This archive report was first published on 21 November 2019.
November 21, 2019, marked a somber day for Kenyan music as Ethic Entertainment released their latest song, Tarimbo, which advocates for rape against women.
The song's chorus, sung by Rekles, leaves a bitter taste in everyone's mouth: 'Bas, bas joo kama ana maringo, mi hupenda chapa na tarimbo, mi huchapachapa na kanyaga namwaga bila hata permission.'
Despite the uproar, the group issued a half-hearted apology, stating that it was 'never their intention to disrespect women.' However, they still do not see anything wrong with the song, and their apology seems to be a defense of their actions.
This is not the first time Kenyan music has taken a worrying turn. The music group Sheddy Empire previously released a song titled 'Pigwa Shoka,' which caused an uproar over its messaging and video that showed youths in 'blood-stained' clothes carrying 'bloody' axes.
The song was seen as a re-enactment of the chilling murder of Moi University student Ivy Wangechi. Sheddy Empire apologized for the song, stating that it was not their intent to hurt anyone and that they just did the song 'out of fun and creativity.'
Unfortunately, this trend of careless expression through music has become a worrying trend among the youths. They seem to be more concerned with fame than with the impact of their actions on society.
It is time for music producers to take a stand and guide these young artists in the right direction. The history of Kenyan music shows that explicit music did not start yesterday, but it is the responsibility of the artists and producers to ensure that their craft does not glorify grave matters like rape and murder.
