Sound In The City

Sound in the City: Charting and Exploring the Intricacies of Cultural Spaces in Nairobi

Music and other parts of our collective soundscapes have always been arenas of shared experiences, belonging, and solidarity – especially when we engage with them in physical space, not just virtually. At the same time, the locations, qualities, and atmospheres of the many urban spaces, in which we collectively consume and encounter music – clubs, music halls, bars, matatus, festivals, etc. – are not always geared towards inclusivity and solidarity.

In a highly segregated and diverse city like Nairobi, more often than not we are confronted with systemic and specific, unintentional and deliberate situations of exclusion when we try frequent music venues and other cultural spaces. Since the early 2010’s, Nairobi’s scene of progressive, at parts sub-cultural, music and sound production has arguably seen plenty of growth and dynamic change, all co-shaped by a plethora of spaces, projects, and actors. Many of these have struggled, and continue to struggle, with questions of collective and safe experiences that are rooted in broader urban solidarities beyond profit-driven modes of cultural production and consumption only.

Looking back onto the last decade or so and into the future, this panel asks the question of how we can aspire to create spaces of solidarity and connection in Nairobi’s wider music scene and urban fabric that spans from Westlands to Eastlands and beyond. Bringing together the perspectives of active and critical actors in Nairobi's music scene, we try answering this question and discuss, more broadly, the intricacies and conflicting rationalities of creating spaces of intersectional solidarity.

With: Stephanie Gogo, Abdi Rashid Jibril, Blinky Bill, Moritz Kasper

Category: Panel

Venue: Creatives Garage