Celebs and Radion Stations.

Talking of celebrities being Sexiest Kenyans by Stackofstiffys here is another field where they consider hiring music celebs as means to lure more listeners ( i mean radio and Television stations). I pull out this exerpt 4rm today's pulse magazine. Do you think a station can be more popular if they hire this group of Kenyans?

In the past it was fashionable to hire musicians to host shows on FM stations. However, the craze has since lost its following and celebrities currently on air are few and far between.

Collo

Tallia

A few years ago, it seemed as if all the local FM stations were competing to hire musicians as presenters on their shows. In fact, at one time leading stations such as Kiss FM had musical acts like Klepto’s Collo and Tattuu’s Debbie Asila. At Y-FM (now Hot FM), controversial genge rapper Nonini landed the prestigious position of breakfast show host, while Mwafrika was the evening ‘Da Joint’ presenter. Nazizi was at Easy FM (then Nation FM) with Tallia and Kris Darlin. Capital FM had former Coca-Cola popstar singer Sanaipei Tande. Even neo soul singer Didge was co-hosting a show on television — VIPI — with Mongolo. Some of these musicians have since moved on, for various reasons…

Nonini, one of the most controversial rappers, grew up in Calif Estate, where sheng is widely spoken. As most young people speak, and identify with, the colloquial language he was the perfect candidate as a presenter for Y-FM — a station targeting youth. Nonini even had a ‘sheng academy’ section incorporated into the show, where he analysed sheng words and sentences. However, the segment was later cut out after parents complained, saying that it would lead to students not performing well in Kiswahili examinations. Nonini says he quit because he felt unable to juggle his musical career and his job. After trying to compromise the two in vain, he eventually left the station. "I had to choose between my music career or radio." He adds that his music suffered during his stint as a presenter, because all his concentration was devoted to the radio show. "There is a lot of research work that’s needed when you are a host and that took almost all my free time," he says. Mwafrika (Makarius Ouma) was also another artiste on Y-FM hosting ‘Da Joint’ show, which was scrapped in July this year. It focused on underground music and musicians, so it made perfect sense to have one as their host. Kiss FM approached camera loving and the most outspoken of the Kleptomaniax, Collo, in October 2004 to work for them. He even ditched his trademark Bata bullets and switched to more formal attire. After three months of training, he became a co-host on the mid-morning show with Olivia Otieno. He was then transferred to the Saturday ‘Homeboyz Show’, but was fired when the station decided to downsize their staff. Collo, however, claims that leaving the station was his own decision as he felt he needed to concentrate on his music. "Having a show on Saturday was colliding with my gigs, as many are over the weekend and this meant I could not go for them."

Debbie Asila joined Kiss FM as a trainee and co-hosted the Saturday ‘Top 30 Charts’ programme with Maina Kageni. She had previously been doing voice overs at the station. Debbie says she only became an employee of Kiss in August this year and is now hosting the reggae show with Kajairo. Sanaipei Tande formerly of Sema, was slotted in to co-host the ‘Hits Not Homework’ show at Capital FM with Eve de Souza. However, she hardly got to say a word and left before her presence could be felt. However, she has just landed another job at the Kiss FM and has just concluded her training.

Nonini

Sanaipei

Soul child Didge has also joined radio "by default". He had gone for an interview at Easy FM during the East Africa Countdown — a show hosted by Tallia Oyando. After the interview he was asked if he would like to co-host the programme with her, an offer he took up. He is usually on air, unless otherwise occupied with gigs. Nazizi Hirji also had a short stint at Easy FM, co-hosting the reggae show with Kris Darlin and Tallia Oyando.

Tallia chose a career as a radio presenter over that as a musician. She joined Nation FM in 2003 hosting ‘Top Ten Till Ten’ and hosted other shows before settling on the reggae show. Sheila Mwanyigah is another musician who has stayed on in the radio business. She is now Easy FM’s Acting Head of Radio. Even top radio presenters Maina Kageni and Jimmi Gathu were once musicians. Maina was a member of Ebony Affair and released a single before joining Capital FM.

So what was the attraction of hiring celebrities as radio presenters?

Nonini says Y-FM’s Programmes Controller contacted him after watching him host a documentary that was based on Calif. "I think he liked the way I conducted myself and narrated the story," says Nonini. The rapper states that the influx of musicians at radio stations was as a result of their popularity. He explains that radio stations hire musicians in order to ride on their fame and use them as crowd pullers. "That’s definite, my status as a musician influenced me being taken up to host the show."

Citizen radio and TV’s Group’s Radio Programmes Director, Fred Afune, agrees that by hiring a recognised artiste they are bound to attract listeners, especially fans of the particular musician. However, he is quick to add that this was not the main consideration when they sought out Nonini to co-host the breakfast show. "He is street smart and his attitude suited the personality the station was looking for, for that position."

Mwafrika also feels he got the job because the producers wanted someone who was familiar with hip-hop and it had nothing to do with his music career, a statement Afune agrees with. "We felt Mwafrika was the right person for the job as he has a vast knowledge on hip-hop and is very passionate about it. He was also in college at the time we hired him and the then Y-FM was looking for this kind of person as he had the influence of his mates," says Afune.

The freestyle hip-hop king — who was recently honoured as one of the finest underground emcees internationally — has his music enjoying air time in Telesur, Venezuela, on one of Latin America’s newest broadcasting stations that is playing alternative music. The singer also features in the global remix album, The African Way that also includes rapper K’naan (a Canadian-based Somali rapper) and Godessa (from South Africa).

Didge

Nazizi

Collo is another celeb who does not think the station hired him because he was part of the Klepto trio. "In radio I was Collins Majale and not Collo. They took me on because of my creativity. I could connect with the listeners and could converse and not just anyone can do this. It’s got nothing to do with my music career." Kiss FM Programmes Controller, James Njoroge, echoes these sentiments, saying that the station does not take the fact that the person they hire is a musician or not into consideration, it’s how one performs that matters. "Everyone does add value when employed at the station," adds Njoroge. Collo recently got himself a job in the UK as a public relations officer and consultant for a non-governmental organization. However, he is still in Kenya amidst rumours that he is not liquid enough to fly back to the UK.

But Didge supports Nonini’s theory that their celebrity status influenced their being hired. "If an artiste is going to give you better ratings then why not hire them? The producer said I sound good, natural and made lots of jokes, and so was perfect for radio and Talia was also cool with the idea." However, Didge also confesses to have a love for the electronic media, as he considers himself a multi-talented artiste and this was a chance he would not have passed up.

Now it seems as though the stations have abandoned their penchant for musicians and switched to deejays. The Homeboyz are at Kiss FM; DJ Pinye is at Easy FM and NTV; Code Red and DJ Adrian are at Capital and Blackstar host a show dubbed ‘Extreme Videos’ on Citizen.

Is there a reason behind it?

Afune says that most of the musicians were disappointing as they did not deliver on radio. "They project a certain personality that did not transfer on radio. Most were not spontaneous and their presence did not raise ratings or increase listenership."

Kenya is not the only country in which popular showbiz personalities are taken on to add a touch of glamour to radio stations.

Debbie

Nikki

In Uganda, former Coca-Cola popstars Blu 3 members are presenters on various stations. Singing sensation Juliana Kanyomozi is also a presenter on the country’s Capital FM.

On an international level, hip-hop superstar Eminem has launched a satellite radio but does not necessarily host shows on it.

Former co-CEO of Roc-A-Fella, Damon Dash, also had his share of radio experience when he hosted a radio show called ROC radio, a Sunday show on New York radio station Power 105.1. However, it is the Snoop Doggy Dogg syndicated ‘The Big Snoop Radio Show’ that is perhaps the biggest show to be associated with an artiste. The show was first aired on Power 106 in Los Angeles in 2000 and became a huge success, noticeably increasing the station’s ratings. The four-hour programme plays a mix of new and old school tracks of R&B and hip-hop, as well as hosting in-studio interviews with artistes.