Kenya: Tusker Nexters competition finalists unveiled

The contest began in March as part of the Kenya Breweries Limited’s (KBL’s) year-long programme to celebrate 100 years of its flagship beer brand Tusker. The initiative seeks to identify and reward the next generation of musical and esports talent by providing them a platform to shine. 

Music auditions were held in various regions across Kenya, with those selected joining a national pool of upcoming artists fighting for a chance to claim the title of Tusker’s Next Star. 

“Kenya has long been an incubator for some of the most exciting artists in the region,” Tusker senior brand manager Catherine Twesigye said. “Tusker, on the other hand, has always held the hands of talented Kenyan artists and supported them to be the best versions of themselves. The Tusker Nexters platform is no different.”

The auditions unearthed 19 talented semi-finalists from across the country who were further reduced to 10 before they were eventually cut down to the final seven last week in Nairobi.

Those selected to proceed to the final round are rappers Veryl Mkali Wao from Nakuru and TK Lyon from Kisumu. Others are singers Bakhita from the Rift Valley region, Lexxie and Angachi from Mombasa, Zaituni from Nairobi and Kamwana from Kisumu. The seven will now battle for the major prize on dates that will be announced soon.

“These guys have talent and resilience. They have been able to withstand the journey, which has been long and hard with them being away from their families and the tough rehearsal schedule ... Each one of these young ladies and gentlemen has worked extremely hard and they are ready for what comes in the future. I am really proud of all of them,” Twesigye said.

The competition’s judging panel comprises leading musicians and entertainment industry players including Eric Wainaina, Nadia Mukami and Buddha Blaze. Apart from the judges, audiences were also given an opportunity to vote for their favourite performers via SMS. 

Over the duration of the competition, which targeted mainly 18 to 24 year olds, the participants benefited from training sessions on the Kenyan music business, including how to build personal brands and ways to monetise their content.