STORY: Kenya's night comes alive as Chinese-sponsored concert ignites revelers' spirits
SHOOTING TIME: April 6, 2024
DATELINE: April 9, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:34
LOCATION: Nairobi
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of revelers at the concert
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SYLVIA SARU, Rap artist
3. various of Chinese companies sponsoring the concert
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MARTHA HURO, Managing director for East Africa at Boomplay
5. various of the concert
6. various of revelers at the concert

STORYLINE:

A young crowd of revelers filled the giant Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) dome in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Saturday evening to attend the Boomfest, a musical concert sponsored by Boomplay, a popular music streaming platform in Africa.

One by one, popular artists joined the well-lit stage of the ASK dome, belting out lyrics that lightened the mood of the audience.

Sylvia Saru, a female rap artist who headlined the show had a powerful stage presence, winning the hearts of fans with songs whose message captured popular social themes.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SYLVIA SARU, Rap artist
"Basically, it is here to unite, to embrace Kenyan music because I think we haven't embraced our own artists enough. So the Boomfest is here to remind us to celebrate our own music, to unite the industry as a whole."

Among the Chinese firms that sponsored the festival was Transsion, the parent company of the Infinix, Tecno, and Itel brands of smartphones that are popular in Kenya, as well as Oraimo, a maker of wearables and music-listening devices.

Africa's largest music streaming platform, Boomplay, founded by a young Chinese entrepreneur together with Kenyan innovators, convened the Boomfest, which attracted over 10 local artists.

Martha Huro, managing director for East Africa at Boomplay, said the festival was aimed at celebrating the rapid evolution of indigenous music while honoring the resilience and agility of local artists.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MARTHA HURO, Managing director for East Africa at Boomplay
"We need to celebrate African music in Africa. Usually that does not happen most of the time. So we sat down at a round table and thought, 'We are the number one music streaming app in Africa, then why not create a festival for the African markets?' And then because Kenya was the ardent speaker about this event, that's why we are here today."

She added that Boomplay, founded in 2015 by Transsnet Music Limited, has been crucial in revolutionizing Kenya's entertainment industry, forging robust ties between artists and their fans.

According to Huro, Boomplay has boosted revenue streams for local artists besides helping them fight piracy and is user-friendly and affordable to music lovers compared with other Western competitors.

In Africa, Boomplay has more than 100 million users and in Kenya, the music streaming platform has about 4.5 million active users and 15 million total users, according to Huro.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi.
(XHTV)