• Founded in 2002, Chaguo La Teeniez was hosted annually during April hols
• CHAT was an event, hardly missed, where the who’s who arrived in style
Image: COURTESY
Sports and Arts CS Ababu Namwamba recently established the Talanta Hela Council.
Under it falls one of the most crucial technical committees in the creative industry, the Creatives Technical Committee, which is chaired by Daniel Ndambuki (Churchill).
On socials, there were obviously guys who expressed their disappointment in some missing names, and some expressed their approval of the appointees.
One of their roles includes managing the National Creatives Awards, the Kenyan Grammys.
The whole plan is to revitalise sports and the creative economy through the Talanta Hela initiative.
Just like you, I am ready to see how this Kenyan Grammys plays out.
In 2010, we can remember the Chaguo La Teeniez show that was totally sold out, promoting Kenyan content and showbiz.
This was when The Insyder founders, Adam Nyakundi and Ngaruiya Githegi, brought out the “show” in showbiz.
The Insyder Magazine's Chaguo La Teeniez Awards (CHAT Awards) was a project that aimed to recognise and award Kenyan youth who made contributions to society by excelling in academics, arts and sports.
Founded in 2002, Chaguo La Teeniez was hosted annually in April as that was when most teens were home during school holidays.
That generation of high schoolers knows how the show was a big deal as well as the Insyder magazine.
If you never sent a message to another school and it was published in the Insyder magazine, then you most probably fall in the category that introduced sending sticky notes to one another during funkies.
I am sure y’all can remember how CMB rapper Prezzo made a grand entrance by landing in a chopper for the event, which was held at Carnivore Grounds.
In a YouTube interview series on the CTA (Cleaning The Airwaves) channel, Prezzo talked of how he went to Wilson Airport and told them he wanted to hire a chopper.
He said that he paid Sh135,000 for less than an hour.
I recently read a Reddit comment, where someone talked of how Prezzo set the bar high and I couldn’t agree more.
Most people back then thought that the move was insane, but looking back, that was insanely dope.
I mean swagger was on another level with this guy.
He admitted on CTA that the act gave him an upper hand in the industry when it came to negotiating.
Mejja and Clemmo also came in a black chopper in 2008, Kenrazy in a horse carriage, performing duo Avril and Marya and others made their way to the events in Hummers and Toyota Land Cruisers.
Big Kev on a speed bike, Codered Entertainment with a fire truck, it was mad exciting.
Chaguo La Teeniez was an event, hardly missed, where the who’s who made statements year in and year out.
It was all about glitz and glamour.
If you attended high school in those days, you must have been among the lucky few.
Now you can judge where I was at that time.
We are yet to see an award show in Kenya that has matched or matches such hype.
Different award galas have been hosted over time, but i don't think they matched the Chaguo La Teeeniez energy.
To the newly appointed committee, we are hopeful that the Kenyan Grammy’s will be one to go down in the history books.
We are also hopeful that we will see and feel many long-awaited changes in the creative industry.