By Ogova Ondego
Published November 25, 2013

10th kenya music weekKenya Music Week, an annual platform for the Kenya music sector to trade, learn and perform, is scheduled to run at Nairobi’s Sarit Centre, December 12-15, 2013, on the theme, Celebrating 50 years of Kenyan music.

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The event, that marks its 10th edition in 2013 and is usually marked in December, has “been officially recognised as one of the events for celebrating Kenya’s 50 Years of Independence,” says Mike Strano of Phat Africa and Kenya Music Week.

Among the activities lined up during the event that has been held in Nairobi annually since 2004, says Strano, are:
* a decade-by-decade build-up for five weeks on KISS 100’s Keepin it Kenyan, every Sunday from November 17 to December 15, 2013.
* decade-by-decade educational workshops (i.e. learning from our past to plan our future) on the evolution of Kenya’s music industry; facilitated by David Muriithi of Creative Enterprise Centre and Tabu Osusa of Ketebul Music;
* an Exhibition of 50 photographs of the Kenya Music industry; it is intended to tour for the next 12 months at various Exhibition Venues;
* a live recording studio to be operated by Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) and through which KAMP members will be on-hand to record a demo for up-and-coming talent of their Songs dedicated to Kenya.

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“Kenya Music Week has for 10 Years consistently lived up to its mission of helping to develop a Kenya music industry that is professional, transparent and profitable for All via the focused co-operation of all Stakeholders–musicians, producers, promoters, distributors, consumers, government and NGOs”, said Bruce Odhiambo, Deputy Executive Director of Kenya@50. “We are Proud to be associated with such an initiative whose own 10th anniversary is coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of Kenya’s  independence.