T5 Interview with Melissa Mbugua

She is a social innovator committed to shaping the African urban culture. She enjoys the outdoors, discovering new cultures and connecting with new people. Melissa is a co-director of the Africa Podcast Festival

1.You were involved in the Nairobi Film Festival, now you’re part of the Africa Podfest. Where did this love for festivals start?

My earliest memories of a festival-like experience were from the annual ASK show, Concours d’Elegance and the Air Show, which were a treat for so many children in Nairobi in the 90s. I remember being amazed at how much there was to see in the world and how many interesting people could be found gathered just to have a good time and to showcase their products and talents. Later, when I got to college, I would regularly attend Wapi, a one-day festival hosted at the British Council parking lot. I felt so connected at Wapi. It was the only place I had ever been where young people from every part of the city felt free to express themselves, regardless of background. There are also a number of new artists whose careers took off at Wapi, so I learnt that festivals were places where people could openly connect with others and nurture their careers.
Since then, Nairobi has had a good number of festivals that have shaped the culture industry. Festivals are like glue that makes communities stick stronger. We need more of them! I think this is why I am so invested in growing festivals in film and podcasting. Both media are very instrumental in sparking conversations among communities.

2. What are some of your favourite Kenyan podcasts that you would recommend?

I like Legally Clueless by Adelle Onyango for the real life stories of overcoming adversity by millennials that are contained there. For a deep and fresh dose of men’s real talk, listen to Living Truthfully by Amani Maranga. To get political history from the story of Pio Gama Pinto, in sheng’, listen to Until Everyone is Free, hosted by Stoneface Bombaa. Positively African is a hilarious theatre podcast about Kenyans’ way of life in these pandemic times, and it is produced by Maimouna Jallow. Round up the sampling with Case Number Zero, an investigative podcast hosted by James Smart. This list is in no way exhaustive! All these podcasts bring out perspectives you are unlikely to have heard before, and they are really entertaining too.

3. What, in your opinion, makes a good podcast?

A good podcast is one that presents a fresh, authentic perspective that grips me as a listener. Authenticity is key. When people listen to podcasts, they do so in solitude, but afterwards, they want to be able to discuss some of the issues raised with others, or to have an internal conversation about it. It feels like a private conversation with the hosts and guests.

4. What makes a good podcast great?

Can the topic or issue raised stay with the audience long after they have heard it? No matter how well produced a podcast is, if it lacks authenticity and the ability to resonate with its audience, it won’t become popular.

5 . Since you aggregated podcast listeners and newsletter readers into one list, what has been the feedback?

People are very interested in the future of podcasting, as an industry, in Africa. We have been maintaining an African podcast database on our website and we’ve witnessed growing numbers as more new podcasts go live. More Africans are seeking out African podcasts. We have had people from all over Kenya and beyond, from media institutions to individual podcasters, all eager to connect with other players in the industry and trying to find out how to build business models around their podcasts. This is an exciting time and there will be a lot of interesting initiatives coming up over the next few years.