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Kenya’s Yunasi is BBC’s Next Big Thing
MUMBAI: Yunasi, a nine-piece band from Kenya, has topped a list of thousands of musicans from around the world to win BBC World Service’s The Next Big Thing 2007.
The global music talent search received entries from over 88 countries and Yunasi was chosen as the winner by an all-star jury after playing live at the BBC’s famous Maida Vale studios in London.
Yunasi, one of Africa’s leading Afro-fusion bands, won with ‘Ndi Ndi Ndi,’ which wowed both the judges and audience at the final.
The Nairobi-based band flew to London for the final to play at BBC World Service’s 75th Anniversary Concert on Saturday (15 December) with some of the biggest names in music at London’s indigO2.
‘Ndi Ndi Ndi’ is about the dangers of drinking too much. It aims to appeal to both the young and old and is a manifestation of Kenyan Sesube music – a mixture of Sega, Isukuti and Benga styles.
Yunasi’s vocalist said, “Winning the BBC’s Next Big Thing 2007 is a dream come true for us. After ten years of hard work, this will help us attain international recognition; we are on top of the world.”
Music industry experts including Talvin Singh (singer/super producer Madonna and Jay-Z), Tahita Bulmer (New Young Pony Club), Nile Rodgers (Chic/producer David Bowie, Diana Ross, Halo 2) and William Orbit (producer Robbie Williams and Sugababes) were on the jury which judged the final.
Orbit says, “I was blown away by the standard of all the artists. If I paid money to go and see any of them, I know I wouldn’t be disappointed. We were all exhilarated by the experience and impressed by the general unjadedness of the occasion, both in front of the cameras and behind them. Some shows are about humiliation but this was about real talent. There was also a spirit of unity between the bands that I felt was important.”
The standard was so high that the runners-up place was split between Vrelo (Serbia) and Jeremie Johnson (United Arab Emirates).
The other finalists included Hraun from Iceland and Maya McCallum Et La Toy Factory from France.
The final five had been selected by a panel of music journalists and experts from a group of 20 acts, who were chosen from the entries submitted via the BBC’s website and a worldwide roadshows.
The programme’s executive producer Simon Pitts said, “I’m just amazed at the number of entries and the standard – it gets higher every year. The music is so exciting and we just want to get these sounds heard by as many people as possible.”
The Next Big Thing is part of a season of programmes from BBC World Service, Free To Speak, themed around freedom of media and information, to celebrate BBC World Service’s 75th Anniversary.
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WITT Summit 2026 concludes in New Delhi
Babar Azam’s comical diving attempt goes viral as league introduces anti-dew measures.
MUMBAI: The WITT Summit just wrapped up with enough big ideas to fill a policy playbook because when India’s leaders, thinkers and icons gather under one roof, even the conversations hit sixes. The eighth edition of TV9 Network’s flagship What India Thinks Today (WITT) Summit 2026 concluded on Saturday after two days of dynamic discussions at its New Delhi venue. India’s largest multi-domain public policy and culture summit brought together political leaders, policymakers, sports icons, artists and technology innovators to examine the forces shaping contemporary India and its global standing.
Prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address on the theme “India and the World” for the third consecutive year. In a wide-ranging speech, he addressed the ongoing conflict in West Asia, calling for restraint and compassion while highlighting India’s continued development trajectory despite global turmoil.
The summit featured candid conversations with state leaders. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy articulated a people-first governance model and contrasted it with other development approaches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared that Left-wing extremism had been effectively eliminated in his state and highlighted preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended his government’s record, citing the closure of 19 toll plazas and creation of the Sadak Suraksha Force. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence in Congress prospects in Assam and addressed recent allegations against him.
On geopolitics and national security, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia outlined India’s ambition to become a builder of trusted digital infrastructure for the world, citing the rapid 5G rollout and village-level 4G connectivity.
Cricket received significant attention. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised player freedom and trust as hallmarks of great leadership and named MS Dhoni as the greatest captain due to his World Cup successes. India women’s team bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi credited the BCCI and Women’s Premier League for building a pipeline of world-class talent behind the team’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
The summit also hosted the inaugural AI² Awards 2026, celebrating the convergence of human creativity and machine intelligence in storytelling and content creation. Poet and kathavachak Kumar Vishwas delivered a nuanced take on India’s concept of Dharma and criticised the recent arrest of an 80-year-old Shankaracharya. Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan and storyteller Neelesh Misra reflected on changing music trends and artistic responsibility in the wake of a recent controversy involving Nora Fatehi.
In a country where conversations often run as deep as the Ganges, the WITT Summit proved once again that when leaders, thinkers and storytellers come together, the real winner is public discourse lively, layered and refreshingly unafraid to tackle the big questions shaping India’s tomorrow.
