PULSE FICTION, FACT OR BOTH

This is NAGI Events official response to an article published on Friday July 13, 2007, by Pulse magazine of East African Standard.

Kenyan musicians’ trips abroad aren’t always a bed of roses. Visa abuse, performances in sleazy speak-easies and having to ‘crash’ at promoters’ cribs means visits overseas aren’t always a hotel!

For folks who have not read the article, please feel free to read it but in a nut shell the article is supposedly dealing with Kenyan artist’s struggles abroad especially in regards to promoters among other things.

As an event planning company based in Los Angeles, CA. Nagi events can comment on the topic of discussion of this article. Nagi events has hosted artists from Kenya both for a one-time-event or managing their whole tour in the US. Nagi events take pride in our professionalism and we are therefore clearly offended by the “blanket” opinion offered in this shameless self promoting article. Nagi events agree that the entertainment promotional business has some unscrupulous individuals who run their “businesses” without any ethics but we also have professionals. Nagi events are proud to count ourselves among the professionals. We are also proud of all the artists who time and time again put up great shows but more importantly for the nagieventers who come out to support the artists.

 At nagievents, we rarely if ever comment on other publications but we felt it was irresponsible journalism for the East African Standard to create a fake illusion by quoting sources that cannot be collaborated. In the process whether by design or not, the article misses a great opportunity to address the problem of bad promoters that continues to prey on the Kenyan artists. The writer could have easily contacted most of the artists that have toured to get their side of the story but instead relied on a couple of individuals masquerading as the good guys. Just to rely on one promoter and producer for information, pictures etc leads the article to be biased and more importantly creates an illusion that the subjects questioned are the “good guys”. It’s not nagievents arena to indicate who is good or bad but to be taken seriously any magazine should check their sources. Sources tend to have all kind of agendas and it’s upon the journalist to decipher fact or fiction. In this particular case Pulse fails miserably.

The irony of the article is the truth has been juxtaposed with lies and for a reader who may not be privileged with behind the scenes information they may buy into it. More importantly some of the false impressions created may have far reaching consequences.

 One positive the article mentions is that artists should do their research. Nagi events couldn’t agree more with that statement. Our advice to all the artists in Kenya is very simple. Don’t sign with anybody until you do your homework. Talk to the artists who have traveled to the states and get their experience first hand. Ask them whether they overstayed their visas and what role the promoter/producer played. You may be surprised to hear the artist answers after you have read the article in question. Inquire where the artists were "holed" and the living conditions during their tour i.e. hotel, apartment etc. Talk to most promoters, most of them have websites. Some of them will promise you the world and others will be real. Just make an informed decision. If the promoter or an article tells you the promoter will take care of anything, have it in writing. Be wary of any article that quotes someone saying so and so is the best promoter (please, check their past history on what has transpired with the artists that they have brought on tour or the people they have worked with in the US). The article throws words like “rewarding gigs” recklessly. Please find out more i.e. rewarding to whom..The fans? Promoters or the artists? In most of these cases the promoters tend to be the beneficiaries and the artist and fans are left out to dry. Please, please it is very simple, have it in writing because if you don’t you could be easily be screwed by the promoters, producers or whoever you are dealing with. In case of any issues follow-up with the right channels i.e. courts and you will have a good chance. In the United States just like in most countries the rule of the law is the key.

 To sum up nagi events reaction to the article at hand, the clear losers are the people behind the shameless self promotion and the readers can easily figure that out. However, the article does a major disservice to the young artists trying to make it to the next level. It gets harder to acquire a visa and more importantly the few who do, may choose a promoter based on false information from the pulse article. It begs the question why Pulse editors would allow such an article to be printed without checking their facts. Nagi events can only speculate but from Nagi events standpoint it definitely looks like a shameless promotional plug of the “producer” and “promoter” mentioned in the article. At the end of the day the shameless plug may deceive a few but the truth always prevails. To all the good folks out there, continue the good work and let them know the truth and more importantly continue to support the artists and DEMAND professionalism from all the promoters.

Nagi events welcomes any comments you may have, please sign the guest list with your comments and questions. Thanks.

See you at the next nagievent and as we like to say:

"Be There or Hear About it"

What others are saying

FROM UMOJA ENTERTAINMENT

Pulse Cover Story Wrong Facts
The Pulse Cover Story on East African Standard (7/13/07) by Stevens Muendo is composed of Self promotional and Inaccurate information But some parts of the article are true. The Author Steven Muendo seems to have gotten most of cover story from the former "Makanga" Turned Music Producer Banda of the Ogopa DJs. Banda Claims that they organized a show here in the US for Ray C after she got stranded and played by the producer, well this never happened. Ray C performed Only 2 shows one in Houston done by a Tanzanian Promoter and One in New Jersey for Kenyans and Tanzanian which also featured Pilipili. Banda Further claims that their cars were towed from a white neighborhood because they posed a security threat ??? The word is that they went to an apartment complex and parked their cars at Reserved parking spots only for the tenants who live in the complex. This ignorance is what lead to their cars being towed. They were in Paterson which is a pre dominantly Black City (80%). This Luhya probably mistook the Latino Community for Wazungu. This story is a clear indication of Media hype and self promotion that is being done to fool the local readers back in Kenya. The artist have no idea that Bamboo was actually born here and is basically an American Citizen who needs no Visa to travel to US. By putting this kind of article , they make it even harder and will subject other musicians who have ever visited the US for more scrutiny at the Embassy when trying to come here to visit. The guy had all nice things to Say about Ogopa Affiliated artist and at the same time trash other artist even calling them ignorant. This will sure change things both here in the US and at the Visa Section in Kenya.

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