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piqer for: Global finds
Ciku Kimeria is a Kenyan author "Of goats and poisoned oranges" - (https://www.amazon.com/goats-poisoned-oranges-Ciku-Kimeria-ebook/dp/B00HBBWPI6), development consultant, adventurer and travel blogger (www.thekenyanexplorer.com). She writes both fiction and non-fiction focusing on African stories that need telling. She has worked on diverse pieces for various international and local publications including Quartz, Ozy, The East African etc. She has travelled to 45 countries – 16 of them in Africa. 153 countries to go and 63 territories!
"Of goats and poisoned oranges" has been extremely well received in Kenya and beyond. It tells the story of a Kenyan middle aged power couple and their complicated marriage. The novel explores issues of greed, revenge, betrayal and murder. It runs from the 1960s to 2013. It has been described as “Wicked, funny, poignant, wacky, human, a big ball of fun and danger”, “A unique and captivating book”, “Fun and intriguing”, “Impossible to put down once you start reading.”
She recently moved to Dakar, Senegal from Kenya to work on her second novel. She also works at as the Africa Communication Manager at a leading global strategy consulting firm.
She holds a B.S. in Management Science from MIT with minors in Urban Planning and International development studies.
Video: The Global Rise Of Nigerian Music
The story of how Nigeria's music went global is an interesting one. For most of the world, their introduction to Afrobeats might have been through Drake's One Dance a few years back. For music aficionados though, this moment might simply have been when Nigeria cemented its place in the global pop scene, but the country had already been taking over for years. Collaborations were likely the best way that Nigerian artists came to be known abroad, but even without those, the large Nigerian global diaspora has been doing a great job at influencing culture in the cities they inhabit – from Houston to London to NYC.
The accompanying article to this video explores the spread of Afrobeats further.
There’s a particular story that best captures the global phenomenon of Nigeria’s Afrobeats music: When Davido, one of Nigeria’s biggest popstars, performed in Suriname, a tiny country in the northeastern pocket of South America last May, 10,000 people turned up. Even Davido was surprised.
While there are still challenges in large Nigerian artists getting paid for their work in Nigeria (given piracy issues), global fame and concert fees are enabling them to succeed in a way that has never been seen before.
Over the past decade, a new generation of Nigerian pop stars, like Davido, Wizkid, Niniola and Tiwa Savage have seen the sounds of their Afrobeats music win fans far beyond Nigeria’s shores. The country’s music stars are selling out concert venues in New York, Paris and London, and performing at major music festivals.
The Nigerian diaspora has been phenomenal in spreading the love of Afrobeats, but social media has also played a huge role. The entry of Sony and Universal Music into Nigeria could be a sign that now Afrobeats stars could get recording and distribution deals without having to leave the country and continent that provide the inspiration for their music.
