Kidum fans in Berlin disappointed with ‘poor advertising’
The event's poster which some fans claimed not to have seen. Photo/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Accusing fingers were pointed at the promoters, with a few Kenyans claiming that they did not do much in ensuring that the event was well advertised.
- “I question the advertising methods used, if at all there was any. This is because even the patrons of the club Kidum was to perform were also not aware of the event,’ said one disappointed fan.
It begun with a random, lonely post on Facebook. Someone had posted on someone else’s wall asking if they were going for Kidum’s concert later that night.
And if so, where the concert was going to be and how much it would cost.
Granted that it had already been announced on Mkenya Ujeruman website (Kenyan’s source of all kind of information including breaking news, jobs, gossip and tips on how to send money back to home) that the singer was in the country and would be performing in various cities, Berlin included.
But no one seemed to know when exactly, where exactly, how much or even what time.
Accusing fingers were pointed at the promoters, with a few Kenyans claiming that they did not do much in ensuring that the event was well advertised.
‘QUESTIONABLE ADVERTISING METHODS’
“I question the advertising methods used, if at all there was any. This is because even the patrons of the club Kidum was to perform were also not aware of the event,’ said one disappointed fan.
She mentioned that she and her friends had spent most of Friday night calling each other up trying to gather information on the concert.
The norm in Berlin is that posters for such events are usually placed at strategic points such as African shops/restaurants, in neighbourhoods where the majority are Africans, Facebook groups and in Western Union or MoneyGram shops.
The organisers , Anna Mpenzi and Mapapa Junior, are a duo that has put together many successful East African shows in Germany including national holiday celebrations. For Kenyans, such parties mean a break away from Nigerian and Lingala music which seem to have branded as the real ‘African music’. The chance to sing and dance along to a familiar song such as Les Wanyika’s ‘Sina Makosa’ is precious, even though you’d be caught dead doing the same in Nairobi.
Kidum performed in Munich on Saturday and according to reports, it was a successful event. Maybe the Kenyans in Berlin who missed out were just unlucky.
Or maybe they did not chance on the advertisement because they did not need to a) send money home b) make their hair in an Afro Shop or c) top up on your stock of royco and unga ya ugali.
