On the 5th of April 2025, Descendants Records finally made their Nairobi debut. They baptized the city with bass… and truthfully, it was one for the books.
Let’s get into it.
The night was a full-on celebration of Afro Electronic music, specifically Afro House, Afro Tech, 3 Step, and Gqom. Sitting at the intersection of tradition and innovation, its reach is global but unmistakably African at its core. The lineup did not come to play: Atmos Blaq, Drumetic Boyz, Meedy x Pizzi, Coco Em, Tina Ardor, and Hiribae. Goldmax was also meant to be up there, but, as if to keep us humble, he missed his flight. Still, the rest of the lineup more than delivered. They carried the night and then some.
Muze Club was on demon time, in the best way possible. They provided the perfect intimate setup for a sonic journey. As for the AC? Fully missing in action. It felt like we were partying in a sauna. But even with the heat, the energy inside was unmatched. A beautiful, sweaty kaleidoscope of Nairobi’s most electric music lovers. The vibe? Spiritual. The crowd came correct: diverse, expressive, and completely locked in. I have only just recovered.
Now, let’s talk hometown heroes: Coco Em, Tina Ardor, and Hiribae. They not only represented; they ascended. Hiribae came in hot as the opener and did not miss a single beat. His set, a love letter to sound. Afro House, Deep House grooves with a hint of local Kenyan flavor; the surgical precision was unmatched. From the first beat drop, the dancefloor was his playground. Tina Ardor, aka the vocal enchantress, didn’t just play tracks. She breathed life into them. Her live vocals layered over her DJ set gave the whole experience an otherworldly twist. Coco Em, an undisputed beat sorceress, pulled us through soundscapes with ease. She had us grooving to effortless futuristic electronic beats. It wasn’t just a set; it was a sermon, and we were her willing converts.
Atmos Blaq came in with something just as magnetic. There was this moment he dropped Kwa Mama, and the place just… shifted. That low, rolling groove was met with a wave of cheers, hands up, phones out, bodies locked into the beat like it was second nature. You don’t forget that kind of thing.
Drumetic Boyz followed with a high-octane set from the jump, layered with deep tribal textures. You could feel the bass in your chest. They did a rendition of their track Flow, mashed up with an acapella of Shimza’s Darling, and the crowd went absolutely bonkers. Like full body chills, losing your voice screaming type of bonkers. Hands flew up, and Muze exploded. Every drop after that hit harder than the last, and by the end of their set, they weren’t just the talk of the night; they were the night.
Meedy and Pizzi did not come to play. They set the tone with a slick back-to-back. Track for track, they pushed each other higher, throwing in surprises and playing with tempo. It was unpredictable in the best way. You could see people turning to each other in disbelief.
“Do not threaten me with a good time,” I said. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more unhinged… it absolutely did.
It was a full-on tag team throwdown. Back-to-backs turned into three-deck standoffs. Artists that were not on the lineup joined in on the fun, a big shout out to Wandat for holding it down. One set flowed into another, the decks were possessed, the floor was lava, and the artists? Ungovernable. The international acts understood the assignment. They didn’t just match the energy, they surpassed it.
It was hot. Yes… I may have sweat out a small lake. But honestly? I’d do it all over again. Descendants showed up and showed love. Nairobi responded in kind. And if this was just the debut, the next one? I might actually spontaneously combust.
This article was submitted by a contributing columnist at large , Andia Amimo
Photographs by Mwangi Mundia
