J is for @JustABand

The Kenyan afro-house, funk and disco band have long held a unique position in Kenya’s social media, particularly in the formative years of social media in the country. The group who shoot their own videos (rarely appearing in them themselves) sparked the curiosity of Kenyan social media and the world in 2010 when they released Ha-He from their second album 82. The music video and launch turned it into one of Africa’s first viral music videos. This rocketed them to global and local consciousness and created an icon in Makmende, the fiction super-hero character and hashtag as well as memes, merchandise and mentions across traditional media. To KOT and especially the band’s loyal audience, Just A Band is seen one thing putting Kenya on the global map.