“Kenyan promoters should get serious!” Richy Haniel weighs in recent flopped concerts

Richard Haniel Mashua, known to many as Richy Haniel, has faulted event promoters for the flopped events in the last 2 months where artists refused to go on stage despite being in the venue.

Also read: How Richy Haniel is helping upcoming artists and DJs fulfill their dreams

Speaking exclusively to Ghafla, Richy Haniel, who is the brains behind the biggest YouTube music channel in Kenya, explained that the people who were behind Gengetone Festival and NaiFest were newcomers.

Richy Haniel

As such, it was almost certain that they would face challenges because they do not know much about events planning neither do they have enough connections.

Richy Haniel went on to add that most promoters are shady and it was right for the artists not to go on stage because the former will get used to them.

“They can’t perform. These promoters will assure you that they will pay you after the event but they won’t. If you go on stage without getting money and start looking for the promoter after they event, they don’t pick calls,” he said.

Richy Haniel with Mbogi Genje

According to him, dubious promoters are the reason why artists who are from outside the country ask for the full pay even before they land.

I also asked him about Richy Haniel musical journey and he told me that he released his first song in 2012 but it was not until 2015 that he started doing music professionally. He has around 10 songs to date.

You’ve probably heard his jam with Mbogi Genje dubbed Wamocho. He told this writer that the Kidungi hitmakers have been his acquaintances for a long time so he just pitched the idea to them and they agreed to work together.

Later on, they asked Mejja to drop a verse and that is how Wamocho was born. They later shot the video and as we speak the song is currently at 1 million views.

His thoughts on Gengetone? Richy Haniel explained that although COVID-19 had impacted the sound because of the closure of clubs, it is still very much alive.

Watch the video below and tell us what you think.

Willis Raburu speaks up after much-hyped Gengetone Festival disappointed fans

Willis Raburu has finally spilled the beans on what actually transpired during the much-hyped Gengetone Festival on Saturday that saw no artist perform and with countable fans in attendance.

The Gengetone Festival was one of the most-awaited public performances in the country, before COVID-19 struck and the event had to be brought to a halt until further notice.

Also read: Jalang’o hits backs after ‘Lewa’ hitmaker publicly calls out Kiss FM for discriminating the Gengetone group

An event that had been set for April 2020, with artists gracing the event already paid up half the amount but the situation could not allow.

The Gengetone Festival mess

Well now, time was up and the Festival was finally going down at Machakos Peoples Park on October 31. However, the evening event instead turned into a major disappointment.

It begins with a handful of fans turning up for the event, as the Citizen TV journalist tried to hype the crowd ahead of anticipated stellar performances from Gengetone groups later on.

Unfortunately, there were zero performances.

First, the Gengetone artists never got on stage, as late as 8pm with an event set to end by 9pm. With at least 6 Gengetone groups scheduled to perform.

Failed Gengetone Festival 2020

It later emerges that things behind the scenes were the problem.

Raburu speaks

In an angry rant online, an embarrassed and irritated Willis Raburu through a video, called out the event organizers for hyping an event, paying suppliers, the venue, sound engineers and all. But not a single artist got a share of the money.

Raburu Gengetone Festival 2020

According to him, no artist had been paid prior to them getting on stage so he told them not to perform. Event organizers threw in all sorts of lame excuses and fake promises that did not rub off well with the artistes.

They left the event, greatly disappointed and feeling used. Clarifying that never again will Gengetone artistes accept to be fooled and taken for granted by event organizers who think they are not worth the money.

Raburu labelled their actions as ‘immoral’, urging all artistes in the country to ‘speak up’ and get the respect they deserve.

Raburu speaks up after failed Gengetone Festival 2020

Because, if there had been International artistes to perform at the event, they would have been paid even before boarding their flight to Kenya.

A bad habit among organizers dealing with local artists that Willis Raburu brutally condemned and spoke against. Declaring it is time, this stopped!

Have a listen;

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHCtsp0H4Ma/

Gengetone Festival CEO Mtetei Mtetezi urges Uhuru to lift the COVID-19 restrictions as artistes continue to suffer

Renowned organizer Mtetei Mtetezi has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to lift the regulations that have been put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 because many local artists are going through a hard time.

Also read: What next for Kenyan entertainment after COVID-19?

Mtetezi, who is the CEO of Gengetone Festival, called on the president to have artists, who rely on performance fees to put food on their tables, in mind when he makes his next announcement.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9gZlqOhoO2/

“I’d like to appeal to the president to consider artistes who have not been having shows since COVID-19 began,” he remarked.

When the first case of Coronavirus was announced on March 13, 2020, the government put in place many measures to stop the spread of the deadly virus that originated in China.

Some of the measures included, restricting international travel, asking citizens to wear masks, banning large public gatherings and ordering the closure of pubs and entertainment joints.

The last two have really hurt the entertainment industry since most artists rely on doing shows to afford their basic needs.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-yu615hqa-/

Gengetone Festival CEO Mtetei Mtetezi was among those who were affected by the move by the government to ban public gatherings since he had to postpone a mega event that was to go down on April 10, 2020.

The function, which was to be held at Machakos People’s Park, had a star studded line up including the likes of Jua Cali, Sailors, Ethic, Boondocks Gang, Zzero Sufuri, just to name a few. Willis Raburu was to emcee the gig.

Mtetezi joins a long list of public figures who have urged the president to lift the bans. A fortnight ago, Khaligraph Jones penned down a letter to Uhuru informing him how artists are suffering.