A new Kenyan music romance drama is heading to the big screen this August, and it brings with it an original soundtrack built from scratch for the film.
Tides, written and directed by Reuben Odanga (Mo-Faya, Nafsi), premieres at Century Cinemax on 8 August, with further screenings to follow across Century Cinemax locations in Nairobi. Tickets for the premiere are already on sale here.
What the film is about
Set on the Kenyan coast, Tides follows Salma and Biko, a musician couple whose livelihood is drying up just as their daughter’s serious medical condition drains their finances. As survival grows more uncertain, the choices they make put their marriage on the line.
The cast brings together familiar faces and fresh ones. Sarah Hassan (Crime and Justice) and Brian Kabugi (MTV Shuga Mashariki) lead alongside Minne Kariuki (Single Kiasi), who makes her feature film debut here, and South African actor Dumisani Mbebe, known for the Netflix series Savage Beauty. Sikukuu Hamisi Jumaa (Sultana), Zippy Okoth (Nafsi), Andrew Muthure (Untying Kantai) and Muthoni Gathecha (Boda Love) complete the ensemble.
Why Odanga made this film
For Odanga, Tides grew out of something he has observed for years at the coast: relationships between tourists and locals that carry judgment, secrecy and moral discomfort. He wanted to push past the easy verdicts people reach about those relationships.
“In a world where poverty can strip people of dignity and opportunity, moral choices are rarely black and white,” Odanga says. “With Tides, I wanted to explore the human realities behind these relationships and the complex intersection of poverty, desire, power and survival. This film invites audiences to look beyond easy judgments and engage with uncomfortable truths.”
The music was not an afterthought
Tides leans heavily on its soundtrack, and every song was written specifically for the film. Odanga insists the music was never decorative. “The story demanded it,” he says.
Credit for pushing him toward original music goes to Silayio, the award-winning singer, songwriter and actor who served as the film’s music director and composer. “She convinced me and I love being challenged,” Odanga says. “I was glad to collaborate with her.”
Silayio has represented Kenya on major international stages before. She won Best Female Artist (East Africa) at the 2005 Kora Awards, finished seventh on The Voice of Holland in 2017, and most recently competed on the Dutch singing competition The Winner Takes It All in 2026.
Working on Tides pushed her into genres she had never explored before. “I can feel the growth in skill and confidence in myself from taking on the vision,” she says.
The project also let her fold together three things she loves: acting, singing and songwriting. “I wrote and sang the music from the active perspective of what it would feel like to perform it on camera,” Silayio says, whose acting credits include Odanga’s debut Nafsi, the comedy-drama Untying Kantai and the Maisha Magic telenovela Kina. “That point of view was inspired by my experience as an actor, and it was fun to explore that intersection.”
Who else worked on the film
Winnie Adisa produced Tides, with Jim Bishop as director of photography, Nice Githinji as intimacy coordinator, Shiko Daisy as production designer and Angela Ciruma leading styling and wardrobe. Odanga and Jaqueline Kalekye serve as executive producers, and Odanga’s own Multan Production is behind the project.
About the director
Odanga has spent more than a decade building a name in Kenyan film and television through Multan Production. His credits include the long-running Swahili telenovela Selina, the Netflix crime drama Mo-Faya, and his directorial debut Nafsi. He recently produced the Nigerian-Kenyan feature Safari, and his latest telenovela, Lazizi, is currently on air.
Tides opens 8 August at Century Cinemax, with tickets already available for the premiere screening.
