HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOCO
I know it’s a little easier said than done but, no one
should ever have to thank you for doing your job. The salary you get is already
thanks enough, and not only that, but the satisfaction of completing something successfully
that you love should be more than payment enough. And the recognition you get,
if any, is just that extra cheese you like but don’t need on your pizza. Needless
to say, we all need to survive, thus the need to be a bit of a street-smarty
when it comes to getting jobs and getting them done well.
Think of it this way; you may not always get to do what you
love for a living. Things happen, people grow old, get arthritis if they’re
athletes, go blind if they’re readers, writers or editors, you know … that kind
of thing. But it’s your duty to make hay while the sun shines, so that when it
don’t shine, you have lots of stash underground to live on.
So one of Murfy’s fLaw just turned a lot older this past
weekend; I’m impressed with the load of them this far. They are the hardest
working band I know. And they know it too. They have three albums out and with
4 out of 6 of them running households of their own, you’d think they’d get a
standing ovation.
People, guys are willing to spend their cash to make music
to entertain and educate you, give DJs something worthwhile to do, keep your
kids glued to the television and tuned into stations where too often, radio
presenters grossly misuse their power. When we don’t appreciate our own they
wither and die and if they don’t, they go where they know they will be
appreciated. This, I’m afraid is where one of greatest talents, Murfy’s are
headed.
I had the great
fortune of being at one of their birthday Shin-digs. Their lead guitarist was
celebrating another year on earth. He goes by many names; Foco (pronounced foko), Foco Jembe,
Fauz Noir, 9ine and most recently the mad-man (he will gladly confirm this
himself). He can put a talk show host to shame this one. He makes fun of
everyone and every situation, you can’t beat him in a diss contest, but you
could try, just so you could hear what he had to say, and maybe attempt to
understand how witty he is.
Talkative and sometimes coming off as abrasive, Foco is one of
those guys you want to hear talk. A little bit like Russell Brand. He’ll insult
you and you’ll just laugh. Just the kind of person he is. Sometimes you listen,
sometimes you don’t. Not because what he’s saying is not important but because
sometimes, it’s just easier to listen to other things, you know; you get
distracted by the sound of waiters dropping glasses and cursing at the mess.
Don’t know about other musicians but, he and his band some
of the few that I know that don’t care what other people think. While we can
think of about 1000 musicians that could mentor the next generation of
musicians, those musicians are busy being ignored by the very people that
should take the baton from them by playing their music. Not mentioning any
names but how do you expect things to go anywhere when you’re giving foreigners
priority over your very own? Take Camp Mulla for instance, they produced such
good quality music and corresponding video that everyone was convinced they
weren’t Kenyan. But they are. And so are all these other bands trying to get
airplay but getting kicked in the teeth instead.
Radio and Television producers, do your jobs; talent and quality
stares you right in the face.
