DJ IV performs at the launch of Janice Iche's albumDJ IV performs at Iche’s album launch, November 2022



The Santuri Salon is our new space at The Mall (basement level) in Westlands, Nairobi. 

It is Santuri’s multi-functional space for workshops, performances, listening sessions, panel discussions and more.

The Santuri Salon is also a place for DJs and music producers to access world class hardware and software Santuri shares with the community. What’s more, we also have a library focusing on music culture books and publications.  

The space is open to the community for hire. Simply contact the Santuri Salon on:
 
+254 768 226 199 (mobile / WhatsApp) or email salon@santuri.org


BOOK THE SANTURI SALON NOW



Here’s some images of recent events as the Santuri Salon.  













Open Day January 13th 







BOOK THE SANTURI SALON NOW





“Iche album” launch featuring Janice Iche, Nabalayo, Akoth Jumadi and DJ IV






 
 


MISSION 






[MONRHEA] hosts the TCHNO workshop at the Salon 




 


Housed in a former beauty salon in the basement of The Mall, the Santuri’s Salon is the central operating base for Santuri activities, combining a recording studio, music production stations, a workshop / classroom area, an office, and a showcase area.
 

From this space Santuri plans shall:


  • Create a value-driven, vibrant and inclusive space in Nairobi for music practitioners to learn skills, develop creative works, and share them with local, regional and global audiences.

  • Establish an East African reciprocal residency program that combines learning, collaboration and artistic innovation, connecting Kenya and Tanzania, expanding to 3 other locations in 2023/2024.

  • House our celebrated SEMA education program and grow our community by building an active Alums network - creating opportunities and providing sustained support for our students.


Them Mushrooms - live









“Santuri has been a much needed breathe of fresh air in the Nairobi music space post-pandemic, bringing together equally inspired and curious music minds to learn, engage and interact. The Santuri Salon is a perfect add on to this ecosystem, right in the heart of Westlands (Nairobi party district), providing a space to showcase some of the magic the city is making. It was an honour for Them Mushrooms, one of Kenyas most iconic bands, to able to jam in the space to a small exclusive audience, in the build up to the Hamsini Tour celebrating 50 Years of Live music”.
George ‘Porgie’ Gachui, Them Mushrooms’ Manager 







Dipa Konnection Video Shoot 



Nairobi’s next top band passed by to shoot a video for their upcoming release - full video to follow!  












SEMA Open Day





                  

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Building the Santuri Salon in September 2022













Santuri East Africa is seeking innovative, emerging East African artists to showcase at Spotlight Sessions at the Santuri Salon between May and August 2023. This opportunity is particularly for those willing to experiment, challenge conventions, and create sounds that defy categorization.

If you are a musician, band or collective who thrives outside of the mainstream and are committed to forging new paths in music, we want to hear from you.

The Spotlight Sessions showcases at Santuri Salon will provide an intimate, engaged audience for you to test out your latest creations or artistic concepts.

We welcome acts of all genres, from experimental, electronic, to noise, rock, and beyond! 

The Spotlight Sessions are particularly interested in projects that address or relate to some of the following themes:  


  • The intersection of technology and tradition
  • African culture and identity
  • Community, connectedness, or cross-cultural collaboration
  • Pressing issues such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), climate change, social inequality etc.
  • Combinations of art disciplines with a strong musical component


Here are some examples:

  • Live performance of a new release, involving different performance tools  
  • Interactive DJ set or deep dive into a micro genre / theme
  • Immersive sound art installation
  • Live ‘pirate radio’ takeover 
  • Improvised modular synthesizer performance
  • Reusing folkloric practices in innovative ways



Who can apply?

  • New and emerging East African musicians based in the region
  • Participants of 18 years and over 
  • Non-male/queer artists strongly encouraged to apply 
  • Groups of not more than 3 artists


Support:

  • Performers will receive a nominal performance fee from Santuri of KES 15,000.
  • Santuri will provide sound and lighting for the show.
  • Santuri will provide time and space for rehearsals.
  • Selected acts will be promoted across the Santuri East Africa platforms (newsletters, website, radio shows, social media).
  • A space will be allocated at the Santuri Salon for showcasing artists to sell their merchandise.



Timeline:

  • Application deadline: to perform between May and August, submit your application by May 31st 2023
  • Eligible applications will be reviewed by the Santuri Curation Committee.
  • All applicants will be notified of their status via email.  
  • Only complete applications submitted via the online form below will be considered.


We look forward to hearing from you.



The “Spotlight Sessions” is supported by a grant from Ignite Culture: ACP-EU Culture Programme (Eastern Africa).
This fund is being implemented by HEVA, in partnership with the British Council Kenya with the financial contribution of the European Union, and with further support from the Organisation of ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) States. It is part of the global ACP-EU Culture Programme. 





Santuri has a fully-equipped recording and production studio available for hire. Located at The Mall, Westlands (basement level), the studio offers cutting-edge equipment and knowledgeable technicians ready to bring your ideas to fruition. Santuri is committed and proud to be a safe, welcoming space that encourages producers and artists from all walks of like to feel at home. We particuarly welcome non-male / queer identities to utilise our services.


︎We Offer︎


Studio Hire (with or without an audio engineer)

Gear Hire  (recording or live events)  

Podcast Recording  

Access to DJ Equipment (practice or recording of mixes)

Video Production / Editing

Access to Ableton / Native Instruments / Elektron / Novation Hardware and Software

Event and Festival Curation and Production





Get in Touch for a Personalised Quotation




Gear List




Maschine +


The standalone MASCHINE+ is a WiFi-enabled sampler, drum machine, synthesizer, and is an on-stage superpower. Leave the laptop behind, jam with this piece of gear, and create beats in minutes with a wealth of on-board sounds, instruments, and effects.




Maschine MK2 & MK3


The MASCHINE MK2 & MK3 are sequencers, samplers, VST/AU plug-in hosts and multi-effect units used for beat-making and performance.


Ableton Push 1 & 2


Ableton Push is an instrument for song creation that provides hands-on control of melody and harmony, beats, sounds, and song structure. In the studio, Push allows you to quickly create clips that populate Live's Session View as you work entirely from the hardware.


Boss Dr. Sample SP-303 


The Boss Dr. Sampler SP-303 by Roland offers DJs and musicians a compact, easy-to-use portable phrase sampler with high-quality sound, 8-note polyphony, 26 onboard effects and a real-time pattern sequencer for sampling and effects processing anytime.


Komplete Kontrol S49 Keyboard


With the latest generation of KOMPLETE KONTROL, music-making becomes a more intuitive, hands-on experience. Perform expressively, browse and preview sounds, tweak parameters, sketch your ideas, then navigate and mix your project – all from one fully integrated centerpiece for studio and stage.


Venice F24 Mixer


VF24 is much more than a compact live audio console. The DIGI-LOG VF24 is the platform for completely integrated audio mixing, recording and signal processing. Thanks to its FireWire digital audio interface which is capable of supporting up to 24 x 24 channels of high-quality, 24-bit audio.


Shure PGA DrumKit


The PGA DrumKit 7 Microphone Kit is a complete package of professional quality microphones, designed to provide excellent sound for full drum kit performance and recording. Included in the PGA DrumKit 7 are one PGA52 kick drum microphone, three PGA56 drum microphones, one PGA57 instrument microphone and two PGA81 instrument microphones, along with three drum mounts, seven XLR-XLR cables, and a carrying case.



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Shure SM57s / SM58s

These cardioid dynamic microphones offer a clean reproduction of amplified and acoustic instuments. Features include contoured frequency response for rich vocal pickup, background noise reduction, and a pneumatic shock mount system.



Shure MV 88+ (Field Recording Mics)


The digital stereo condenser microphone replaces field recorders with the ability to record audio onto an iOS device. Features include 5 preloaded DSP settings, Lightning Connector compatibility, and iOS ShurePlus MOTIV app editing.


Shure MV7 Vocal (including direct to USB)

Inspired by the legendary SM7B, the MV7 is a dynamic microphone with both USB and XLR outputs for use with computers and professional interfaces alike. Connect via USB, explore additional set-up features and use auto level mode within the ShurePlus™ MOTIV app to control your vocal tone, and distance from the microphone.


Sound Isolation Panels


A full set of acoustic panels composed of compressed Rockwool & foam are at your disposal. The sound absorbing acoustic panels diffuse sound waves to reduce ambient noise, clarify speech and limit reverberation within enclosed areas.


Adam Audio TV5 Monitors


The T5V is a two-way nearfield monitor optimised for small control rooms. Excellent acoustic characteristics, small dimensions and outstanding performance make this studio monitor perfectly suited for use in small control rooms in music, video and broadcast production.



iMac 27inch 2017



A fully capable 2017 iMac model with the full Ableton Live 11 Suite, Native Instruments Komplete 13 Ultimate and Izotope plugins.

Microphone Stands


Several flexible microphone stands for any occasion.


Audio Interfaces (Native Instruments, Focusrite, Yamaha)


Audio interfaces convert microphone and instrument signals into a format your computer and software recognise. The interface also routes audio from your computer out to your headphones and studio monitors. Our studio offers a wide variety of interfaces for all your recording needs.

Elektron Digitakt


Novation TR-303
 
Launchpad


RATES
Half-day                                5,000 KES
Half-day with engineer      7,500 KES
Full-day                               10,000 KES
Full-day with engineer     13,000 KES

Contact Us 


studio@santuri.org

+254 768 226 199







ABLETON RESEARCH — MAPPING THE ELECTRONIC MUSIC LANDSCAPE IN EAST AFRICA




In 2020 Santuri undertook the most extensive survey of music producers and sound engineers yet undertaken in East Africa in partnership with the Berlin-based music technology company, Ableton. This survey interviewed over 250 producers, DJs, sound engineers, labels and music institutions, examining the education landscape for electronic music among other topics.

Download here:
https://files.cargocollective.com/c1487837/MAPPING-THE-ELECTRONIC-MUSIC-LANDSCAPE-IN-EA.pdf


















CDR x Santuri @ Shelter



Officially for the first time in Kenya, Santuri partnered with CDR to create an evening entirely made up of music in the making. Producers submitted work-in-progress tracks to be played as a part of a DJ set, receiving live and informal feedback on their music from a group of peers. The evening also saw performances from DJ IV, Slikback, DJ Shock and the Santuri Sound System.  





Slikback

 

DJ IV

Slikback









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©2022 Santuri East Africa