Tune Speak musical film is Kenya’s Sarafina

Kevin Odhiambo

Watching this musical film will bring back memories of South Africa’s famous movie, Sarafina - complete with memorable soundtracks, politicalundertones and lots of music. Shirley Genga caught up with Tune Speak filmmaker, Kevin Odhiambo

Why did you settle for a musical film with political overtones?

I wanted something different and to challenge myself. Music is a universal language. I chose to do an African political musical movie because I wanted the message of love, peace and integrity to sink deep into my audiences’ minds. Further, I chose the political theme to prove to the world that we are not just about overrated love stories.

Tune Speak is probably the first ever Kenyan musical film; how does that make you feel?

I feel humbled. It has won awards nationally and a few nominations across Africa, yet the film has not even been released officially. It has  been nominated for African International Film Festival(AIFF) in Nigeria and also been submitted for a number of film competitions globally. The positive feedback is really encouraging.

What was the inspiration behind Tune Speak?

It was inspired by the African election process. Our elections are marred with tribalism, corruption, bribery and hate.  I wanted to highlight this to inspire change. The movie reveals why we vote for corrupt leaders and then complain later.

The story is told through a high school presidential election, where Alisha(Hannah Nyagacuhi) is the protagonist and Vana(Leah Murugi ), the antagonist, all in a race to vie for the presidency. In the process of campaigns, Alisha uses all manner of evil tricks to get the post while Vana tries to sell good ideals as Nina (Stephanie Njoki) tells the story.

Why did you decide to work with high school students instead of more established actors?

My cast is made up of girls from Buru Buru Girls High School. I wanted something fresh and to use untapped talent. They are good listeners and easy to direct and correct. I also wanted to provide a platform for new talent.

Your film features a good number of cover songs by international artistes. How were you able to get permission to use their music?

I emailed the artistes to allow me to use their songs. The songs include Read All About It by Emeli Sande, All In My Head by Tori Kelly, Stimmella by Winter Gordon and Say Hallo to Goodbye by Shontelle. After the agreements, we went ahead to record the songs at Johari Clef Studios owned by Bruce Odhiambo and the vocalists didn’t disappoint.

 Where did you get funds and how long did it take to shoot?

Tune Speak was jointly funded by Buru Buru Girls High School, Airborne Films, Young Wallace Creations and Tonny Chirah Studios. The film took roughly four months to shoot. We mostly shot at Buru Buru Girls High School, while music recording was at Johari Clef Studios for both audio taping and editing, while the music room scenes were done at B.O.L Pianos.

So who are you behind the camera, a director, script writer or producer?

 I am a creative film and art director. I am a good and creative story developer and also perfect in set lighting and overall editing. This is not my first film. I have done about five films before and a number of short films that have competed in film festivals around the world.

When is the release date for Tune Speak?

We are planning to launch the movie first in Machakos County this August and talks are ongoing about that. Later on, we will première the movie in all 47 counties in stadiums and street premières. Additionally, we are planning a grand sale of the DVDs all over Kenya. We are also open to willing sponsors who might want to come on board to support Tune Speak.

Finally, who is  Kevin Odhiambo?

I am a 23-year-old filmmaker. I was born and bred in Kibera slums. I have two brothers and two sisters. As a child, I wanted to be a pilot, but later on, decided to do music which was my passion. It linked  me to film. While doing music, I met Caro Nyce, a renowned gospel artiste and she is the one who introduced me to the film world.

Further, my experience grew gradually with the help of mentors such as Kiarie Nguyo, Kiama Kariuki, Herine Simbowo and Festus Njogu. I later pursued a course in TV production. I studied TV production at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communications and also enrolled for online classes at Lights Film School.

What are your future plans?

As Airborne Films, we are already planning another movie called Redemption. Because I am very passionate about telling African and Kenyan stories in quality, style and originality, I am also planning to further my film skills in America before the year ends.