I can’t promise you won’t have nostalgic feelings reading this, especially if your Sunday mornings involved listening to Caffé Mocha on Homeboyz Radio. I mean, did it feel like a Sunday if you were not on Jack Rooster’s flight?
I was curious about what he’s been up to since his unexpected departure from the Kenyan entertainment scene despite building such an impressive career. Being the good friend he is, he answered my call. He sounded like he was in a professional sweet spot - happy with what he has accomplished. You have to give Jack credit for bringing electronic and African house music to the mainstream.
We talked about his music and tech career (yes your favourite DJ is a geek), relocating to Europe and everything in between.
Where in the world are you right now?
I’m currently in Rome. I had actually never thought of moving, I just had a general idea of where I wanted to be in my career but I didn’t have a detailed roadmap. I think we shouldn’t focus too much on the progress we make, just see where you want to go and you never know what the universe has in store for you. You could be limiting your progress by defining it by what you know based on your experiences.
You’ve been touring Europe to promote your debut album “NYUMBA”, how’s that going and what’s your highlight so far?
It’s been great. The ability to play in different parts of Europe has been an eye-opening experience. The whole idea of a tour is to not only engage with people who know your music but to also learn and network to create opportunities for more work and get inspiration for producing new material.
Very few people know you are a techie, tell us a little about your academic background.
I’m a Network and CyberSecurity Engineer by profession, I help organizations design, build, maintain and secure networks, by giving expert advice on what software or hardware infrastructure is needed to achieve their business goals.
Right after high school, I started off at Strathmore University doing short courses in the evening and working there during the day after which I moved to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to pursue a degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering. During my time at JKUAT, I identified an alternative career path in Technology (Tech) so I dropped out and pursued that instead, and entered the job market shortly after that.
Later on, I went back to study Electronic Media and Music at Daystar University, which was around the time I was doing a lot of DJing, Music Production and working at Homeboyz Radio. I graduated in 2019.
When the pandemic hit and I couldn’t do anything music-related because all venues were closed, the Tech skills I had invested in earlier in life came in handy and I was still able to meet my needs. I also took the opportunity to do my Master's in Cyber Studies and Investigations during the first two years of the pandemic. I enjoy technology just as much as I do music.
It’s clear you are wearing too many hats, how do you balance all these with your music career?
I don’t think it’s too much. I keep telling people that the arts especially music is a hobby until it starts paying you. It can turn out to be a ruthless and selfish lover if you just commit to it without a solid foundation in terms of your skill set and finances, and this is coming from my own personal experience.
Living an artistic lifestyle, especially in Africa can be frustrating. DJing and being a Producer is a glamorous thing but you need to have a solid financial base. For me, Tech is what gave me the foundation to do the things that I love in the arts.
A strong foundation gives you the flexibility to not be desperate for gigs which can lead to one compromising on their creativity. As a matter of fact, what enables me to live and work in Europe is my tech skills. So having diverse skills differentiates you because you can build a strong foundation for your career.
While coming up, which gig did you play that made you realize you were at a different level in your career?
That must be the launch party for my debut album “Nyumba” in Nairobi back in 2019. It was a really good gig because a lot of people attended and it was an honest expression of my true artistic talent, I was able to showcase all the talented artists I had worked and it marked a key milestone in my journey as a Music Producer. There are some gigs where you have to play for the crowd, but with this one, I went in with the idea of what I wanted to communicate and the reception was great.
Take us back to when you hosted your first radio show. How did this happen and what goals did you have crossing over from the DJ culture to radio?
I sent an email to Homeboyz Radio back in 2011 requesting to play a set and Monique Angelyne who was hosting Afro Central at the time invited me to be a guest DJ on her show. We had great chemistry on that show and ended up creating a new show which was Caffé Mocha. Monique eventually left the station and I continued the journey with my new co-host Kerry Martin. That’s how the 10 years of Caffé Mocha began.
During my earlier years in Tech, I used to visit South Africa a lot, I fell in love with House music I heard on their radio stations and really wanted to bring that kind of vibe to Nairobi. That’s how I ended up being a DJ in the first place. So Caffé Mocha became the platform for Electronic House and Dance Music artists to showcase their craft through airplay of their music, interviews and live DJ sets.
Let’s talk about Caffé Mocha a little bit. You used to fly us across Africa through music, how did the flight concept come about?
Kerry Martin and I were brainstorming on how to make the show memorable, Kerry - who used to be a pilot - came up with the brilliant idea of flying people around Africa sampling the various sights and sounds that our beautiful continent has to offer, I got to work on the production end by adding the soundscapes that would take the listener on a virtual 3-hour flight every weekend.
Caffé Mocha was a great moment for all of us. I’d like to believe that the show had an impact in terms of the direction in which things have headed sonically for our city and for the country at large, when I look at the house/dance music scene now it’s amazing and I’m happy to see it.
Flight #444, does that ring a bell? What was going through your mind while playing your last Caffé Mocha show on Homeboyz Radio?
For me, that was the best way to go. Law 47 says we should learn when to stop. At that point, I felt we were at a point where we could exit at a high and pass on the torch to the new crop of artists to carry things forward.
Destiny was also calling me elsewhere, it was time to focus on pushing the boundaries, additionally, my firstborn child had just been born and I was being called to focus more on family life. I wanted the last show to be memorable, so I invited other upcoming and talented DJs to play their music because this was what Caffé Mocha was all about.
What’s distinctive about your radio and DJ career, and how did it shape you?
Sometimes you introspect and ask yourself, “why am I on this planet?”, and I strongly believe that music is one of the things I’m here to do. It is a vocational calling that I use to support my community.
The fact you could have people from across the country tuned in to your show to listen to relaxing music and grow their taste is rewarding enough. I strive to infuse that energy into everything I do, be it through radio, DJ sets or podcasts with the view of expanding my listener’s worldview.
I now view things differently compared to when I started. You may work on something and not see the results immediately. But if it’s good work created with the right intention, it lives on and becomes valuable and touches people’s lives ad infinitum.
How was the creation process of your album ‘Nyumba’ and people’s reception?
This takes us back to when I was at Daystar University studying Electronic Media and Music. By this time I was fully into the artistic mindset and I thought it was a good time to work on an album because I knew if I wanted to tour I needed my own body of work so that I can play more than just other people’s music.
If you do your research, you will find that a lot of DJs who are touring right now are those who released albums that went crazy. For example Caiiro, he’s a very underground producer and DJ who is touring heavily at the moment and that has to do with the fact that he has just released one of the hottest albums currently.
I reached out to Musyoka who is a childhood friend of mine and told him I’d like us to work on an album together. I got signed to the label (Decimal Records) and for about a year we put different artists together, did the songwriting, production, mixing and mastering and shot videos.
The process was extremely long and enjoyable. I learnt a lot about the craft of producing an album and working with artists. It was fulfilling to have the final piece of work, share it on Spotify, do the live launch and have it sell-out.
One of the challenges of being a creative is you never feel like your work is ready, that being said, having a final product that you are comfortable with is always gratifying. I have now commenced work on my next album which I’ll be working on together with my daughter.
If you were to recommend one album for someone looking to get into Afro House music, what would you give them?
Anything from Celsius Degree Records, Gondwana Records or Ewaso Records will definitely get you moving. Decimal Records also just released a nice electronic music song called Nairobi that’s been on repeat right now.
What’s one song you wish you had produced?
Too many to mention but there’s a song by Kabza De Small called Rekere 2. That melody is mind-blowing. 33 by De Mthuda is another amazing tune, so simple yet so powerful.
If you could change one thing about your career what would it be?
I wouldn’t change anything about my music career. I’m very pleased with where I am. I feel I’m in tune and aligned with my purpose right now and I’m learning to enjoy and be grateful for the present state.
Other than yourself, of course, who is your favourite DJ?
I can’t really say I’m my own favourite DJ, there are a lot of great DJs out there. I have a lot of respect for Black Coffee. I was to Ibiza this past season and I got the opportunity to watch him play live from close quarters. It goes without saying that he’s an expert at his craft - blending music and engaging with the crowd effortlessly. For him to be playing at the world’s number one club and consistently having residency there says a lot. His journey is inspirational and shows what’s possible.