Ogopa Deejays are a

Kenyan ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

music production A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

team and

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the prod ...

formed in the late 1990s who gained regional fame and popularity due to standards of their production work.

Background

The people behind Ogopa DJs are brothers Francis and Lucas Bikedo, and manager Banda. They rarely show their faces in public and do not agree to have their photos taken or published by Kenyan media. The team started out producing hit songs for artists such as

Bebe Cool Bebe Cool (real name Moses Ssali; born 1 September 1977) is an African reggae and ragga musician from Uganda. He started his career around 1997 in Nairobi, Kenya, but moved back to his native country a few years later. Bebe Cool was one of ...

Chameleone Joseph Mayanja (born 30 April 1979), better known by the stage name Jose Chameleone, is a Ugandan AfroBeat artist and musician. Chameleone sings in Luganda, English and Swahili. He started his music career in the early 1990s in Kenya with the ...

and

Redsan Swabri Mohammed (born 1 May 1981), better known by his stage name Redsan, is a Kenyan reggae and ragga musician. He is one of the most well renowned ragga and dancehall artists in East Africa. His popularity has extended to the rest of Afric ...

. They are widely acclaimed to have helped boost the Kenyan urban music scene from obscurity. They are also credited with creating the

Boomba The bladder fiddle was a folk instrument used throughout Europe and in the Americas. The instrument was originally a simple large stringed fiddle (a musical bow) made with a long stick, one or more thick gut strings, and a pig's-bladder resona ...

(sometimes referred to as Kapuka) style of Kenyan music which is modern hip hop and

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Ro ...

influenced by African drums and rhythms. They later formed Ogopa Productions which apart from music production also organizes events. They revolutionised Kenyan music in the early 2000s. They have released three compilation albums and several albums by their artists. Their first album was released in 2001 and was widely popular in East Africa. It also introduced fans to the talent of the late

E-Sir Issah Mmari Wangui (May 20, 1981 – March 16, 2003), better known by his stage name E-Sir, was a Kenyan hip hop artist. He was the elder brother to fellow Kenyan rapper Habib. He was famous for his deft lyrical ability and command of the Swahili ...

and K-Rupt. They are famous for their logo of a red face screaming. A music producer from Virginia, United States, gave the group a chance to showcase their musical talent in 2003. Tickets sold out about three hours, a record time for this group. Ultimately the show was a huge success and the group planned to start a world tour in 2013. Their studios are located in South B estate of

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city prope ...

. They have also started a sister label operating in

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and e ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

, known as Ogopa Butterfly. They have produced for

Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 20 ...

based girl duo,

Gal Level Gal Level is a R&B female duo from Windhoek, Namibia, made up of Daphne Willibard (born 1 April 1981) and Frieda Haindaka (born 1 February 1984). They are very popular in Southern Africa, and other African countries. They are produced and manage ...

, and Kenyan-Namibian musician Faizel MC. In 2018, Ogopa Deejays and

Calif Records Calif Records is a Kenyan record label based in Nairobi's California estate, known for the Genge genre of music. It was founded in 2000 by record executive & producer Clement "Clemo" Rapudo, together with Juacali and Nonini. It is among two ...

co-hosted the Ngoma Festival at

Uhuru Gardens Uhuru Gardens National Monument and Museum is a commemorative park and museum in Nairobi, Kenya that celebrates independence from the British Empire in 12 December 1963. The word "uhuru" is Swahili for "freedom". It contains three points of sign ...

.Ogopa Deejays vs Calif Records showdown flops big time
''Nairobi News'', October 28, 2018.

List of signed artists

Artists who have been signed to Ogopa Deejays label for at least part of their career (artists who have occasionally recorded with Ogopa are excluded) include:

Current artists

* Alpha * Amani * Colonel Mustafa * Marya *

Kenzo is a common masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Kenzō can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *賢三, "wise, three" *健三, "healthy, three" *謙三, "humble, three" *健想, "healthy, concept" *建造, "bu ...

Silas Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey. Name and ...

* Trapee *

Boomba Boiz The bladder fiddle was a folk instrument used throughout Europe and in the Americas. The instrument was originally a simple large stringed fiddle (a musical bow) made with a long stick, one or more thick gut strings, and a pig's-bladder resonat ...

Rapper willyjay Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

*Hearts Prince Brown Jr (EsirEaly)

Former artists

Avril Avril means April in French and other languages. It may also refer to: Places * Mont Avril, a mountain on the Swiss-Italian border * Avril, Meurthe-et-Moselle, a commune of the Meurthe-et-Moselle département, France People * Avril (name) * ...

Big Pin Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

* Nameless * Deux Vultures *

* Kleptomaniax * K-rupt * Longombas *

Mr. Googz Mr. Googz (real name Moffat Omari) is a musician from Kenya. Biography He grew up in Zimmermann, a suburb of Nairobi. He attended Ainsworth Primary School in Eastleigh, Nairobi and later Highway Secondary School.Mwafrika.comMr. Googz/ref> He te ...

& Vinnie Banton * Mr. Lenny & Kunguru *

* Tattuu * Wahu

References

External links