It’s really beautiful to see the Kenyan YouTube space grow and expand every day. There is really space for everyone in the creative industry, and Kenyans are now open to trying out these new things. It’s impossible for us to exhaust our occupancy of the internet, and use it to share our talent and our creativity.
That said, Cleaning the Airwaves is a platform that carries out interviews with various artists, producers, musicians, comedians, and other personalities. The channel was started 6 years ago and has since grown thoroughly in terms of production and also in terms of its audience. The interviewer does a great job of interacting with his interviewees to bring out various emotions. But beyond that, it feels like a personalized conversation, and at the end of each episode, you realise that everyone has a story to tell. Everyone has a story that makes them who they are.
Here are 5 reasons why you should watch Cleaning the Airwaves.
- It is inspiring
I think we sometimes imagine that some of these people who have made it in the industry are not human. We impose such unnecessary expectations without knowing that they may be going through some things which are hindering their productivity. What I have come to learn from Cleaning the Airwaves is that life isn’t a straight line for anyone. Everyone has at one point or another been through something.
Take Prezzo for example, who was shot directly in the head by hijackers. He speaks about this incident for the first time in Cleaning the Airwaves.
Nonini tells a resilient story of making the song Manzi wa Nairobi. He speaks about how the song was made and remade several times, went through an audition, and failed, then eventually made it. This story is extremely inspiring because he went through so many hardships and this particular one was his breakthrough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X4EkVjVun4
Again, Nameless tells the story of how he survived a life-threatening stroke called a subarachnoid haemorrhage, which changed his whole perspective of life. As the host says in one of the episodes, “You don’t really know people until you take your time to know them.” It’s very interesting to see these artists rise above these challenges, and this can inspire you to know that you can too. Here is Nameless- My near-death experience
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F-cjlHHL30&t=54s
- Excellent production skills
If you have been involved in any kind of film work or production, you know how much work goes into it. You can shoot an entire video only to realise at the end that it wasn’t recording. The sound could go wrong or the camera could be out of focus. Knowing this, it’s easy to pick out and see well-done productions. For Cleaning the Airwaves, it is obvious that a lot of work has done in the pre-production stage. The audio is clean and the video is crisp. The host has clearly done his research and is able to engage with the interviewer in a way that makes them seem like friends, or like they have known each other for a while.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JREaKTyczPc&t=120s
- It’s a great pastime
Cleaning the Airwaves is very entertaining. It’s actually very easy to binge-watch this show. My favourite episode was the one where he featured Eric Wainaina. He’s a great storyteller. He is witty and makes his story very relatable. I remember when he said that back when he was in Saint Mary’s School, he stopped singing for a while because he thought it wasn’t ‘cool.’ Then one day, he auditioned to perform at a Prize Giving Day, and this was the moment when it was all crystallised. Eric Wainaina – My music beginning
Khaligraph Jones also explains recording his first mixtape, and it’s hilarious when he says how he earned 15,000 Kenyan shillings and he couldn’t believe it. Today he is one of the best Kenyan rappers. In a separate video, he explains the friction he has had with Octopizzo and how it all started.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrOKjtuFmYk
- To discover Kenyan artists
If you’re trying to expand your knowledge of the music and entertainment industry at large, then Cleaning the Airwaves is the show for you. It’s very promising. For example, through this show, I got to learn about D.J Moz who is an urban gospel musician and deejay.
Kambua also talks about her musical journey, and there are so many other artists who you can meet on this channel and then start to follow them closely. Here is Kambua talking about her musical beginning
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKaVN-VZhEU&t=116s
- It is informative
For anyone who is looking to join the music space in Kenya, or to become a comedian, then this channel really puts a lot of things into perspective. Through Cleaning the Airwaves you get to see and learn from so many artists and be inspired to start your own journey.
In one of the interviews, Collo speaks about the making of the timeless song Tuendelee ama tusiendelee. Interestingly, he points out the fact that we Kenyans don’t know how to preserve our history and culture. He says that Kenyans prioritise western music too much. I think that’s very important for us to think about, even as an upcoming artist. He advises upcoming artists to take care of their people and to pay them well if they want to be successful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ3Hpf8hRkk&list=PLY82RVylbju1b_iZIqz6Tmoy43IWpY38h&index=4
Besides that, you can find out the various avenues to promote your art or even start-up whatever you may be interested in starting. It’s easier because then you can emulate these artists hoping that eventually, you make it in the industry just like they did.
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