PeaceTones held open auditions in each of the three townships of Kibera, Mathare and Babandogo to select contestants in our Songs For Justice contest. Artists were required to have three original songs, based on their narratives and experiences of life in their communities, which were video-recorded and later used for the online contest, as selected. The winner recorded an album with PeaceTones.
As a culmination of our collective work in Kenya, PeaceTones held a "Songs For Justice Concert" on March 15th. For one day, musicians from all three Nairobi communities came together, put aside tribal tension and political frustration to create music together and celebrate peace. The concert, which featured local artists, shined a light on the power of music to connect people from all backgrounds and cultures as well as to inspire real social change.
PARTNERS & JUDGES:
Kenneth Owade & Isaac Nandikove, YMCA Kibera – Grassroots community organizers & youth leaders, Nairobi
Ramadhan Obiero, ACREF – Grassroots arts and community organizer/activist, Nairobi
The Foundation of Artists Managing Events (FAME), Nairobi
Eric Wainaina – Internationally renowned Kenyan musician, Nairobi
Daniel Muli, Just A Band – Internationally renowned Kenyan musicians, Nairobi
Emmanuel Mwendwa – Kenyan music journalist, Nairobi
Michael Rexford & Jeff Biederman, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips – Music Law Experts, Los Angeles
Joshua Smith – documentary photographer, San Francisco