Sarah Osman popularly known as Kinky is one of the few female broadcasters in the music and entertainment scene in Juba, South Sudan (S.S).
With a career spanning six years, she tells Music In Africa that although the S.S recording music industry is one of the less developed in the region the best of her career has been to experience the growth of a few S.S artists into regional and international stars. She hopes that through her radio program, which fronts new music from S.S, more artists will gain the opportunity to work with regional producers and promoters.
She spoke to Willy Entertainment about her work and provided an overview of the current music scene in Africa’s youngest nation.
Can you give us an oveie of women representatio in S.S?
Gender equality is a huge women’s issue. Men are still in total control across all sectors including music. The irony is that most of the top women from S.S excel outside the country. For this reason, I encourage more women to step up and take charge. But, this can only happen if the men at the top can give women an opportunity to reach their full potential. For the women who wish to join the entertainment industry, you need to have thick skin there is a lot of stereotypes about women in music. You also need a huge network of relevant players in the industry such as producers, promoters, etc. On the other hand, i would say that there is a need for more women empowerment programs because for s long the men have taken charge and the women are used to proving the supporting role, yet in some cases, they are more qualified.
Did you start immediately as a music and entertainment presenter?
My first on-air experience was as a voice-over artist in 2012. I mainly made commercial adverts for companies here in Juba and the then Voice of the People radio station. In 2014, I moved to live on-air presentation at Liberty FM, I then moved to Capital FM before settling at Radio One where I have been a host since 2016.
What does a typical day look like for you?
What I love about my job is that no day is boring. My show runs from Monday to Saturday between 6 AM and 10 AM. My show requires a lot of content so I spend most of my afternoons researching current affairs news, celebrity gist. I also have a birthday shutout segment for the listeners.
Are there many media houses in South Sudan?
We have only one TV station; SSBC [South Sudan Broadcasting Cooperation] and about ten private and community-based radio stations in Juba.
What has been the best part of your job so far?
I am so grateful that I have managed to stick to what I am passionate about which is radio and music. But the best thing so far would be the fact that I have managed to promote upcoming artists not only my show through airplay and interviews on my show but also by linking them with other artists for collaboration. I am happy when such a connection happens.
Last year, there were numerous complains online from South Sudanese accusing radio presenters of being biased. This is common in other countries as well but one would assume that being a young country and industry, presenters would strive to promote local talent.
Yes, there was an online protest on social media by different musicians asking for more airplay from DJs, clubs and radio presenters. The trend has been going on for some time now but artists should know that radio stations have standards. A song has to be well produced and the artist needs to be talented. Therefore, if a song lacks these two things, then it is not worth playing.
So the local producers need better training in production?
We have young producers with the drive but they need help to be better. All productions are digitally produced and this means that there is not much creativity that can take place. Other countries like Kenya and Uganda have embraced live recording with instruments.
Live music production is very expensive and it needs a well-equipped studio and skilled sound engineers.
Yes, and we do not have such studios yet. The producers also need training on how to record. There are also very few instrumentalists. If we can make this happen then we will have better music and a sound of our own.
What else do you think is urgently needed for the Sudanese artists to progress?
We have good venues that can do very well as live music venues such as the Dr John Garang Mausoleum and the Nyakuron Cultural Center grounds. But they lack equipment and other facilities such as a good stage. Stages are available for hire but the good ones have to be outsourced. For instance, when Harmonize [Tanzanian bongo flava artist] came to juba for the second time, all the sound systems plus the stage were all hired from Uganda.
Something else that needs to be formed is the artist union. We had one before but due to irreconcilable differences between artists, the leadership was dissolved and it has been dormant since.
Who are some of your favorite artists now?
I enjoy different genres from RnB to reggae and dancehall. So my yop artists at the moment are YMO, Yogo Man, Emmanuel Kembe and Yanas who is one of the few musicians that perform with a live band.
Dynamq, Nyaruach, and Emmanuel Jal are the top South Sudanese artists internationally
Yes, no doubt. Living outside S.S has its advantages. They have the opportunity to work with great producers and interact with other successful musicians in the diaspora unlike musicians back home who lack that opportunity. The artists have formed their own identity and I hope they will one day come back and share their experiences with the artists here so that they can be challenged to do better.
You are very optimistic about this industry
Yes. I have seen it grow slowly but steadily. The future is promising because we have talented artists and all that is needed is proper guidance on consistency and originality.
What advice would you give women looking to join the
entertainment scene?
I do not have any advice but I hope to see more women break stereotypes. There is no gender parity in S.S. It would be my joy to see more women in politics and taking part in the major decision-making processes in our country. As for the music industry, I challenge women to become hiphop artists, producers, event organisers, and promoters. Our industry is very small but with a lot of potential. The time to stamp your footprint is now.
