Blankets and Wine goes Virtual
By Hillary KimuyuAs we inch towards the end of the year 2020, Blankets & Wine, a popular musical and cultural event, will on Tuesday go virtual while combining film and concert, a first since its inception.
Cops. Lights. Mathrees. Scripts. Nduthis. Wheelbarrows. Masks. Confetti, according to the organisers it will all make sense on Tuesday evening.
The event will feature Mugambi Nthiga who is an actor and writer, known for such local big hits like Avocado Cartel, Supa Modo, Lusala and Kati Kati.
Speaking to Act Scene, he said that they decided to settle on the day because they are certain people will be home and they can catch the two hour concert without any distraction.
“Nairobi is a film concert hybrid, meaning we have elements of concert, a part from the singers there will also be narrative of film making in it, scripted material and a bit of documentary, some interviews, round tables all this come together to an experience most Balnket & Wine lovers will enjoy.”
Singers Ben Soul and Nviiri the Storyteller will perform and be joined by Carol Kioko who is an independent film producer, director and screenwriter based in South Africa.
‘We brought these two together to express who we are as people of Nairobi, to express the sound of Nairobi and to tell a different story through innovating ourselves in this very trying times. It is an experience of joy, of confusion and of power,” said Ms Kioko.
According to Muthoni Drummer Queen, the woman behind it all said they were thinking about two things when they came up with the idea. “How to tell a story about something as complex as Nairobi and break it down and make a really unique and relatable concert for the artist and design a whole new experience for the audience.”
Philip Karanja, an accomplished producer behind shows such as Hullabaloo Estate, Sue Na Jonnie, Maempress and the on-going Anda Kava will also team up with Abel Mutua to bring their skills to the event and help make the film hybrid concert a reality.
Pauline Kyalo who counts the theatre stage as her home and has starred in productions such as Careless In red, Too Early For Birds will also grace the stage.
Blankets & Wine will stream on YouTube on Tuesday from 8pm.