Live in Concert
Just A Band
Electro-Disco! Afro-House!
April 28, 2015 | 8pm
Past Event
Just a Band is a Kenyan house/funk/disco band whose career was launched with their debut album, Scratch To Reveal, in 2008. Their music has explored various musical directions such as jazz, hip-hop, disco and electronica.
The self-dubbed “super nerdy, electro-pop/art collective” from Nairobi, Kenya, Just a Band are known for their eclectic sound and DIY Afro-Futurist aesthetic – and for creating Kenya’s first viral music video. The band consists of “Blinky” Bill Sellanga, Daniel Muli and Mbithi Masya.
“Part of a wave of visual artists setting trends in the Nairobi music scene…fusing electronica, funk, disco and hip hop, [Just a Band’s] creative videos have become their trademark” – CNN
The band are also notable for their DIY aesthetic. In addition to writing, recording and engineering their music, the band creates their own music videos, packaging and promotional items and establishing a strong web and blog presence, referencing elements from virtual bands like Gorillaz and incorporating anime and animation, illustration and photography in their visual campaigns.
Artists in Context
African Studies Film Series Presents:
NAIROBI HALF LIFE
Directed by David Tosh | 2012 | 96 min.
Monday, April 27
C3-118, 6PM
A young, aspiring actor from upcountry Kenya dreams of becoming a success in the big city. In pursuit of this and to the chagrin of this brother and parents, he makes his way to Nairobi: the city of opportunity. He quickly understands why Nairobi is nicknames Nairroberry as he is robbed of all his money and belongings and left in a city where he doesn’t know a soul.
Sponsored by the History Program, Division of Arts & Humanities.