Five lessons learnt from Harmonize recent Nairobi trip
Harmonize, the 32-year old Tanzanian musician, recently toured Nairobi for a series of shows only to get into trouble with entertainment joints owners, comedian Eric Omondi who doubled as his defacto promoter, and the authorities.
Besides the drama, the popular musician, born Rajab Abdul, and known for hits such as Happy Birthday and Kwangwaru has been dogged in a series of controversies back at home, including media reports on when he was supposedly dumped by his two girlfriends in a span of six months.
But what else do we now know after his trip to Nairobi.
1. Sh1 million – Had things gone according to plan, the musician was set to make upto Sh1 million a night from a number of side hustles besides his main show at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). To break it down, three promoters filed a report at the Kileleshwa Police station claiming they had cumulatively paid him that amount in exchange for performances but he’d failed to turn up.
2. Popularity – The musician came in for the weekend but was so much on demand. Already he had up to six gigs lined up at several different joints in two nights in Nairobi and Mombasa. He has had former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko, a known guru in the entertainment field, appearing at the police station to bail him out and fly with him to Mombasa to perform at the politician’s night club.
3. He needs a promoter – As popular as he is, Harmonize now needs to add a professional touch to his work. He requires a trusted person who will take care of his health and interests including doing deals for him, promote him on social media and tell him where to perform and not to perform and importantly build his brand.
4. Busy bodies – That said he needs to stay away from the likes of Eric Omondi. Every popular person will tend to attract attention from the likes of Omondi, a comedian with no known experience in promoting a fellow artist. These people will at best wear him down and taint his brand.
5. Kenyan musicians – Kenyan musicians too should borrow a leaf from this whole ordeal. They should ask themselves hard questions on why Harmonize is such a popular figure in Nairobi, and why everyone appears ready to throw cash at him.