FANS at heart....we sincerely apologise to all who came out."

Chef Ali Joins The Africa Lets Go Crazy Coke campaign

Chef Ali has joined the Africa Lets Go Crazy Coke campaign where people perform Random Acts of Kindness.
Ali who bands himself the  Chef Ali l’artiste, will be part of a specific activation to get teens in schools to do Random Acts of Kindness.

The popular celebrity  culinary instructor, food stylist, visual and sugar artist , hotelier, role model, motivational singer and International Hall of Famer will give free cooking classes at schools as well as to children suffering from cerebral palsy.

He wants to empower youth with the realization that cooking can be a career and change lives as it did with his.

Hot Kenyan Songs This Week- Mdundo List

After only two weeks on Mdundo.com Jaguar's Kipepeo makes it to the most downloaded song this week! Two new songs on the list, Sage's Maskini does a comeback on the list followed by Kayvo Kforce's Spontaneous.

Sauti Sol lauched their new video for Still The One last night - get it from Mdundo.com after 12pm today.

MDUNDO TOP10 (MOVED UP / MOVED DOWN)
1. Kipepeo - Jaguar
2. Ligi Soo - Rabbit (Kaka Sungura)
3. Twenzetu feat. Madtraxx - Mejja
4. We Miss Them feat. Nadu - Rabbit (Kaka Sungura)
5. Stay So Fly - Octopizzo
6. Awinja - Sauti Sol
7. Tafuta feat. Mr. Nice - DNA
8. Spontaneous feat. Phil. B. - Kayvo Kforce (NEW ON TOP10)
9. Maskini - Sage (BACK ON TOP10)
10. Kudyambo - Collo

HOT SONG OF THE WEEK: Still The One - Sauti Sol

Did Big Tunes Pay Tarrus? They Claim They Did!

The promoters of the weekend reggae concert that turned into a violent faisco have claimed the concert failure is not thier fault.

In a press statement posted on Big Tunes' Facebook Page and signed off by the director Otieno Mako’Ochieng claim they paid Tarru Riley and that Alpha Blondy will host a free concert in days to come.

It reads, "...it is a fact the artist Tarrus Riley and band were paid by Big Tunes Live Limited a total of euros 14 thousand before the date of the event based on a contract that required the artist to receive 80% of the payment before departure and 20% before the show. As represented on our poster and marketing collateral the show was a Dusk to Dawn affair, beginning from 6pm till 6am and it is a also fact by the time a few misguided individuals decided to disrupt the show, we still had over three hours before conclusion of our event. The rest is history."

It continues, "Courtesy of Big Tunes Live Limited the artist Alpha Blondy will be back in Kenya within the next few weeks to perform live at a free concert at a venue yet to be determined. All tickets for last Saturday’s festival remains valid for this exciting upcoming Alpha Blondy concert in Nairobi. Over the next the next two weeks we will embark on validating all tickets and ticketholders who may have lost their tickets during last week’s event.

"Confirmations and validation of tickets purchased by all our ticketing agents and individual resellers of the same will occur at the same time. To all ticketholders for last event, we strongly suggest that you maintain your proof of purchase to gain entry at the upcoming Alpha Blondy concert.

"Lastly and this message is aimed directly to our fans in Kenya, our commitment to you is unwavering, solid and we will never quit on this journey."

Now You Can Tweet And Facebook In A Matatu

Leading integrated communications services provider Safaricom Ltd has partnered with PSV operators in an initiative dubbed “Vuma Online” that will see passengers access free internet in more than 200 matatu’s and buses by September this year.

A total of 46 PSV vehicles plying the Buruburu, Langata, Rongai, Umoja, Githurai, Dandora, Kiambu and Kenyatta University routes have already been fitted with subsidised Wi-Fi routers in the Kshs.7 million initiative which is part of the Telco’s on-going effort to grow its data footprint.

The move will give customers the opportunity to remain connected to unlimited 3G internet without having to use their existing bundles. Buses on the Nairobi- Mombasa route will also offer the innovative new service.

Speaking during the launch, Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore hailed the partnership with the PSV sector noting that the move to provide “mobile internet” was a perfect example of products and services adapting to suit consumers’ lifestyles.

“Most of our customers use Matatu’s and buses as their preferred mode of transport on a day to day basis. This therefore presents us with a fantastic opportunity to drive home the internet story and make it a way of life among our customers which we believe we will achieve by availing FREE Wi-Fi internet in matatus,” said Collymore.

Collymore further added that that the new initiative is part of an on-going campaign to democratize data. Presently, more than half of Safaricom’s customer base has access to an internet device a result Collymore attributed to the introduction of subsidized smartphones.

Said Matatu Owners Association Chairman Simon Kimutai,“This is a very exciting phase for the PSV sector. We have a lot of innovation put into buses and matatu’s over the years, but this is a major milestone. With over 300,000 Kenyans using public transport every day, we believe having Wi-Fi in PSV’s will go a long way in making our passengers commute worthwhile.”

With 1,439 bases 3G base stations, Safaricom accounts for more than 50% of all internet connections in the country. Data accounted for more than 23% of the overall revenue for the telecommunications firm last year, from the 4.6 million customers as at March 2011.

Junaya, The Boy To Watch, In Gospel Rap

An Evening With Al Pacino

DVK, the global private equity and commodity trading company, founded by the financial alchemist Deepak Kuntawala, was delighted to be the title sponsor of the sell-out European premiere of An Evening with Pacino, which saw Hollywood screen legend Al Pacino in his acclaimed one-man show at the world famous London Palladium recently.

An Evening with Pacino explored the myriad highlights of one of the most celebrated careers in acting history, from his time off-Broadway in the 1960s right up to the present day, with the actor himself in intimate theatre surroundings.

The evening included an on-stage interview projected on a state-of-the-art large screen, bringing the action closer to the audience. The show also gave the public a rare chance to speak directly to Al Pacino in a Question & Answer session.

One of the very few actors to have won the ‘Triple Crown’ in acting (Oscar, Emmy and Tony Awards), winning his first Tony in 1969 for Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie, Al Pacino won worldwide acclaim for his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather, which also gave him the first of his eight Academy Award nominations.

An enduring and highly regarded acting career has followed, with standout performances in Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Scarface, Sea of Love, Glengarry Glen Ross, Heat, Donnie Brasco, and Scent Of A Woman, for which he won the Best Actor Award at the 1992 Oscars.

Speaking about the show, Al Pacino said: ‘I love being on the stage, it’s a big passion of mine. It was a privilege to perform in London at the Palladium after so many years. I loved the live element of the event and being so close to my fans in the UK. The last time I was here was for the docu-drama Wilde Salome. It’s always great to be back’.

The actor has also directed and produced several films, including Looking For Richard and the soon-to-be released Wilde-Salome starring Jessica Chastain as Oscar Wilde’s Salome.

Al Pacino said of his project: ‘I saw the play [Salome] for the first time in London. It struck me immediately and affected me. When I asked who wrote it, I learned it was Oscar Wilde. I decided I wanted to do it straight away. I pursued the dream for years and did it on Broadway first’.

Ever the innovative entrepreneur, Deepak Kuntawala recently chartered new territory when he established the DVK Global Entertainment Investment Fund to nurture and finance interesting and unique global entertainment projects.

The fund will be governed by leading international law firm Mishcon De Reya and structured by the world’s largest professional services firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

The fund’s first heavyweight project is its title sponsorship of An Evening with Pacino, which brought the award-winning icon Al Pacino to the London stage.

Aima Moses Teams Up With West African Act Sol X-Ray

Two artistes from different parts of the world had one vision.

That vision has become reality with the release of the single Beat Dem, recorded by Dominican reggae artiste Aima Moses and Toga, West African artiste Sol X-Ray.

Beat Dem, an effectively crafted track featuring drums and other key instruments, tells the tale about the fight against wickedness musically and spiritually, while inspiring listeners at the same time.

In a release to the media, Moses explained how the song materialized. "The collaboration came about after Adrian ‘Donsome’ Hanson and Sol X-Ray’s team wanted both of us to collaborate. Two artistes in different parts of the world with one vision", said Moses.

With its enigmatic beat and instrumentation which provides ear candy to the most discerning musical tastes, Beat Dem was produced by Hanson.

Said Moses, "It was necessary to utilize the drums and other key instruments in this recording because of the vibration of the song. The words without these instruments would never be complete or reach its true potential or its true sound".

The response to the song has been all positive. "The response is mighty. One of the best feelings an artiste can receive is love and appreciation for his work, especially a cultural artiste with a song that’s not so commercial," Moses pointed out.

This isn’t the first time that Moses has recorded a collaboration. He has done work with UK based Ras Bruno, French dancehall artiste Kaso, and Jamaican artiste Cario. Additionally, he has recordings to be released on his upcoming album featuring two big name Jamaican reggae artists.

Author Robin Sharma joins Mi-Fone

Mi-Fone - The first African mobile devices brand, announced that Robin Sharma – the thought leader, inspiring millions of people across the world has joined its Board of Advisors.

Sharma is world renowned for his best selling leadership books such as “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”, “The Greatness Guide” and his current popular page-turner “The Leader Who Had No Title”. He is also the founder of eGuru, a technology company focused on lifestyle improvement.

"I'm absolutely amped to partner up with Mi-Fone, one of the coolest and fastest growing companies in the world. I love what they're doing to bring mobile access to every African, and am so excited that they'll be delivering my daily inspiration and success tools to users via their devices. This is a game-changer," said Sharma.

The Mi-Fone brand is edgy and different, and plans to customize Robin Sharma content for its customers by providing exclusive content pre-installed on its devices. Daily motivational messages from Robin Sharma via applications and unique experiences will bring one of the most sought after leadership speakers in the world right into the hands of the majority market in Africa looking to be inspired.

Mi-Fone’s CEO Alpesh Patel says “Having Robin Sharma join Mi-Fone is a great honour and privilege for us. We are going to be able to harness his Leadership skills to deliver inspiring content to our mass-market African consumers. To see Robin live on stage is “Inspiration beyond reach” for most African consumers. With Robin’s daily messaging on our Mi-Fone low cost Smartphones we will now be able to deliver “Inspiration within reach”.

Mi-Fone will soon be launching Robin Sharma executive webinars exclusive for corporate companies who would like some Sharma magic direct into their boardrooms, PCs and laptops. The whole objective is to inspire, motivate and aspire at all Management levels. Mi-Fone’s CMO, Nicolas Regisford, goes on to say “The Mi-Fone vision which started out as a mobile device company in 2008 is evolving into a lifestyle brand and in our relationship with Robin we hope to touch and change lives across the continent by motivating people daily through the brand association”

Blackberry and Alicia Keys Is Looking for Kenyan Women Techies

BlackBerry is reaching out to women in Kenya to urge them to apply for the new BlackBerry Scholars Program,an initiative designed to inspire women globally to enter and develop careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Led by BlackBerry Global Creative Director, Alicia Keys, the BlackBerry Scholars program will offer ten full, four year university scholarships to outstanding female candidates. The BlackBerry Scholars Program is available to women in Kenya and will provide scholarships to outstanding applicants who are seeking degrees at accredited local colleges and universities in the areas of STEM across Kenya.

“Women are underrepresented in fields of science and technology, and we feel strongly that it’s time to drive a change,” said BlackBerry Global Creative Director, Alicia Keys. “It’s important to connect the dots for young women in secondary school and college, and show them that careers in science and technology are within their reach. And when women do land these jobs, it’s vital they receive the mentoring and support they need to advance in their careers. I’m proud BlackBerry is demonstrating leadership in women’s education, both in school and in the workplace, and giving back to its most loyal users in such a profound way.”

Applications are now open to candidates in Kenya, who are interested in the scholarship, and will close at 9 pm GMT on June 26th, 2013. The scholars will be selected by a panel of inspirational and accomplished women, led by Alicia Keys, who will recruit candidates based on their academic merit and passion for entering the mobile computing industry.

This scholarship program is the first step in BlackBerry’s long-term commitment and multi-tiered strategy to engage young women at every step of their education from secondary school to college, and as they rise through their careers. As more than 55% of BlackBerry customers are women, BlackBerry aims to champion this generation of female leaders as they strive to achieve their ambitions in this highly competitive industry.

For those interested application is now open and will close at 9 pm GMT on June 26th, 2013. For more information about the program, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, please visit www.blackberry.com/scholars.

How To Get Dan Aceda's New Album, Made In kenya

Made in Kenya is the brand new album released by Kenyan Award winning singer/songwriter Dan Aceda.

It is his third studio album and was released on the June 1 under the African Bonfire, an independent Record Label based in Nairobi.

Listen to the album here. However, a digital copy is now available for the super low price of only 7 USD.

What's more you can pay via VISA or MASTERCARD or even your DEBIT CARD and download the whole album right into your playlist

Singer Chidinma and Mr 2Kay On New Single

After successfully releasing two hit tracks, Beat For My Heart and Bubugaga, Grafton Records signee, Mr. 2Kay has dropped a brand new single titled, Oga DJ featuring popular songstress, Chidinma.

The single, “Oga DJ” which was produced by Tha Suspect is a club banger that will take over airwaves and clubs in no time.

Here Is A Brief Background on Tazama TV Show

Man Wazimu unveils Kenyan riddim

Kenyan artiste, Man Wazimu has a new single out. He has titled it Victim.

He says it is a "Construction Riddim which describes the feeling of the downtrodden in Kenya today."

Well, have a listen...

CNN’s Edythe McNamee wins Gaby Rado Award at Amnesty International Media Awards

CNN digital journalist Edythe McNamee took home the Gaby Rado Award at the Amnesty International Media Awards for the web feature Mauritania: Slavery’s Last Stronghold.

The Gaby Rado Award acknowledges emerging journalists who have covered national or international human rights stories in broadcast, online or print media.

Mauritania: Slavery’s Last Stronghold, a CNN Freedom Project feature, reveals the shocking extent of slavery in modern Mauritania. The judges remarked that the piece “broke new ground with a haunting, powerful story that needed to be told".

Peter Bale, VP & General Manager, CNN Digital, said: “Mauritania: Slavery’s Last Stronghold was part of CNN’s commitment to the Freedom Project which demonstrates CNN has been prepared to be an advocate not just a reporter in exposing modern day slavery. We’re proud to see Edythe recognised for her excellent work on this outstanding report”.

Wahu Channels 90's RnB Diva In New Music Video

Singer Wahu has just released her hew music video titled For You.

The first thing that struck me about the music video was how it took me back to the days when RnB divas rulled the airwaves.

The days of XScape, Monica, Aaliyah and Brandy. She dresses the part, and channels the intensity as well.

Check out the video produced by R Kay...

Shoot A Music Video With Nokia!

Fancy making collaborative videos with your friends? Nokia is combining the power of PureView, its latest imaging technology, with the social nature of Windows Phone 8 to bring video enthusiasts a new social video app, Vyclone.

Downloadable from the Windows Store, Vyclone enables the ability to co-create and edit multi-camera movies, simply and without the need for expensive cameras or editing software.

The social video app is available on Nokia Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone 8 and allows people to immediately share the content via social networks. It also enables users to record HD video using PureView camera optics for crisper imagery and superior audio.

Now you can mix film taken on your own phone with footage taken by other people filming the same events such as football matches or live music shows. Get some friends together, shoot some footage and Vyclone does the rest. In a few moments it synchronizes and edits everyone’s clips to create one movie with all the angles cut together. You also get the raw footage so you can remix it to make your own version. And when you’re happy with your masterpiece, you can easily share it via your Nokia Lumia smartphone.

According to Nokia’s head of product marketing for East Africa, King’ori Gitahi, the company is committed to enhancing the user experience by delivering new capabilities on the Nokia Lumia range of smartphones.

“One of Nokia’s advantages lies in our PureView imaging technology, which enables a clearer, more user-friendly experience on the Vyclone app. With the introduction of Vyclone, Nokia Lumia owners will be able to make higher quality movies than their peers on other platforms,” said Gitahi.“Users are going to have a lot of fun playing with this app – and making their own customized video mixes.”

Nokia has also introduced Creative Studio app which allows users to take and edit their images without a hastle. Exclusive to Nokia Lumia, users can swipe through a series of creative effects, add focus blur or create an impressive color pop effect. With Creative Studio users can also create a beautiful collage, quickly adjust color balance, remove red eye and share the pictures directly with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Vyclone and Creative Studio join a long list of popular apps available on Nokia Lumia smartphones, which now comprises over 90 percent of the top 50 apps globally, including: Pandora, Temple Run, Burton, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, ESPN Hub, LinkedIn, TripAdvisor, Vimeo, WhatsApp, Words with Friends, Draw Something, Oreo Skies, World of Red Bull and The Sims Medieval. There are more than 145,000 apps available for the Windows Phone platform and the number is growing daily.

Vyclone is available as a free download for Windows Phone 8 devices from Windows Phone Store.

This Xenophobia Movie Highlights The Ordeal Of Migrants In SA

The movie, Man on Ground, was inspired by a photograph of Ernesto Nhamuave burning to death during the xenophobic riots.

The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and subsequently received multiple awards at the Jozi Film Festival, the African Movie Academy Awards and Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards.

The movie is backed by IOM campaign ‘I Am a Migrant Too,’ which aims to promote peace and diversity by enabling South African communities to recognize that everyone has at some point been a migrant and that migration should be therefore celebrated.

‘Tell Them We Are From Here’ is an anti-xenophobia campaign led by Akin Omotoso, the writer and director of ‘Man on Ground.’

The campaign challenges South African communities and migrants to live peacefully together irrespective of differences.


You can Watch the making of the movie here...
 

Singer Mimi Talks About Her Hustles Before The Music

Meet Mimi an afro princess shares her story through music. She comes from a a humble background.

Born and raised in a small village called Kaburugi in Muranga, Mimi has gone through a somewhat difficult childhood mostly faced with financial constraints especially in the Education sphere.

After her secondary education at Alliance Girls she was called to Moi University but could not go on with her studies due to financial dificulties.

She sort to seek her fortunes in Dubai  by taking up the business opportunities but all this hit a snag.

Later a well wisher who felt that Mimi needed a good education, catered for her undergraduate studies this was after she got an inter-university transfer from Moi University to Nairobi University where she did a double major in Literature and Communication and graduated with a first class honors.

This saw her get awarded with an Exchange Program to SOKA University of Japan where she took a course in Economics, Japan and Asia studies.

During her studies in Japan her passion of music saw her compose songs and finally settled on recording ‘Step Up Your Game’.

Now, Mimi seeks to revolutionize the industry through her music and help nurture talent especially of young girls who have been through similar challenges in life.

"Life always gives us a second chance and the music industry is a tricky one especially for new artists but it is all about charging on, never giving up and standing out with your talent," she says.

Have a listen to her single Step Up Your Game...

 

Kanja and Military Swag Unveil Their Video Give It To Me