Kenya Breweries Limited flagship brand, Tusker, kicked off its nationwide talent search series, dubbed Tusker Nexters, at the ASK Meru Showground. The event is part of the Tusker brand’s 100-year anniversary campaign, which aims to bring out the next generation of Kenyan talent in music and sports. It was also an introduction of the broader Kenyan audience to eSports, or electronic sports, which is globally considered as the next frontier of virtual sport.
Day one of the two-day event series was well-attended, and saw hundreds of acts from the mountain region converge at the Meru ASK Showground with the hope that they had what it takes to impress the celebrity panel of judges. Adjudicating the auditions were popular names in Kenyan music: JuaCali, Fena Gitu and Redsan, as well as Meru-based acts Koffi Machete, Keifer Mtanashati and Jayso.
EABL Ag. Head of Marketing for the beer segment, Jean Okech-Nyawara, expressed her delight at the initiative: “In its hundred years of existence, Tusker has always been a trailblazer when it comes to providing platforms for young Kenyan talent to shine. We have a proven track record in sports and the arts. Think Tusker Project Fame, and the myriad of sports sponsorships that the brand has been involved in year on year.
As KBL and Tusker progress into the next century, Tusker Nexters is a platform that exists to identify the next generation of talent, as well as the next era of sport. E-sports, or electronic sports, is the next frontier of virtual sports. Through the Tusker Nexters countrywide talent search, we are bringing this out in a big way by allowing these talented individuals to come out and compete against each other. This way, the most gifted individuals get the chance to show Kenya what they can do.”
Tusker brand manager, Catherine Twesigye, echoed these sentiments, expressing gratitude to everyone that was brave enough to come out and take part in the auditions, especially the individuals that travelled from far within the region:
“There have been people who have travelled far to attend today’s auditions, who I would like to give special appreciation to, on behalf of the brand. There are also interesting stories about some people that watched Tusker Project Fame when they were younger, and they waited for Tusker to do something similar again, and I am glad to say that with the Tusker Nexters initiative, we have not let these people down. They came out and did their thing, and best of luck to them.”
Saturday ended with the judges showing everyone why they were selected to be judges in the first place, delivering electrifying performances to the Meru crowd. The mountain region event will continue to Sunday, March 14th, with the standout performers of the weekend being announced for both the Future Sounds and Future Sports auditions.
The Tusker Nexters talent search continues on 19th March, 2022, at the Simba Union grounds in Kisumu, with talented people in this region getting the chance to showcase their talent in music and eSports.
