YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT KENYAN ACTORS WILL DO TO BE CASTED!!

Resilience is the word that comes to mind when art is mentioned. 'Don't throw in the towel!' they say but that's easier said than done. Being part of a fully functioning cast takes a lot  more than just talent, its a whole new world of art out there. the industry is no place for the faint hearted, its a man eat man circus full of ''sharks'' who would rather swallow up the new talent than see them replace them at the helm of industry. An article on the Nairobian dated 20th April, 2014 clearly spells it all out. Mulwa Mutinda a stage manager at Phoenix players explains how casting calls and auditions for both screen and stage theater has evolved from searching for  untapped raw talent to "who's the fairest of them all." Call me old school, but beauty over brains in art is only applicable in commercials, or so i thought but boy was I wrong! Now, am not in habit of whining about the many injustices done to artists but this has gone on long enough and its about someone said something. the fact that the industry only favors those with the looks, the class and taste for high end designer stuff is enough proof that no matter what stunt the art industry pulls, we will be still ill still be weighed down by idealistic views of those in reign. but then again , to be in ART it takes HEART!

        Take a sneak peak into the film industry for starters: directors are more and more leaning towards incorporating big names in their productions, why? marketing purposes. Now that may work in already established platforms such as Hollywood and Nollywood but for a growing industry like what we have, focus should be given more to the quality of production(s) rather than sales. I for one am a movie freak but truth be told some Kenyan productions just leave me face down holding my forehead thinking ''what in the hell we're they thinking???!!". It's no wonder many celebrities and big names in the music industry are shifting their attention to this goldmine called the "film industry" and when asked why..."i have always had a talent in acting ever since i was young...!!" that's bull and we all know it but still you buy their bunch of lies. Well am not taking this lying down,no!! not in a million years. Let the actors do the acting, you should do you and that's keep building our music industry and to the directors, NOT ALL CELEBRITIES ARE ACTORS!! And you wonder actors who have the passion and talent complain about screen acting is not being profitable!! Personally I have nothing against celebrities but those who try so hard to pull a Jammie Foxx in Kenya those i will have words with..what do you think an upcoming aspiring actor will do when u grab all the spots for every other production. it is with their endowed talents that the bills get paid while you treat it as some kind of side hustle. Its a who know who world where you are just a pawn in the game; if you have no connections.But still every other day, the same pawn goes to the famous K.N.T and the Alliance Francaise to look up audition not giving up. Other very talented thespians have opted to go 'solo' due to unending frustrations and disappointments, whom of which by the way would have propelled this crawling industry to unimaginable heights like a decade ago. This is proof that in ART, it takes HEART!

  Just the other day, I was flipping through the channels looking for something eye catching to watch. And it was no surprise i kept going in circles because there was nothing worth spending my time watching.Our local productions have deteriorated a huge deal in the last decade. Looking back at programs like 'Tausi', 'Kisulisuli', 'Changes', 'Changing times', 'Penzi Hatari' and other masterpiece locals that used to be aired are what made television a whole lot more interesting. Now flash forward to this day and age what do we see on our television sets, soap operas, Naija movies and a bunch of sitcoms.The only interesting thing these days is the 'NEWS BULLETIN!!' Television is a nightmare save for a few productions here and there that keep us from completely discarding our t.v sets. Shows such as 'Churchil live' and reality shows like 'Naswa', 'TPF', 'Big Brother' 'Sakata' are what is left in creative show-business. And the annoying thing is stations copy each others program line ups.You say am lying? Well try flipping channels during the morning hours, i will confidently bet all my money that it is either a lame; Naija movie, a lame Soap opera or some music mix that is put on repeat airing. but it is because of all this we stay keep saying like it is hoping someone, anyone will see the sense in this and be a part of the solution. It is for this cause that we give all our HEARTS to be in ART!!

SMART PHONES....STUPID PEOPLE!

Its all about social media ......does everything have to revolve around social media. In street lingo, that's what we refer to as 'kukosa form'. What happened to the good old days when everything was more practical than sci-fi??? Sometimes, I envy my folks and how easy it was to maneuver with regards to relationships and 'kukatiana'. Instead of buying bundles to log in to #IG,Whats app, Facebook or twitter, all you had to do was go down to the stream and wait for that particular girl you have been eying to make her way to the stream. All you were required to do is 'kukula vector' till she showed up...now back to the fact this is the so called 'digital generation' and if you do have a presence in social media you are probably the extinct lot.

 It is so bad such that our folks are now turning to their kids t help them enlist in the various social media platforms in order to blend in or be the cool parents!! Really, is it just me or does the idea of tagging your father in a photo on Facebook of you having a good time with your pals just sound weird!! Okay, call me old school and all but truth be told... the very idea of chatting with your old man on whats app is just bizarre and is not bridging any gap for that matter! 

Surely i wish that phones and other digital era gadgets hadn't been invented. Why? The social platforms created by these so called gadgets are either being misused or abused by the subscribers themselves. Whats' more is that even the showbiz industries (Music/Film/Television) are making these gadgets seem so cool and keep reminding us how 'not cool' we will be without them! The popularity is driven by the fact that users become addicted to their gadgets after some time. And who thought that phones, i pads and stuff like that could become addictive?? Ask me....call me Mr. 'Been there, Done that'. From underage kids, to campus students and the latest entry ..wait for it....Parents!!! 'Hatuezi ishi ivi'.

Not so long ago, my folks used to think that social media was only used by socialites, and was therefore deemed a 'no go zone' for us. But now...behold the 'Battle of The Titans' between us and our folks of who has the most likes on I.G or Facebook!! During all this, we seem to be forgetting one very important aspect of how social media has affected our relationships with family and friends. Our social lives have gone to the ruins! Think  am lying? I dare you if you know someone with a huge following on social media to go out and ask out a random girl....face to face!!!

 I REST MY CASE!