[victorsila]

Kenya's Sunday Nation labeled Kenyan Recording artist, Victor Sila, as one of Kenya's most successful Musician (March 27th 2005). Victor Sila and his band "Sila and the Afro-Funk Experience" rocked the Temple Bar in March this year with a sold out show and is back by popular demand.

Come & find out what the buzz is all about!!! Visit http://afrofunk.org for more details.

Don't miss Sila and the AfroFunk Experience on Saturday, May 14th at
Temple Bar,
1026 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
http://templebarlive.com


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SUNDAY NATION: LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

US-based Kenyan gaining fame for his unique sound

Story by JOHN KOIGI
Publication Date: 3/27/2005


He is a top-notch musician but whose name the majority of his fellow Kenyans have never heard, yet he is making quite an impression in the United States. Though his name does not ring a bell back home, in San Francisco, California, he is carving a niche for himself in music circles with his unique style known as Afro-Funk rhythms.

Victor Sila performs with one of his band members in San Francisco, United States: He has a big following in America where he often rubs shoulders with top celebrities.


And when we sat down for this interview at the Carnivore Restaurant, Nairobi, after he came back home recently, little about him – flowery Kitenge shirt, frayed jeans and a pair of brown Timberlands – revealed that, besides being a musician, 32-year-old Victor Sila is also professional web designer and lead architect in this year's "Campaign For Yahoo".

He also boasts of being one of the showbiz voices that persuaded former US Secretary of State Colin Powell to declare the war in Darfur, Sudan, a genocide. This was after Sila held a concert with legendary African-American film actor Danny Glover in San Francisco last November.

"My songs are all about life and its joys, struggles and triumphs," says Sila, who spent his early childhood in a little village in Kangundo. His music was once described by East Bay Express, a San Francisco publication as "fusion-friendly sound, both futuristic and traditional."

At 14, he could hum the lyrics of the Bee Gees and Abba, which he says on his website (www.victorsila.com), were "pumping through the family radio." With a reputation for curiosity, he wanted a guitar so badly that he had pictures of the instrument in his room. One day while in high school at Moi Forces Academy, he says, his father paid him a surprise visit. "I saw him holding a new guitar like a baby. My music career was hence born.

"Musicians like Fadhili William, Mariam Makeba, Kakai Kilonzo, Kelly Brown and Them Mushrooms influenced me, too," says Victor, who has lived in the US for 15 years.

"When I went to the States, [to study computer engineering at university] I discovered that the road to success is strewn with unforeseen obstacles." He scrapped some money, doing menial jobs like cleaning toilets to record his first demo in Washington, DC. "I was in love with Rhythm and Blues but competing with the likes of Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston was very difficult."

He has a lesson for the high-riding new generation artistes. "The kind of music there are doing is cool, but taking it to the States and trying to sell it there is very, very difficult."

He adds about himself: "In the rush of American style, in the shadow of bright lights and big money, I had forgotten my roots."

This was until he discovered his new style, fusing traditional African rhythms, funk's booty-shaking groove, and rock and roll's catchy hooks to form something totally new, which he called Afro-Funk.

San Francisco Bay Guardian, reviewing his music, described Afro-Funk as a unique, personal expression that would bring people together, while another US publication, the Nitevibe Buzz, warned readers to "prepare yourself for music that'll titillate the aural senses and move your body to another continent."

He has three albums, Brand New, Waiting and Afro Funk. Sila is backed by a seven-member group consisting of Wendell Rand, Ken House, David James, Tai Kenning, Samba Guisse, Elvis Nensah, and Mike Pitre. Collectively, they are known as "Sila and Afro-Funk Experience."

"If you want to be an international artiste, you have to embrace your culture. Fuse the music you grew up with together with other styles," he says, mentioning American-trained fellow Kenyan Eric Wainaina, as one of the most promising artistes in terms of international success.

Does music pay in the US? "Oh yes! I predominantly rely on live concerts and their success depends on the prestige of the venue and the number of guests."

If he plays at a sold-out show attended by between 500 and 1,000 guests, Sila says, he can earn between $5,000 and $10,000 (Sh385,000 or Sh770,000). On average, he performs four times a month. Minus the expenses incurred paying band members, curtain raisers, the manager, booking agent, equipment, marketing and promotions, Sila is left with a decent net income.

He adds that to play at Fillmore, the most prestigious entertainment venue in San Francisco, a musician can earn between $25,000 (Sh1.925m) to $50,000 (Sh3.85m) per show. He has never played there though but his diary at other entertainment venues is booked until April.

"There are so many options for entertainment that it gives me satisfaction if my concert is sold out."

Musically, Sila considers himself in the mould of African greats like Nigerian star Fela Kuti and Senegalese superstar Yossour N'Dour. He says that the concert in aid of children in Sudan, which was among many such charity shows he has done, raised more than $4,000 (Sh308,000).

Single and a teetotaller, Sila is planning to do a concert 'How To Be a Kenyan' in Nairobi later this year. He says the aim will be to publicise Afro-Funk music.