Nairobi is currently buzzing with excitement as the first-ever East Africa music technology conference, “Kilele,” is in full swing at The Mall in Westlands. Organized by Santuri East Africa, the event is offering musicians the opportunity to modernize their music and potentially secure recording deals with international promoters.

According to Santuri’s Co-Founder and Co-Director David Tinning, Kilele is a new symposium aimed at providing cutting-edge technology and innovation to improve the quality of music production in East Africa. “We want to shine a light on the artists that are thinking about tradition, their roots, and how they use it in a contemporary way,” Tinning stated.

The symposium, which began on Monday and will conclude this Sunday, has attracted a diverse group of artists, DJs, curators, and music producers. The “Études for Live-electronics” team from the Department of Music Acoustics in Vienna, Austria, is collaborating with Santuri East Africa to bring this event to life.

Tinning emphasized the importance of inclusivity in the music industry, stating, “We offer music production courses and also train DJs. And over the past three years, we have been very intentional about making sure that we also train female DJs and female music producers because we feel like they are underrepresented in the music scene and have a lot to offer.”

The conference has drawn interest from both East African and international residents, with an entrance fee of Sh500 for East African residents and Sh8,500 for international attendees. Kilele aims to connect artists and music industry professionals to celebrate the journey of African music and define the path forward in the global music space.