This episode takes a look back at the events attended throughout April 2026 while also marking a milestone for a platform that has spent the last three years documenting music, events and creative spaces through conversations, reviews and firsthand experiences.

We cover Genge Must Soul by Billy Black, live performances by Modest Chabari and Mutoriah at Geco, Nyashinski's Showman Residency, KE Takeover Vol. 6 by Kenyan Pick, Now It's Experience Talking listening experience by Muthoni Drummer Queen and Blinky Bill, Fresh Finds Sessions by oneRPM and Spotify, Hildah Watiri's listening experience for Watiri's Trouble, Rituals and The Clearing by Bizi Bingi.

From live performances and listening experiences to recurring event series and new releases, the episode reflects on the moments, conversations and observations that stood out throughout the month.

The episode also marks a special milestone for Ongeza Volume as the podcast celebrates three years since its launch in June 2023. Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared an episode, attended an event, joined a live session or contributed to the conversations over the years. To commemorate the occasion, Ongeza Volume has launched its newsletter, creating another space to continue the conversations, reflections and discoveries that have shaped the platform over the years. Subscribe here - https://readongezavolume.beehiiv.com/

Thank you for being part of the journey over the last three years. Whether you've been listening since the beginning or joined along the way, your support has helped shape what Ongeza Volume continues to become.

Join us live every Wednesday at 8:30 PM on TikTok for additional discussions around music, events and everything happening across the creative spaces.

Links and references mentioned throughout the episode can be found below.

Modest Chabari performance highlights: https://youtu.be/_HXodu7nmmo?si=Ytc13D8BCEtQj4uA

Episode 7: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-7-reveling-at-illusions/id1691488834?i=1000625907497

Sanaa kwa Sana Showman Residency review: https://youtu.be/XRFtLT9Z_94?si=uRwUPnD9uOB_xaku

Article on the Showman Residency: https://citizen.digital/article/the-showman-residency-is-nyashinski-still-the-goat-nope-n380899

Hotbox Listening Party by SHLM vlog: https://youtu.be/tbMDEsXBo9Y?si=7j0nNrjtchvt4cYs

Calotropis radio - https://calotropis.xyz/

#OngezaVolumePodcast #TebuOngezaVolume

With The OV Setlist returning this Sunday, 3rd May, this episode revisits key conversations from the first edition held in November 2025. Originally shared across two separate episodes, one focused on music (EP 25) and the other on events (EP 26), the discussions are now brought together in one place as a recap and reset ahead of the next live session.

This episode looks back at the standout songs, releases, performances, collaborations, and moments that shaped the previous edition, creating context for where the conversation now moves next.

The upcoming edition of The OV Setlist will focus on January to April 2026, picking up from where the last session left off and continuing the reflection on Kenya’s music and events landscape through community conversation, live insights and shared perspectives.

The session will also feature OV First Listen, a space where selected unreleased music from artists will be shared with the audience for live reactions and feedback.

Event Details - The OV Setlist 2.0🗓 Sunday, 3rd May 2026⏰ 2PM📍 Two Grapes Nairobi

🎟 Tickets: https://gig.co.ke/event/1213/ticket

🎵 Artist submissions for OV First Listen: https://forms.gle/UK8tVhjDhWptgXk26

Join the conversation as we look back, catch up and see you on Sunday!

This episode opens with an update on The OV Setlist date changes to May 3rd, 2026 and a question to the audience.

From there the episode moves through the events attended across end of March, starting with Kenyan Funk Affair at Chronos Lavington on 19th March themed around the songs that defined East African dancefloors in the 70s and 80s. It also reflects on a moment of noticing familiar Splice samples used across different artists, and what that means for how music is being created and received.

The episode continues with Hornsphere and The Unit Live at Orchid on 22nd March, followed by the Building Trusted Voices and Advancing Information Integrity Among Content Creators workshop held from 25th to 26th March, organized by Bloggers Association of Kenya and UNESCO. Also covered is Industry Social at Koda on 25th March, and the Bridget Blue RnB Listening Experience, with a note to the dedicated episode and released visuals for a deeper dive.

The episode then highlights The Long Run by Hunja on 28th March, an event organized to support his mother’s cancer treatment , grounding the episode in what it means for people to show up for each other beyond the music.

It closes with a roundup of Kenyan music releases from March 2026, capturing what stood out across the month.

Power of Community reflects on how people gather, support, create and contribute across events, conversations, and moments that extend beyond the music itself.

The OV Setlist tickets - https://gig.co.ke/event/1213/ticket

Lamusicjunkie newsletter - https://lamusicjunkie.beehiiv.com/

Santuri Workshops - https://santuri.org/SEMA

This episode is a reflection on the Rhythm and Blue listening experience. The album by Bridget Blue was released on 31 March 2026.

Having hosted the session, the episode brings together a dual perspective both from within the room as the host and from the audience. It explores the energy of the space, how the music was received in real time and what stands out when people come together to listen with intention.

Joining the conversation is afrikan kodo of Sanaa kwa Sana, who was in attendance and shares his own reflections on the album, the experience and the dynamics of listening spaces. His presence in this episode marks a full circle moment having played a key role in encouraging the start of Ongeza Volume in 2023.

Together, the episode moves through the music, the event itself and the broader conversation around how people show up for such experiences offering honest observations from both sides of the room.

Tickets to The OV Setlist - https://gig.co.ke/event/1213/ticket

Sanaa Kwa Sana - https://linktr.ee/sanaakwasana

Sanaa kwa Sana Colours Album Review - https://youtu.be/jXRFqjHuVWQ?si=P-sDYeD5oldUdd1d

#TebuOngezaVolume

This is a special Ongeza Volume minisode capturing Bridget Blue’s exclusive album listening for RNB, Rhythm & Blue, recorded live at Koda on 26th March 2026.

The session blends music and conversation, as we listen through the project while unpacking the stories behind the songs, her artistic growth and the journey leading up to the album’s release on 31st March 2026.

This is not a typical episode it’s an intimate, in-room experience shared as it happened.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this one and special thanks to Bridget Blue's team.

This episode opens with Injinia OV announcingThe Setlist KE and when it’s happening, followed by a look at some of the current conversations in the creative space, including reflections on AI in music.

It then moves into reviews of the events attended, covering Tukukantu at Nakili Sessions, the Genge Soul listening party by Billy Black at Koda, Shad Mziki Presents Falling in Real Time, The Residence by 25 Flow featuring live performances of the MTV Shuga Mashariki soundtracks, the ONErpm Intimate gathering in honor of International Women's Month, and KE Takeover Vol. 5 by Kenyan Pick at Masshouse.

The episode also marks a milestone as Ongeza Volume reaches 4K followers on Instagram.

Titled Genge la Wamama, this episode brings together music, moments and experiences from the events attended, capturing a mix of energy, perspective and reflection across the spaces explored.

Featured track - Hii Ni Nini by Afrikan

Find it on Bandcamp - https://afrikankodo.bandcamp.com/track/hii-ni-nini

#TebuOngezaVolume

This episode begins with a look at some of the current news and conversations happening across the entertainment industry before moving into reflections from the events attended.

The episode reviews three events: Kenyanpick Presents Shad Muziki and AfricanVic, the Hekaya EP listening and release party by Watendawili and the Kilele Summit. Each experience is discussed from the perspective of being present in the room - the performances, the atmosphere and the overall experience of the events.

As always, the episode focuses on sharing observations from the creative spaces, reflecting on what is happening in real time and documenting moments from the live music and events scene.

Midnight Musings by Roger - https://youtu.be/oWJqHOs2bYY?si=oSvB4uApvtFsgTT8

Featured song - Mei Muche by Kayrop and Chemutai Sage

#TebuOngezaVolume

This episode focuses on the listening party experience and what it really means to show up and engage with music in those spaces. Across the month, several listening parties and live performances were attended and reviewed, each offering a different perspective on how artists choose to present their work before and beyond release.

The events covered include the We Don’t Need Money to be Rich album listening party by Mutoriah, Base to Billboards by Tusker Kenya in collaboration with Africacentric Entertainment and the Needs EP listening party by We Are Nubia hosted at the OneRPM offices in Kenya. Also reviewed are the Kito TV series soundtrack listening party courtesy of Belva Digital, a live performance by The Babas at Geco Cafe and a live set by Charisma during BND Live Sessions at BND Kileleshwa.

Titled Listening Parties Are for Listening, the episode reflects on how these spaces function, what stands out when artists share their work in more intimate environments and what audiences take away from being present in real time. It is an honest review of the music, the setups and the overall experience across each event.

Featured track - Nilivyo by Kethan and Tuku Kantu

#TebuOngezaVolume #OngezaVolume

January set the tone for the year and this episode is a reflection on both the music released and the events attended throughout the month. The episode opens with a look at some of the music that dropped in January 2026 before moving into reviews of the live experiences that shaped the month.

The events covered include Shad Mziki at BND Live Sessions on 8th January, Industry Talks: Event Productions, Artist Bookings & Fun Experience on 15th January, Maali at BNDLive Sessions on the same day, Ochiko and N’Jiru at Kenyan Pick on 21st January and Kethan Live Experience III on 31st January 2026.

Titled Learning Curve, this episode leans into the process of openly sharing opinions, reviewing events and growing through feedback. It’s an honest reflection on showing up, observing, learning and refining perspective while engaging with music and creative spaces in real time. Less about having final answers, more about staying open, curious and willing to learn as the year unfolds.

Featured song - Tumia Pesa by Watendawili

Event images by Cheru Koimett

#TebuOngezaVolume #OngezaVolume

2025 was a big one for music and creative spaces and in this episode, the focus is on the moments that stood out to us over the year. A list of events attended is shared, some big, some intimate, all memorable. Listeners get to vote on which ones they want full reviews for in upcoming episodes. Alongside that, the episode counts down personal top picks for albums, EPs and events that kept the energy high and the music interesting throughout the year.

This isn’t about defining the scene or making anyone feel like they missed out, it’s about celebrating the music, the vibes and the experiences that made 2025 feel alive. Whether it’s a performance that had everyone talking or a release that you couldn’t stop listening to, this episode brings it all together. It’s a chance to look back, relive the highlights and maybe even discover something new along the way.

Listeners are invited to share their thoughts, feedback and picks for what they want to hear more about. Think of it as a conversation, a space to celebrate the year’s best moments in music and creative spaces all from the OV perspective.