Kenyanpoet - A Kenyan Artistic Space

All Africa Dance Festival for Peace Building 9th - 13th Dec KICC

2009-12-04T07:56:00.001+03:00

Still on Festivals, the first All Africa Dance Festival- an event organised by Purple Images Co. will be held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre from December 9th to 13th. The theme of the festival is;

Celebrating the role of cultural dance in peace building and human understanding.

The main aim of the Festival is to bring people together to celebrate the wealth and diversity of African dance. A majority of groups participating are from the African region, with some visiting artists from other parts of the world. Groups from Norway, India, Sweden, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Denmark, Sudan, United States of America, France, Congo, Spain, Ghana, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and Brazil are among countries that have confirmed their participation. see the draft program here

This year's event will showcase a rich and vibrant mix of dance and musical performances by more than 100 dance groups and 500 established artists from all over the world.

The All Africa Dance Festival aims at establishing itself as Africa's leading music and dance festival, an event to unite people while celebrating Africa!

Registration fee:
Delegates - Sh10,000
Exhibitors - Sh20,000

For more info contact:
Purple Images Production
Madonna House, Westlands
3rd Floor - Room 3D
Tel: 020 4452674, 4450937
info@africadancefestival.com
www.africadancefestival.com

Kenya Gives a New definition of term 'Festival' with Kinanda and Sierra Jazz Safari in December

2009-12-03T08:46:00.002+03:00

December seems to be the month of musical festivals though the month is in itself is a festive season due to the much hyped christmas celebrations.

There are 2 confirmed festivals already. Sierra Jazz Safari Festival organised by the Sierra Premium Beer is set to take place on the 4th of December at the Louise Leakey Auditorium, Kenya National Museums. The main acts for the evening will be Gerald Albright, an American Jazz Saxophonist and Uganda’s TShaka Mayanja who is the Jazz Safari creator as well as Valerie Kimani and Kanjii Mbugua(am not sure when Kanjii crossed over to Jazz).

Nairobi Kinanda Arts Festival has been slotted on 12th of December coinciding with the Jamhuri Day Celebrations. It will be at the Uhuru Gardens. Entry fees will be Ksh. 1,500.

The festival will bring Freshly Ground- A South African Afro-fusion band made up of 7 artists. The group is famed for their hit Doo be Doo.

They will perform alongside Kenya's own Eric Wainana, Sauti Sol, Maia, Atemi Oyungu, Ma3 as well as a host of other Kenyan Artists.

I am however still looking forward to a time when we can have an actual arts festival that will be week long like say the 20th Anniversary Celebrations of African Festival or Arts in Chicago Illinois this year or the Arts Festival of Southern Africa

Also of note(though on a more self-centric note) Bennie Man will be performing at the Carnivore's Simba Salon on Sunday 6th Dec in a show that is exclusively for the VIPs. There are only 1,000 tickets which are being sold on a who are you/who do you know basis. The show is being organised by the HomeBoyz co.
When I mentioned this to a friend, this were his comments;

That is a case of poor marketing strategy by the organisers. Which VIPs listen to raggamuffin?

He does have a point there, unless the Kenyan VIPs can gyrate to Sim simma, King of de Dancehall and Back it up. Since I am not a VIP,(Check out Nneka's intepretation of VIPs from her 2nd Album, No Longer At Ease)I will just look for Bennie's live concerts online(thank God for torrents) and watch it in high volume!...lol
Let the festivals begin..............

Story Moja Book Club is back...."EVERY DAY is for THE THIEF" by TEJU COLE @ the Sarit

2009-12-02T17:06:00.000+03:00

Storymoja is at it again.....THE BOOK CLUB!

Storymoja book club will be meeting every 2nd Monday of the Month from 6-8pm at Text Book Centre (cafe), Sarit Centre.
This month, they will be discussing "EVERY DAY is for THE THIEF", by TEJU COLE- who is a Nigerian author currently based in New York. Teju has been a cartoonist, a dishwasher, a lecturer, a gardener etc. This is his first novel, which is based on a young Nigerian man who visits his country after living abroad for many years.

This book will take you straight into Lagos, and perhaps give you a clue on the growing Kenya Nigeria relationship.
Want to be part of the book club? please RSVP as space is limited. The book is available at Text Book Centre, at a discounted rate of Ksh. 630
There are no membership charges, just some few coins to enjoy a cup of tea from the cafe.
Come for a calm evening with avid readers you would love to meet.
To RSVP, Email:-
Sheila(at)storymojaafrica(dot)co(dot)ke

Mukoma Wa Ngugi's Detective Fiction Novel 'Nairobi Heat' now out

2009-11-24T08:15:00.001+03:00

Mukoma Wa Ngugi the son of renown writer Ngugi Wa Thiong'o was in Kenya during the Story Moja Hay Festival in August and he did talk about this new Detective Fiction Novel that he was working on that is set in Nairobi.
Nairobi Heat is finally out published by Penguine South Africa.

About the Book
When a beautiful blonde girl is found murdered on the porch of an African university professor in Maple Bluff, Madison, Wisconsin, hard-working African American detective Ishmael Fofona knows immediately that it will be the news event of the year. What he cannot know however is that the discovery of the dead girl will change his life forever and that barely seventy-two hours after being called to the scene he will find himself on African soil, hunting for clues in a case that seemingly makes no sense. Why would Joshua Hakizimana – a hero of the Rwandan genocide, a man who had saved hundreds of people from the machetes of the genocidaires – kill a random white girl and then dump her body outside his house? The answers, it would seem, lie in Africa. And there is only one way to get at them.
Read his interview with Chimurenga, in which he talks about the book and the why he has now ventured into this genre of writing.

Leela James - Baby Am scared of you(A Boby Womack's rendition) Lets do it Again!

2009-11-20T19:05:00.000+03:00

I heard this rendition of Bobby Womack's Baby Am Scared of You redone by Leela James today on Projectvibe and I LOVED IT especially towards the end where she incorporates some ragga!, awesome, not to mention the soulfulness of the song. This is off her new 2nd Album 'Lets do it Again' which was available in stores in March this year.
Enjoy this as you start your weekend.

Sir Tim Berners - Lee; The WWW Inventor lands in Kenya and talks to Skunkworks & Innovators at Strathmore University

2009-11-20T18:38:00.000+03:00

Credited with inventing the World Wide Web(WWW), Sir Tim Berners- Lee is in town and was today at the Strathmore University for an Interactive IT education session for IT professionals, students and innovators. Various skunkworks innovators had been invited to showcase their IT innovations(and prove that we are not just a continent ridden with poverty AIDS and other lethal diseases - I added that last part)

The event had been put up on FB but it was an invite from Wilfred Mworia of African Pixel that led me to the actual FB invite. I did tweet about it but unfortunately, due to the short duration in planning and announcing, the event was not attended as one would expect, especially so because the father of the WEB was giving a talk.

It was planned to start at 8.30 but did did not start till after 9 with opening remarks from Alex Gakuru.

Some of the innovators who got 10 mins each to talk were:-

Mbugua Njihia - Sembuse (Mobile social network)
Gichingiri - Website.co.ke (for online website listing and website reviews)
Wilfred Mworia - Apps for Iphones, African Pixel and Afrinnovator
Mugambi - Jahazi (Local Kenyan internet content)
Emmanuel Kaala - Ushahidi (crowdsourcing crisis Information)
Liko - Pesa Pal (An e-commerce platform for Kenyans)

Tim Berners did give an interesting talk on what led to the invention of the net, the tremendous growth that it has undergone, the future as well as some word of caution to the bloggers and the twitterers. This was in regards to dissemination of accurate information and self regulation.

As the event came to a close, Alex decided to pull a fast one on me seeing that there was no gender sensitivity on the podium. I got to talk about the blog, Kenyan bloggers and answer the challenge posed by Alex and Tim Berner on self regulation of bloggers.

The event ended with closing remarks from Phares Kariuki as we headed out for some snacks courtesy of Strathmore University.
Watch the rest of the photos here.

Poem: Njeri Na İrũngũ

2009-11-18T09:48:00.000+03:00

Njeri ũmũthĩ nĩwatiga kũhana ta jereeri

Kuonagwo nĩ arũme makeeda kũmenya kana wĩ jagatha

Ĩrĩa ĩtarĩ nyamainĩ kana rũũainĩ

Kana maaĩ ma irũtũ

ũmũthi nĩwatuonia wĩ mwĩrĩinĩ

Rũbaru rwa Irũngũ

Nyama cia nyama ciake

kĩĩga kĩa mwĩrĩ waake

Kĩũma kĩa goro eejeire itũũra rĩa Rimuru

Mĩaka mũgwaja mĩthĩru

Onawe ũroĩejera ngoroĩne yake

Mĩrĩ ya wendo waku ĩhane mũtĩ mũhande rũũĩinĩ

Na riri wakũ ũhane riũa thaa thita

İrũngũ rĩu nĩwahurũka kũriũnga

Ta njũki ĩkĩhũnga marũa na mahũri

Mwatũ waku nĩwaihũra

Wendo ũhana ũkĩ

Indo nyingĩ ta magua

Na ciana nyingĩ ta jata ũtukũ

ũroogitĩra mũciĩ waku

Na ngoro ya Mwendwa waku

Ta rũgiri rwa kaiyafa

..............................................
Summary Translation: This is a poem about Njeri(a lady) and İrũngũ ( a Gentleman) who have decided to wed. It advises them on their union and their new life together.
..............................................

Njeri Wangari
njeriwangari(at)kenyanpoet(dot)com

Poem: A Woman, A Wife

2009-11-18T09:35:00.000+03:00

She embodies the beauty of a home

Igniting the warmth in a smile.

Her touch soothes a hurting soul,

A porter, she moulds a sanctuary from a house.

Her love, selfless, blows gently like a cool breeze.

Her care, like the air we breathe,

always there.

Her trust is the truth we understand by faith

Her body is the beauty that is felt

with every new born she brings forth

A woman, a wife

This woman has today become a wife,

.........................................
A dedication written for my Cousin on her wedding on 14th Nov, 09
.........................................

MEMORIAL TO A MAN WHO ADVISED: "BE TRUE TO YOURSELF"

2009-11-18T09:02:00.000+03:00

By Margaretta wa Gacheru

Artists Day, the event organized by the Murumbi Memorial Trust, didn’t draw the scads of local and global artists it had anticipated meeting recently [October 25th] at the Nairobi City Park where the late Joseph Murumbi is immortalized in granite, soft metal and Kisii stone sculptures.

But the day did manage to attract three of the most important and critically acclaimed East African artists whose works are now permanently resident in the Park and whose lives were mightily transformed by the touch and attention of Kenya’s leading art patron.

Elkana Ongesa, John Odoch Ameny and Expedito Mwebe all came to testify that day to the crucial role that Murumbi had played in their lives. Unfortunately, the fourth artist whose sculpture is at the Memorial site, Francis Nnaggenda, was unable to attend, but he too valued the patronage of Kenya’s leading cultural connoisseur.

For it wasn’t just that the former Vice President and Kenya’s first Foreign Affairs Minister bought their art. In the early 1970s Murumbi joined hands with the American designer Alan Donovan to establish the African Heritage Pan African Gallery where their work was exhibited and exposed to both local and international audiences.

For instance, Elkana Ong’esa’s 12 ton Kisii stone ‘Bird of Peace’ wouldn’t be standing at the front of the UNESCO headquarters in Paris if the Murumbi’s, Joe and his wife Sheila, hadn’t had the General-Secretary of UNESCO Amadou M’Bow to dinner where he saw an Ongesa sculpture and wanted one of his own! According to the sculptor himself, Murumbi graciously gave M’Bow an uncut stone that he had already picked for Ong’esa to sculpt. That is the stone that now resides permanently in Paris, a source of pride for all Kenyans.

The Ugandan artist John Odoch Ameny had a very different relationship with Murumbi. Having met Joe, Sheila and Alan in 1976 while still working as a Fine Art Instructor at Dr, Obote College in Bora Bora, Odoch was officially in Kenya to train to be an External Examiner at Kenya Science Teacher College. But he’d managed to slip several of his soft metal sculptures into his luggage, hoping to find an art gallery keen to exhibit his work in Nairobi. “I first went to Gallery Watatu but was advised that African Heritage might have more interest in my sculpture since they were all about paintings,” Odoch recalled.

Meeting the Murumbis was definitely a turning point in his life. “When I met them, they were all busy washing Kisii stones upstairs in the gallery. I had no idea I was talking to a former [Kenyan] vice president,” Odoch said.

“Murumbi took all of my sculptures on consignment and told me they would contact me when and if the works sold. I returned to Uganda and less than a month later, I received a telegram to come for my money and bring all the work that I had. From then on, I was crossing the border to Kenya practically once a month,” he said.

I first wrote about Odoch Ameny in 1978 when he mounted his first one-man show at African Heritage. Writing in The Nairobi Times, I called his work exquisitely “outrageous” because he was the first sculptor I had known to use scrap metal so imaginatively. Making life-size soldiers who subtly mocked the Amins of Africa, his soldered metal sculptures combined humor, irony, lyricism and fine artistry.

Odoch brought those same qualities to the sculpture he’d made especially for the Murumbi Memorial in City Park. Unfortunately, thieves admired the scrap metal of his work more than the form, and thus stole the first Murumbi sculpture after the site was officially opened in March.

To ensure that the next Odoch-Ameny sculpture not be stolen like the first, Alan Donovan requested him to work in Kisii stone this time round.

“Would you believe I made this [second Murumbi] sculpture in less than a week?” Odoch asked me at the unveiling of his new work at the National Museums of Kenya, still on Artists Day.

A prolific artist whose sculptures are in museums and private collections everywhere from Israel to the USA to UK, Odoch had not been able to come to Kenya from his studio-home in Malaba, Uganda until mid-October. But the time constraint hadn’t hampered his creativity or technique. On the contrary, his ‘Universal Couple”-- while being more abstract than his previous works -- is no less curvaceous and exquisitely contoured.

And like the sculptures of both Nnaggenda and Expedito, Odoch’s work reflects appreciation of both Murumbis, both Joe and Sheila. That seems most fitting since it was she, a former librarian whom he met in the UK while working for Kenya’s Independence who introduced him to the joys of collecting fine art.

But in the reception hall of the National Museums of Kenya, one will not only find the ‘universal couple’ of Odoch Ameny, Nnaggenda and Expedito, each of which has a completely different artistic interpretation of this exceptionally art-loving couple. Works by all four artists, including Ong’esa, are on display for the next few weeks at least.

May I recommend that anyone who loves sculpture, appreciates East African art, and wants to be awestruck by the imaginative and emotive appeal of the art of these four great art, go see their work at the Kenya National Museum. For instance, Ong’esa has two powerful pieces there that reflect his anguished aesthetic response to the post-election violence of early 2008. Expedito has miniature combs that are finely carved and crafted with meticulous sensitivity and detail. And Odoch Ameny has three remarkable larger-than-life Telecom-man sculptures, made from discarded mobile phones that had been donated to Donovan by Safari Com CEO Michael Joseph. Recycled in the form of the three wonderful cell-phone-filled statues that are vaguely reminiscent of his Seventies soldered Amin-ish soldiers, Odoch Ameny’s Telecom-men were rumored to be headed for the forthcoming SafariCom Gallery; but until that rumor gets confirmed, they have a happy home at the National Museum.

Whether his Telecom-men end up with SafariCom or not, Odoch-ameny says he learned one important lesson from Joe Murumbi that he will never forget. “I had been thinking of applying for a job teaching at Kenyatta University College after their Art Department opened up,” Odoch recalled. This was before he came to Kenya in the mid-Eighties and became production manager at African Heritage. It was while Odoch, though still teaching, had developed a symbiotic relationship with the Murumbis, where he would create works and AH would immediately sell his art. “I asked Joe for advice on what I should do. He called me to his private office at the Muthaiga Club and told me: “Stand on your own two feet.” I took that to mean that I should continue developing my art and not go work for someone else, not to lean on anybody.”

Murumbi’s advice to Odoch Ameny is applicable to most every artist or jua kali artisan today. Self employment, however difficult it may be, is the only option that Murumbi saw for the artist to be his or her own person, to cultivate his creativity and to fulfill his dreams. That could very well be the essence of Murumbi’s Memorial since his own life exemplifies that desire—to be true to one’s self, no matter how high the price.

Margaretta Wa Gacheru can be reached on margarettag(at)hotmail(dot)com

Its Now Official, My First Poetry Book Collection will be out in March 2010

2009-11-11T08:18:00.000+03:00

I can now say it loudly, You will have a chance to read my first book of published poetry containing all poems that I have been writing for the last 5 years. The book will be out in March 2010 as announced by my publisher - Nsemia Inc. Publishers.

I had to restrain myself from doing this post last night at 11pm when I received the email.

The book which is now in the design stage has a collection of my most memorable pieces that I have performed in various venues in Nairobi in three languages - English, Kiswahili, Sheng and Gikuyu. Translations will be available in English.

Read the full story here.

You can bet that KP fans will be the first to know when the book is available for sale.

Ukurasa- Simple Reading; The new Social Medium for book lovers

2009-11-10T17:52:00.000+03:00

Virn Instruments company, a firm run by Kahenya Kamunyu whom I first met during the first ever Bar Camp in Kenya a year ago has embarked on a unique project dubbed Ukurasa (page in kiswahili)

Ukurasa is a social media site for books that is geared towards the exchange of books through either sale or sharing as well as place where would be writers can get to write books online through their personal account and get their book published and sold on the same platform. One can also buy or borrow books they see with the Ukurasa community and see the collection points which have been enabled through Google Maps.

Ukurasa whose slogan is 'Simple Reading' will help those like me who find it a task going to a book library/bookshop to borrow/buy a book. All one needs is an account with any social network(it currently working with Twitter accounts but soon to incorporate Facebook, Myspace and Gmail),an Mpesa/Zap enabled phone and a reading appetite.

Those who will be attending 'The Breakaway' on Saturday 14th Nov at the Kenya National Museum will have a chance to hear about it from Kahenya who is also one of the speakers. (Sadly, I won't be there)

But Hey! Finally I can make some money from those books that I don't mind getting rid of and hopefully get any of James Baldwin's books for a lower rate or someone who's willing to lend me their copy.

Log on and test the site. It will be fully up next week.

Rhythm & Spoken, 13th Nov '09 Feat Kevin Samuel Mbugua

2009-11-10T16:55:00.000+03:00

This Friday 13 November at Dass restaurant, Westlands, Project Heshima presents...

A music and poetry open mic night with special guest Kevin Samuel Mbugua on his guitar. A Berkley Graduate Kevin is a singer and songwriter and his song Elsewhere has for the past month been a popular listeners choice on the Sunday Neosoul Lounge with Chao Mwatela.

Poets line up includes, the illustrious Eudiah Kamonjo and Mstari wa Nne's Leon Kiptum and David Inkwa among others. Sign up will remain open throughout.

Starts: 8:30pm
Performances: 9pm
Neosoul afterparty with DJ Eduardo
Entry Ksh.200

Al Kags' Living Memories Book Launch, Dramatized Performances and Halfway between Nairobi and Dundori.

2009-11-10T08:27:00.000+03:00

On Wednesday 11th November 2009 at the Louis Leakey Hall at the Nairobi Museum, Story Moja in collaboration with with Kenya Museum Society will be launching Living Memories; Kenya's Untold Stories, a book by Al Kags with an on-stage rendition

Living Memories is a testimonial project in which Al Kags spoke to people over 65 years of age and simply recorded the story of their lives during the Emergency days - it is the stories of ordinary people surviving extraordinary times and how they have shaped who we are.

There will also be a rendition from Muthoni Garland's 2nd book, Halfway between Nairobi and Dundori...
Gate fees: Kshs. 400

About Al Kags
Alex Kagwe (born on August, 13 1980), who changed his name to Al Kags, is a prominent writer and poet in Kenya. He is the founder of the Al Kags Trust for Poetry. He is also the creator and publisher of the Quarterly Colour Series of Poetry, which started September 2006 and is read by over 175,000 people around the world. Al Kags is also a leading entrepreneur in ICT and media circles.

East African Publishers Books go live on Google Books

2009-11-09T16:43:00.000+03:00

East African Educational Publishers' books are finally live on Google books with upto 20% preview on most of their titles.
They joined the Google Publishers Partnership Program in July in a bid to market their books globally through the Google Books program. They will be making their full catalogue of over 2,500 books available for online preview on the same program.

Late last week saw a total of 713 books go live on the Google Books site complete with previews and buying links to the publisher's online shop as well as other online outlets.
Avid readers of African Literature can now scheme through some of Africa's best sellers reading several random pages as though they were at their favorite bookshop and only click on the buy link once they decide to make a purchase.
EAEP joins Kwani Trust in the online book marketing Venture with Google Books.

Poem : Simple Reading

2009-11-05T18:00:00.000+03:00

Can you read a simple mind
simplify it with the simplicity of any sample matter
by simply reading in between it?

I can
To me,
its simple reading.

Can you read a book
quantify it with the quality of any quoted master
by simply reading in between its covers?

I can
to me
its simple reading.

----------------------------------------------------

Njeri Wangari

NjeriWangari(at)kenyanpoet(dot)com

Nov. 2009

Watch out for Ukurasa - Simple Reading
Coming to a computer near you.

National Blackout, A missed interview show and a date with Braeburn School

2009-11-02T09:00:00.000+03:00

I had mentioned(read -mildly bragged) that our Poetry group, Mstari wa Nne would be appearing on K24 for as part of an Entertainment show during the Daniel Pearl World Music day celebration at Paa Ya Paa. Apparently, the show did not come and even if it did, the whole country was in the dark due to a black out whose cause is yet to be established.
I will be following up with Remmy of K24 on this.

In other news, we (Mstari) have received and Invitation from Braeburn Garden Estate School for a performance during their closing day towards the end of November. This was after our performance at PYP, something that really impressed the invited guests.

More details will be coming soon when the date and time is confirmed. I must say this is a great opportunity for us to inspire students who still frown at the mention of poetry. I hope that we can get more invites from Learning Institutions.

Watch Mstari Wa Nne on K24, Sunday 1st Nov from 6pm

2009-10-30T17:02:00.000+03:00

Last Sunday 25th was the Daniel Pearly World Music Day at the Paa Ya Paa gallery in Ridgeways Kiambu. Mstari Wa Nne crew, now the official poets for the event, were there and did more than just wow the many friends of Elimo, Phillda and the US Embassy.

The K24 crew was there and they decided to interview us. Unfortunately, due to unavoidable circumstances, Mike Kwambo was missing in action in the whole interview, he did however perform 2 great poems on Harmony for Humanity. Denno, I need to feature your poem on IDPS on this blog.

Watch this show on Sunday 1st November from 6pm.

A shout out to Remmy or K24, still waiting for you in your other life as a poet.

A snapshot of the Stop Hunger in Kenya Concert featuring Oliver Mtukudzi, Suzanna Owiyo and other African Artists

2009-10-19T10:15:00.000+03:00

Last Saturday(17th) was quite an eventful one with 2 events that were set to take place the same evening in different parts of Nairobi. Just A Band were launching their 2nd Album title '82' at the GoDown Art centre from 7pm. On the other side of town at the Bomas, Action Aid with collaboration from various other organisations were hosting various artists from around Africa in a bid to raise money for those dying of hunger in Kenya.

The concert had brought together Professor J, AY from Tanzania, Ntsika from SA, Didier Awadi from Senegal, Kidum from Burundi, Wahu, Nameless and Suzanna Owiyo from Kenya and the show stopper, Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe.

The turnout was huge despite the cold weather and a sky that threatened to open up anytime and needless to day I had to give the Album launch a miss.
I needed to take photos of Oliver which I failed to do during his previous performance a few weeks ago. He however declined to take photo with fans but I did manage to capture some good moments and even pulled a 'hand on KICC' photo stunt.

PS. Mstari wa Nne fully represented and we had a great time listening to some poetry perfomance by Ntsika. Denis actually made the whole congregation sing the Kenya National Anthem at some point just before a speech by one of the organizers.

Enjoy the album and the short clips of Tuku's team thoroughly entertaining revelers.

Lamu Cultural Festival; 20th - 21st Nov, 2009

2009-10-17T10:38:00.000+03:00

The trade winds of the Indian Ocean have been bringing visitors to the Lamu Archipelago for centuries. Commerce brought the East African coast into contact with distant peoples and cultures as early as two thousand years ago. The earliest known old historical records – the 1st century AD Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, as well as the 3rd Century AD Ptolemy’s Geography – talk of the coast, its inhabitants and the trade. The local people of Lamu have a long established tradition of welcoming travelers. In the same spirit, the Lamu Cultural Promotion Group bids you a warm ‘Karibuni’ to the 9th Lamu Cultural Festival to experience a heritage and traditions that have earned Lamu Old Town the coveted place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Lamu Old Town is a unique and rare historical living heritage with more than 700 years of continuous settlement. Since its inscription as a World Heritage Site In 2001, the Lamu Cultural Promotion Centre, a community based group, has been organizing an annual cultural festival to promote the unique Swahili heritage of the Lamu Archipelago.

The three day festival showcases traditional dances, displays of handicraft and competitions on water and land (Swahili poetry, donkey races, dhow races), and musical performances.
This year’s programme will feature a dramatized performance of the poem ‘Mnazi: Vuta N’Kuvute’ (The Coconut tree; “A Tug of War’) by the Kenyan poet, Abdilatif Abdalla, from his collection of poems ‘Sauti ya Dhiki’ (penned while serving a prison term during the Kenyatta government in post independent Kenya). Musical performances from Morocco and Brazil will highlight the universality of shared influences over time, and Praful Kumar and party from Mombasa will entertain the spectators till dawn with music from Bollywood.

There will also be displays of traditional handicraft, henna painting, Swahili food and a Swahili bridal ceremony.
Lamu Fort will host a poster exhibition on ‘Bombay Africans (1850 -1910)’, part of a series of exhibitions from the Royal Geographical Society’s project ‘Crossing Continents – Connecting communities’. ‘Bombay Africans’ is a unique group of Africans liberated by British cruisers from Arab slaving dhows in the Indian Ocean and taken to India where many were placed in local employment or in charitable institution. These freed slaves proved to be an important source of interpreters and assistants in the history of exploration in Eastern Africa.

The other highlights of the Festival include the official opening of the restored ‘Dheule Mosque’ in Shela (a mid 18th century traditional Swahili exhibiting cultural, historical and architectural traits that are of invaluable significance to the people of the Lamu archipelago) as well as the launch of the pictorial book ‘Lamu, Kenya’s Enchanted Island’ with photographs by Carol Beckwith, Angela Fischer, David Coulson and Nigel Pavitt and text by George and Lorna Abungu and poems by Sheikh Nabhany.

Lamu offers accommodation to suit all pockets. Transport by road to Lamu is safe. Public transport from Mombasa leaves daily at 7, 10 and 11am (Tawakal Bus, Tel. Mombasa 041 2222975, Mob. 0723141777, Tel. Lamu 042 4633380). The journey from Mombasa to Mokowe on the mainland takes six hours, followed by a half an hour boat ride to Lamu Island. Attached is a list of flying packages offered by Phoenix Safaris.

Other attractions include:
· Lamu Museum, exhibiting Swahili culture and the mainland’s non-Swahili groups
· Lamu Fort, dating back to 1821, having been built by the Sultan of Oman shortly after Lamu’s victory over Pate and Mombasa in the battle of Shela
· German Post Office Museum
· Swahili House Museum
· Takwa National Monument on Manda Island (a settlement dating back to AD 1500, with ruins of a Great Mosque and a pillar tomb)
· Ruins of Shanga, an 8th century Swahili settlement, on Pate Island, containing remains of the coral walls of 160 houses, two palaces, three mosques and hundreds of tombs
· The early Swahili settlement of Pate, once a power in the region
· Numerous sites and monuments that showcase Swahili civilization at its height in the 15th century
· Donkey sanctuary for the old beasts of burden
· The dhow making village of Matondoni

A wonderful opportunity to experience the island’s unspoiled beaches, medieval ambience, architecturally magnificent Old Town, gracious population, and traditions of an enchanted island where history continues to live.

A review of the PEN Kenya Poetry night at Wasanii

2009-10-16T15:37:00.000+03:00

Ah, "poets," said Safi Abdi, "are linked by a call akin to faith."

So last night they descended on the upwardly Wasanii Restaurant at the Kenya National Theater by this call to showcase their pieces, courtesy of PEN, reading tents.

First on the scroll was the deadlocked poet-activist and documentary maker Githugu, whose brief it now dawns on me was to fire the crowd to a militarized sort of poetry.

Then came Denis Inkwa, the versatile open micer, Mike Kwambo, Leon Kiptum and one Njeri Wangari, the foursome performing poets, whose poetry is summed from one of their piece by Mike Kwambo - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised/Its Happening Here And Now.

Come on, PEN Kenya Deputy President, novelist Onduko bw' Atebe, tapped me during Eudiah Kamonjo's performance, hear that, it is full of lesbian overtones!

Wherefore i retorted, but that is Eudiah, her poetry dwells in sexuality. True, lady Eudiah has a collection of poems that explores this subject and which are yet to be published.

Also performing was budding poet and Slum Poetry winner (2009) Wanjiku Mwaura, a student at Kenyatta University, Valentine Kamau, and then cane a blend of musicals by Grandmaster Masese and MC Sharon.

Ian Vale, from PEN - Poverty Eradication Network - described the PEN - Poets Essayists Novelists - poetry night as a wonderful performance.

Whats more, Tamsin Mitchell, International PEN (London), Writers In Prison Committee, said the event was inspiring, the fact that people came to hear poetry recitals, is a feat admired by many. Tamsin is in Kenya on a working tour. I met Daily Nation columnist Kwamchetsi Makokha, and spoke to Bill Odidi of Radio France at the performance. And there was George Orido from the Standard.

Bill engaged me on the subject of poetry and spoken word. Poetry, i said, has an element of absolute beauty. About the spoken word, i referred him to a friend. These are cheerful polemics.

Review by Khainga O'Kwemba - The Treasurer at PEN International Kenya Chapter
He can be reached on khaingao(at)yahoo(dot)com

Poem: Connect by Marten Schoonman

2009-10-15T17:10:00.001+03:00

Leaders decide, society sighs
What will happen in Williams life?
His family waits, the pots are all empty
William wonders, he wonders what next

Data streams fly, invisible chats
On cars and refrigirators with features for rich
William unknowing what other moan
He sits in a chair and chews on a stone

The web is the greatest, some live connected
They forget who they are when the PC's affected
Life is connected, but not with a wire - you know
wires too much, too many wires

Are we connected, are we you think?
In one way or another, do we connect?
Do nations and people of different standards?
Do children here and elsewhere connect?

Invisible line, songlines think some
Travel our land, sky and our water
Success and suffer cross space with eachother
William wonder, what will he do...

..call a friend or just pray for the best

PS. Inspired by my piece, Digital Hearts
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All rights Reserved©
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By: Marten Schoonman
martenschoonman.blogspot.com/
www.twitter.com/mato74

Over-dramatization of Poetry performance in Kenyan schools

2009-10-15T13:30:00.001+03:00

The photo of Graham Nduko Osoro, a student of Friends School Kamusinga in todays(15th Oct,09) Daily Nation, page 8 on his knees on the grass in the name of a poetry solo verse made me cringe with embarrassment.

It is an all too familiar image that seems to become the norm during every year's Drama Festivals in Kenya(those from other countries, is this the same experience?) This pleading, down on the ground teary image reminded me of why so many young people in schools still hate poetry, yet, Nairobi is now awash with poetry venues and is becoming very popular with the same young people who have to be painfully weaned off this over dramatization, over gesticulation and over shouting to a performance that is in tune with the times.

Stephen Partington, a teacher and published poet whose poems appear weekly in The East African made these comments on the Kenyan-poetry-catalyst google group,

"Now, he's undoubtedly a charming young man, but the photo of 'Graham Nduko Osoro' on p8 of today's Nation is further argument in favour of banning poetry in Kenyan schools.

Poor boy looks like he's squeezing out his post-Visiting Day constipation. And how did his legs sink so deeply into the ground?"

This is what I wrote in response to his email

What do we need to do to change the way students are taught performance poetry in schools, starting with these teachers. That is why most students come out with a very negative attitude towards poetry only to discover that its not the way they were taught.

This is over-dramatization at its worst!! and he was made to do that!
Can I get a sponsor to get some 10 more poets and do an awareness campaign in various schools on the 21st style of poetry performance?

Kevin Waithaka, a poet in the group also commented on this phenomenon by saying,

Just checked it out and I can't help but agree...The enthusiasim is there(definitely!)and I guess the passion in art is more important than most other things because if you have that the rest can follow.I feel that all he needs is someone to show them. I was of the same mind wangari,so feel free to call on me if you need a hand(or a poet...)"

It is about time that Kenyan schools desisted from portraying poetry as drab. Instead, let students know that poetry has grown and is still growing not only in form but also in style and appeal.

PEN Kenya Poetry Night, 15th Oct, 09

2009-10-14T15:58:00.000+03:00

Tomorrow, Thursday October 15, 2009, at 6:30 pm, PEN KENYA returns to Wasanii Restaurant at the Kenya National Theatre where it first hosted Shailja's Migritude II performance. This time, they will be with a galaxy of performing poets, among them those who performed at the launch of Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong'o's latest book, those who have won Slum Africa poetry extravaganza, those who have graced the Kwani open mic as guest poets, poets who light the vibrant Nairobi literary scene in their fassion and manner.

PEN and Wasanii are playing the host by providing a platform to diverse voices.

NB. There will be surprises, don't miss

Chimamanda Adichie at TED 2009; The danger of telling a single story

2009-10-08T10:20:00.000+03:00

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian Female writer whose 1st book Purple Hibiscus won the Best First Book award in the 2005 Commonwealth Writers' Prize and Half of a Yellow Sun, her 2nd book was awarded the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction was at the TED 2009 Global Talk in England.
She gave a talk on the danger of telling a single by drawing into her own story of growing up and eventually becoming a writer.
I hope It will inspire you as it did me on the importance of telling our many stories.

‘Mo Faya’ The Musical - A Review of the Show at the New York Musical Theatre Festival

2009-10-06T16:23:00.000+03:00

Reviewed by Margaretta wa Gacheru

“They call it a slum. We call it home.”
[The slogan on the back of each miniature Kenyan flag placed on every single seat of the TRG Theater in Manhattan before all six shows staged during the New York Musical Festival]

Mo Faya is a Kenyan masterpiece and Eric Wainaina-- the show’s composer, lyricist, script writer and delectable DJ Luanda around whom the show’s storyline revolves-- is a genius.

But then, one more mark of genius is knowing how to surround yourself with brilliant partners, and Wainaina has done just that: first by making his mate Sheba Hirst the show’s producer and John Sibi-Okumu his super-fine director, and then assembling an incredible cast, including award-winning actors and singers like Peter King and Mumbi Kaigwa, Dan ‘Chizi’ Aceda and Valerie Kimani, as well as a marvelous Kenyan band that features Marvin Maveke, Emmanuel Mkuwa, Isaac Mugunda and Patrick Nanjero.

It didn’t hurt that Wainaina also got Safaricom to sponsor the full cast, band and crew’s going to the New York Musical Festival where Mo Faya opened in its world premier September 29 and ran six times in a global showcase that features a score of original world class new productions, most of which came from the US, but at least three came from the South: from Kenya, South Korea and Mexico! Mo Faya will also give one final American performance organized at Bard College by Binyavanga Wainaina, before the cast comes back to Kenya to open in this not-to-be-missed musical production at the GoDown for several shows.

Set in the “slum” shanty town of Kwa Maji, the stars of Mo Faya are all slum dwellers, apart from villainess Anna Mali (Mumbi Kaigwa) whose NGO, called C.U.R.E, aims at the kind of “urban renewal” that Kenyans have seen when local slums have gone up in smoke and sites like Muroto have been razed to make way for sky-scrapers and high rises where poor people won’t be welcomed at all.

Writing in the same satirical vein as a Wahome Mutahi or a Ngugi wa Thiong’o, who both used humour, irony and satire to expose the corruption and contradictions in Kenyan society today, Wainaina similarly doesn’t shy away from talking about hot topics, like land grabbing, lust and dirty linkages between corrupt politicians, cops and even members of the non-governmental community.

Yet the show doesn’t just focus on corruption [although as an expose of the inner workings of Kenya’s corrupt power elite, Mo Faya may make some local politicians feel quite uncomfortable.] On the contrary, the star of the show in a sense is ‘the slum’ Kwa Maji itself – and the everyday lives of the people who reside therein.

Capturing the creativity, dynamism and vitality of those poor people’s lives through pop music [including reggae and Kenyanized hip hop] and well choreographed dance, Mo Faya shows the centrality of local FM radio in the lives of people who may not afford dish satellite or downtown cinema shows, but who love to laugh and be entertained artistically nonetheless.

Yet the exploitative spirit of both governmental and non-governmental politicians is never far from the lead storyline, since even the beautiful sense of community that these poor people share is corruptible in the scheming land-grabber’s mind. In fact, when the self-proclaimed “Total Woman” Anna Mali aims to destroy the people’s sense of solidarity prior to her pushing them off the land they call home, she goes after the people’s hero, DJ Luanda.

Tempting him to leave community radio for “Big City radio” with its fatter salary and higher public profile, DJ Luanda sadly takes the bait. But his departure signals a weakening of the people’s sense of social cohesion and solidarity, something Luanda has previously embodied for them.

Anna Mali’s partner in crime, the mungiki-like-monster Mkwajo [played masterly by Peter King], proceeds to sow the seeds of terror in Kwa Maji with a slew of mysterious murders, all part of Mali’s malevolent master plan to make over the slum into an up-market income generator for her and her corrupt colleagues, including the police chief (Joshua Mwai) and the politician (Daniel Mwashigadi).

I won’t tell you how the story ends since Kenyans will have to see the show for themselves, and I won’t be the spoiler who gives the ending away. But I will say the script is brilliant and the casting superb.

One genuine stroke of genius that I credit Wainaina with is the ensemble nature of this show. It’s as if his cast were a jazz band, wherein every instrument, every cast member, has his or her moment to showcase her/his talent, be it as a dancer, a singer, and more often than not, as both!!

Sibi-Okumu undoubtedly had something to do with enhancing the ensemble-aspect of the show, since he worked hand in hand with Wainaina and the cast for weeks before heading to New York, honing the script down to a manageable size and form. And as for the cast, I can’t speak about every single member although everyone, especially Valerie Kimani, DJ Luanda’s sweetheart, has an especially important role to play in this multi-layered modern day morality musical. The other cast member who holds the show together with finesse, charm and style is the Professor, played by Dan ‘Chizi’ Aceda, since he not only takes the time at the outset of the show to artfully introduce every Kwa Maji community member; he also steps in at pivotal moments to provide the continuity required, especially for audiences who may not speak Kiswahili, meanwhile about a third of the show is conveyed in it

Relying on a minimalist set design and ordinary street clothes and kitengis for costumes, it is the music of Mo Faya that makes the show so distinctively Kenyan [the music and of course, the dancing that goes so rhythmically with it]. For however much critics may claim that Kenyan music is ersatz African American, Wainaina proves that Kenyan culture and creativity is no copy cat.

The show makes a powerful statement about the ills Kenyan society faces. But it also reveals the rich resiliency and resourcefulness of the people. What Wainaina didn’t provide was a solution to Kenya’s political plight and moral malaise. But his ending is provocative and somehow hopeful.

What is most marvelous about this show is that Kenyans will have an opportunity to see Mo Faya themselves when it returns home and premiers in November on the Kenyan stage.

For more details on the New York Musical Theater Festival, visit www.nymf.org.