Kenyanpoet
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Kenya Museum Society announces the 38th 'Know Kenya Course' Lectures; 4th - 8th October 2010
Posted: September 30, 2010, 10:39 pm by N.W
After a year’s sabbatical, the Kenya Museum Society (KMS) has announced the programme for the 38th edition of the celebrated Know Kenya Course. The 2010 Know Kenya Course will run from Monday 4th October to Friday 8th October 2010 in the newly refurbished Louis Leakey Auditorium and around the environs of the Nairobi National Museum.
Since 1971 the Know Kenya Course has been organised by the Kenya Museum Society as the main fundraising event to support projects of the National Museums of Kenya, providing valuable income for museums and pre-historic sites around the country. All proceeds of the 38th Course will go to support the National Museums of Kenya.
The Course is an action-packed week designed to help all who live in and love Kenya to discover many of the nation’s hidden treasures. Over a five-day period we are offering a series of 15 programmes including morning lectures about Kenya’s history, natural history, conservation, modern-day issues, and popular culture with titles including “No life without Bees,” “Enraptured with Raptors,” and “There is no business like show business.” In the afternoon, the programme also includes guided tours through the only museum in East Africa adapted to 21st–century standards and Kenyan films, as well as a special evening programme. On Friday, the Know Kenya Course will host FUN Friday, featuring a variety of entertainment acts representative of the performing arts in Kenya.
The KMS Know Kenya Course is sponsored by Toyota East Africa. Toyota EA has been the sponsor of the 40th Anniversary Lecture Series. -
Final Day of Jukwaani Festival; Story Telling of Living Memories
Posted: September 27, 2010, 2:59 am by N.W
Today was the third and final day of the Jukwaani Festival that has been running from Friday 24th at the Goethe Institut and Alliance Francaise Auditoriums.
It was a day for story telling for the young as well as the old.
Redraft was the first session starting off the afternoon. It brought together tellers of the old time folktales in an afternoon of mystical world of yore of a time when animals could talk. To start off the performance was Jacob Oketch who also doubles as a poet and Kish Okoti.
Hellen Alembe giving a story on Anansi
The story of the hyena and hare titled 'Chagua Rafiki' told of hare's trickery in using the hyena to do all the work during for every harvest only to walk away with all the harvest was quite captivating and the songs that were used in the story got alot of the children in the audience singing along. The moral of the story was to be wise when choosing friends. This story was narrated by two 'Young Tellers', John Titi and Newton Kweya.
The story of Anansi and how he got to have stories named after him. He is one of Africa's biggest folklore characters. The story was told by Alumbe Helen
The session ended with a story from the audience with none other than Muthoni Garland sharing a story at the request of Aghan Odero who was the show's curator.
Living Memories is a book on true stories of ordinary people who lived in an extraordinary time. Based on interviews conducted by Al Kags, the staged depiction of four of the stories from the book was curated by Muthoni Garland and directed by Peter Mudamba.
True stories of Mau Mau veterans, Sifa Zaida, and other Kenyan's whose gave stories of interesting accounts of their lives with some well known personalities during the pre-independent Kenya,
The stories told in drama by 9 actors with some doubling as story tellers, seemed to come to life bring the audience to laughter.
A repeat performance of the play 'Mwana Mdogo wa Mfalme' was staged at the Alliance for those who missed the Friday show.
To wind up the festival was the Koroga performance curated by Betty Muragori and performed by Nyambura Githongo, Phyllis Muthoni, Tony Mochama(Smitta) and Sitawa Namwalie. The performance included a projected slide show of selected Koroga photographs.
This show is part of an ongoing collaboration between 3 countries(Kenya, US & UK) with the main show at the Sarakasi Dome on the 29th Sept.
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Day Two: Jukwaani Festival - Poetry Performances & Hip Hop Battle
Posted: September 26, 2010, 3:20 pm by N.W
The ongoing Jukwaani Festival for performance Literature was in its 2nd day yesterday at Goethe Institut and Alliance Francaise auditoriums from 2pm.
Having seen the program earlier in the week, I was looking forward to the day as it was going to feature alot of poetry performance in different forms and by some of the best Nairobi Poets.
People's TV 101 - Switch on the Power to the People was the first at the Alliance auditorium. This is a show that was curated by Muki Garang featuring Poets; Pepe Haze, Kennet B, Moraa, Karen, Eudiah, a drummer, Pau and an upcoming musician, Lucas.
I must say the turnout was not as I had expected, maybe due to the fact that there were other events happening elsewhere that targeted the same audience (WAPI, The Nairobi Book Fair and the Sprite Basketball Playoffs). However, this did not seem to deter the poets who performed as though to a full house.
The MC, Pepe Haze started off the show by performing some of his own poetry as well as beat boxing, something that I must say he does quite well. From the perfomances by the various poets, It was evident that they had chosen to focus on the topic of Sexuality with an emphasis on women's plight.
Muki's performance was staged as a news broadcast with Muki as the news anchor bringing the People's TV news in Kiswahili. The news being broadcast was an exploration on the strains of gender roles.
The show came to an end with a lovely song by Lucas who is also a guitarist accompanied by Pau the drummer and a female backup singer.
Soon after, we were off to Goethe Institut for Ngwatilo's 'Raised from the Page'.
For this performance, Ngwatilo had chosen to pick some timeless poems from the 1960's mostly by Kenyan poets with a few coming from Africa and the world.
Some of the poets whose poetry was brought alive through a live performance accompanied by music and choreography were; Amin Kassam, Stephen Partington, Yusuf O. Kassam, Marjorie Oludhe MCgoye(Atieno Yo), Laban Erapu, Phyllis Muthoni and Ed Pavich.
In the one and a half hour performance, Ngwatilo and her group managed to hold the crowd in a trance from one poem to another through careful choreography that ensured that no poem sounded or was performed like the other. It was a pleasant surprise to learn that Ngwatilo was also quite talented in singing as she turned some of her own poems to song awing the audience with her voice.
By the time the performance was ending, we were still looking forward to more of it.
Next was the performance curated by Cindy Ogana at the Alliance Auditorium, 'Our Deepest Fear'. Drawn from an excerpt in the book 'A return to love' by Marianne Williamson, Cindy and her group of poets based their own compositions from this quote(read it below) which most people think is a poem.
Kennet B, Dennis Inkwa, Valentine Kamau and Dan Mwangi(Number 8) gave an exemplary performance as they explored their deepest fear in a very well choreographed and rehearsed show with each drawing from their uniqueness in content and performance.
The audience was left in stitches by Kennet B's performance of 'Corporate Sex' and 'Mchanga' which is on HIV and AIDS.
Bringing the 2nd day of the festival to a close was the Urban Music & Hip Hop Battle Competition at the Goethe auditorium which had since turned into a dancefloor complete with disco lights and Huge speakers at the entrance.
The Nairobi Hip Hop Mcs and slammers were slowly streaming in for the 8pm event. In the house was Doobiez (Abas Kubaff), Buddha Blaze and Kimya. As it looked like the event would continue well into the night, I decided to call it a night and leave it to the ballers.
Looking forward to the last day which will have story telling by the Zamaleo Sigana Story tellers, and a Korogra performance featuring Sitawa Namwalie known for 'Cut off my tongue' and Smita Smitten.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others. -
Day One: Jukwaani Festival - Swahili Poetry & Le Petit Prince
Posted: September 25, 2010, 3:20 am by N.W
Today was the first day of a 3 day event that is the Jukwaani Festival, as I had mentioned in detail in an earlier post, this weekend is going to be one where Performance Literature will be showcased in all its forms.
And what better way to do so than with what was passed in the just promulgated Constitution as the 1st Kenyan Official Language, Kiswahili. Contrary to what most might think, English is the 2nd official Kenyan language according to the new Constitution.
Prof. Kimani wa Njogu was the chair in the 'Ushairi wa Kiswahili: Jana na Leo'(Poetry in Kiswahili: yesterday and today) session that sought to explore how Swahili poetry has evolved over time. This was the very first session that ushered in the festival.
In the discussion panel were some of the greats in Kiswahili in East Africa; Prof. Rocha Chimerah, Prof. Ahmed Nabhany, Dr. Edwin Masinde and Prof. Clara Momanyi. There were also two poets, Nuhu Bakari (NMG) and Amira Said.
The event started slightly late as the session needed a sizeable crowd in order to start. It finally did with some opening remarks from Yohannes, the Goethe Institut Director.
To start off the session was Nuhu's poem 'Utamu wa Kiswahili ni watu kukitumia'( The beauty of Kiswahili is by people using it)
It was quite a fascinating talk that delved on various topics such as;
The Classical Poetry of Muyaka wa Haji
- This was explored by Prof Rocha who gave us abit of history into the life of Muyaka and the impact that he had on swahili poetry. He(Muyaka) is credited with moving swahili poetry from the mosque to the market place making it accessible to many.
Prof. Ahmed who is at the Research Institute of Swahili Studies of Eastern Africa gave a rundown of the different types of Swahili Poetry and discarded the myth that all swahili poetry is known as Mashairi.
After a lively Q & A session that saw the audience complain about the lack of use of swahili beyond learning institutions, lack of pride in speaking the language and the influence of Sheng on the advancement of Swahili in Kenya, Amira Said closed the session with her poetic piece in praise of the organisers of the event.
This was soon followed by the official opening by Ambassador of France, Mrs. Elisabeth Barbier and the Head of Press and Cultural Affairs at the German Embassy in Kenya who encouraged the audience to embrace and use Kiswahili. I must say that they had really brushed up on their knowledge of Swahili as they awed the crowd with the ease at which they greeted them and wished them a happy festival.
The event was quite well attended with the Goethe Institut auditorium almost full, a good indication of the interest Nairobians have in performances as well as discussions on literary matters.
The cocktail reception was at the Alliance Francaise garden. We walked over for some bitings and refreshments. I got a glimpse of David Makali of Sound Africa who was also in attendance as well as Tabu Osusa of Ketebul Productions. I did also meet some followers of my blog who seemed to know me very well but I didn't, I hope to see them at the upcoming performances.
After the cocktails, we went into the Alliance Francaise auditorium for play, Mwana Mdogo wa Mfalme( The little Prince). Translated from the famous work of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 'The Little Prince' is a classic tale of equal appeal to children and adults. On one hand, it is the story of an airman's discovery in the desert of a small boy from another planet- the little prince and his stories of intergalactic travel, while on the other hand it is a thought- provoking allegory of the human condition.
The play marked the end of the first day of the festival.
More tomorrow in a day that will be packed with Poetry, Urban Music and a Hip Hop battle competition. Don't miss it starting from 2pm.
Enjoy some of the photos from the first day.
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Jukwaani - Festival for Performance Literature, 24-26th Sept 2010 @Goethe Institut-Nairobi
Posted: September 21, 2010, 11:15 pm by N.W
Jukwaani! Festival is back - bigger and better.
Jukwaani! - a Festival for Performance Literature which started last year is a 3 day event organized by Goethe Institut Nairobi and Alliance Francaise Nairobi to showcases the best in Poetry, Mashairi, Story telling, Hip Hop and other forms of performance art.
The festival will be from 24th till 26th September at the Goethe Institut Auditorium as well as the Alliance Francaise Garden and Auditorium.
Starting on Friday with an explorative session on Swahili poetry led by Prof. Kimani wa Njogu, Jukwaani promises to feature the best in Kenyan performance art;
Other highlights of the festival include ‘MWANA MDOGO WA MFALME’(The Little Prince) translated from ‘Le Petit Prince’ by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry © Gallimard, A deeply moving story laced with poetic metaphor and narrated using sound and music translated into Kiswahili by Philipp Kruse and Walter Bgoya and PEOPLE’S TV 101 - SWITCH ON THE POWER TO THE PEOPLE; A satirical depiction of a live news set that explores the strains of human rights and gender roles in Kenya.
Muki Garang, Pepe Haze, Kennet B, Sitawa Wafula, Wanjiku Mwaurah, will be some of the poets who will perform during the festival.
The event is free for all with the weekend program starting from 2pm and ending as late as 9pm.
Find the full program here as well as more info on Jukwaani!. I hope to see you there. -
A Recap of TEDx Nairobi; Green City in the Sun
Posted: September 20, 2010, 9:02 pm by N.W
The much anticipated TEDx Nairobi was on Saturday at the National Museum of Kenya's Leakey Auditorium.
The event brought together the Nairobi Tech community, Environmentalists, architects, media personalities among many more from different areas of interest for an afternoon of talks on The Green City in the Sun. The turnout was quite amazing and am informed that the organizers were actually worried about an overflow as all seats had been fully booked yet by Saturday mi-day, there were still some last minute signups. Luckily, some who had booked did not show thus everyone got somewhere to sit.
The event started promptly with Juliana Rotich @Afromusing being the MC of the day. I was among the speakers/performers with a poem befitting the event , 'When Change Comes' (get a copy of my book if you liked the poem)
Seeing that Maina has given a very good chronological review of the even in his blog 'The Trot and the Run,I will focus on what struck me as exemplary and what the organizing team might need to re-consider for next years TEDx event.
a. Venue
The Good
The Leakey Auditorium at the National Museum was quite central unlike the British Council, the venue that was used for the first TEDx.
It was able to hold a huge capacity whilst still ensuring that everyone got a view of the projected presentations on stage.
The Ugly
The generator at the venue was a huge disappointment as it had a delay of about 2 mins or so. This proved to be a nightmare when the mains power went off about twice while speakers were going through their presentations. With the projector powering off, there was a delay before it could reboot.
I am sure next time a UPS unit for the projector or a venue with immediate switch over generator will be considered.
In the afternoon, there seemed to be a very irritating noise emanating from either the basement or back of the auditorium that made one want to start looking for the nearest exit. It even made the building shake. Its only much later towards the end that it died out.
b) Entertainment
The good
It was impressive and very encouraging to note that my performance was well taken despite the fact that poetry is not everyone's cup of tea. Thanks to the team for inviting me and to the tweet community for all the love during the performance.
The Ugly
The dance routine by the salsa duo did not seem to augur well with the audience. fact is that, we can never outdo the latinos who are the masters of Salsa, Merengue, Cha cha cha and all those other dances, so why attempt to?
It would have been great to stick to what we are best at, either traditional dancers like Sarakasi or a group like Just a band who have managed to blend music and technology(they were actually in attendance)
All in all, it was a great event that enabled many like me to create networks, inspire, get inspired and most of all, learn something new.
Kudos to the organizing team for a wonderful event.
Check out a Photo stream of the event by ZuluSafari and another by Joshua Wanyama -
14th Poetry Africa - International Poetry Festival, South Africa 4-9th Oct feat Kenyan, Ngwatilo
Posted: September 15, 2010, 10:11 pm by N.W
14th POETRY AFRICA
International Poetry Festival
Durban, South Africa : 4 – 9 October 2010
Tour : Cape Town ICC, 26 September/ Zimbabwe: Harare : Manneberg and Book Café 28 & 29 September/
Malawi: Blantyre Arts Festival 1 October
Poets from around South Africa, Africa and the world will descend on Durban for an exhilarating rollercoaster of words, rhythms and ideas at the 14th Poetry Africa international poetry festival, which takes place from 4 to 9 October. Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), and with principal support from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Poetry Africa’s exciting week-long programme is preceded by a three-stop Poetry Africa tour to Cape Town, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Over twenty poets from twelve different countries will feature in the main Durban programme and the full lineup will each present an introductory poem on The Opening Night of the festival (4 October, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre), providing an ideal précis of the diverse voices the public can expect during the rest of the week. The week will thereafter feature 5 poets every evening, through to 8 October, before the rousing Festival Finale at the BAT Centre on 9 October. Each evening at the Sneddon Theatre will begin with curtain-raising performances by poets representing the various active Durban poetry circles. Another unique aspect of this year’s festival is the residency of Concord Nkabinde and Erik Paliani. Nkabinde, an acclaimed bass guitarist who has performed with the likes of Johnny Clegg, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ray Phiri, Phil Manzaniera, Zim Ngqawana, Darius Brubeck, Deepak Ram and many others, will collaborate with Malawian producer, musician and singer-songwriter Erik Paliani in nightly musical curtain-raisers. Nkabinde and Paliani’s passion for collaboration provides the perfect metaphor for the cross-cultural artistic meetings that Poetry Africa seeks to stimulate.
The broad selection of poetic voices, forms, and cultures at the festival includes the vivid verse of Frank Chipasula (Malawi). Apart from poetry, the BBC Poetry Prize winning and twice Pushcart Prize-nominated Chipasula is also a widely-respected writer, academic and editor. The African lineup also includes Kenyan Ngwatilo Mawiyoo, a poet whose intelligence and subtlety is abundantly evident in her first book of poems Blue Mothertongue, a collection which examines notions of home, loss and healing. Returning to Poetry Africa after an absence of six years is poet and academic Barolong Seboni (Botswana), whose astute grasp of history and its meaning, is spread over numerous acclaimed collections. Charlotte Hill O’Neal, better known as Mama C, is an American-born visual artist, musician and poet, who was a member of the Black Panther Movement before relocating to Tanzania in 1972. Her collection Warrior Woman of Peace was launched in 2008 and her fourth album of poetry and music is forthcoming. Both in his words and music the captivating voice of internationally celebrated Souleymane Diamanka (Senegal/France) offers an expressive cultural bridge between his French home and his Fulani ancestry.
The strong South African presence this year includes established luminaries and exciting new voices. Pitika Ntuli combines a vast store of African mythology and history, a keen awareness of the contemporary and an astonishing ability to improvise in his evocative poetry. Storytelling and myth also figure large in the verse of Durban icon Gcina Mhlophe. Lebo Mashile, arguably the best-known contemporary South African poet, brings to the Poetry Africa stage her candid and richly weaved words. The award-winning poet and playwright Kobus Moolman will present poems from his new collection Light and After as well sneak peeks at his next collection. Light and After (Deep South), a sparse and bravely honest work will be launched at the festival. Other launches include: Piece Work (Modjaji Books) by Ingrid Andersen and Scent of Footprints (Unisa Press) by Pitika Ntuli, Xaba.
Poetry Africa welcomes back the 2005 DaimlerChrysler Award for South African Poetry winner Gabeba Baderoon, the author of three collections of complex and intensely lyrical poetry. The Afrikaans-language poet Ronelda Kamfer’s entry into South African literature has been memorably described by poet Charl Pierre Naude “like a Guy Fawkes’ rocket at Pentecost”. Kamfer’s remarkable ability to artfully filter the political and social through a personal lens marks her as a young poet to watch. Natalia Molebatsi combines spoken word and singing in an intoxicating cocktail that touches base with genres such as jazz, dub, hip hop and reggae. Well-known Durban poet Busiswa Gqulu, like Molebatsi, combines poetry, song and performance to startling effect. Another well-respected Durban poet, Marí Peté, explores dreamscapes, everyday experiences, and the thin membrane between these states of being in her poetry.
The international presence at Poetry Africa is particularly strong this year. Celebrated poet, author, radio host, actor and social critic Mutabaruka was the first well-publicized voice in the new wave of Jamaican poets making themselves heard in the early 1970s. He has recorded numerous poetry albums which have helped forge the unique genre of music commonly referred to as dub poetry. As an actor, Mutabaruka has starred in Haile Gerima’s award-winning Sankofa (1993).
Ngwatilo Mawiyoo - A Kenyan Poet
In honour of activist and poet Dennis Brutus (1924 -2009) Poetry Africa introduces the Letters to Dennis segment featuring a poet of high excellence who reflects Dennis’s passion for human rights and integrity. The Letters to Dennis references the famous poem Letters to Martha, written while Dennis was in prison. The Letters to Dennis poet for 2010 is Ghassan Zaqtan of Palestine. At one time the editor of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s newspaper, Ghassan Zaqtan is one of Palestine’s most respected poets and his urgent yet paradoxically gentle and contemplative poetry abounds with luminous imagery.
Jayne Fenton Keane (Australia) is a highly awarded and respected poet whose blend of poetry-song cycles, spoken word-music fusions and shamanic performances have challenged and inspired audiences and critics around the world. Poet, writer-activist and translator Meena Kandasamy (India) uses writing, translation and activism to confront her womanness, her Dalitness and her Tamilness - three categories of belonging that continue to enshrine a history of resistance to oppression. Jorge Palma (Uruguay) is a poet and storyteller whose sensitive and elegant poetry is most concerned with addressing and dissecting the human condition, while Italian Claudio Pozzani is poet and musician whose work has been translated into more than ten languages.
Saturday, 9 October sees a full day of activities at the BAT Centre, with poetry workshops, open mic opportunities, the Durban SlamJam all culminating in the Festival Finale on Saturday night which includes a performance by the Imperial Tiger Orchestra, a Geneva-based band that performs songs from the Golden Age of Ethiopian modern music (1969 – 1978). Although this six-piece orchestra’s repertoire consists primarily of revamped and reworked Ethiopian music, they are not to be mistaken for a covers band. Instead the Imperial Tigers explore uncharted territory in this form, playing with textures and dynamics, adding distortions and noise to complete beautiful new pieces based on the Ethiopian originals.
Apart from the evening performances at the Sneddon and the BAT, a packed daily programme utilizing the expertise of festival participants includes performances, seminars, workshops, a prison programme, poetry competitions, and school visits all aimed at inspiring heightened interest in poetry.
Poetry Africa on Tour
Poetry Africa on Tour is an effort to celebrate poetry with ever-wider constituencies and to stimulate meaningful cultural exchange between artists, audiences and countries. With the support of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), Mimeta and Pro-Helvetia Arts Council of Switzerland, the 2010 tour kicks off at the Cape Town ICC on Sunday 26th September, featuring Frank Chipasula, Mama C, Lebo Mashile, Gcina Mhlophe, Mutabaruka, Barolong Seboni, Pitika Ntuli, includes musicians Concord Nkabinde and Eric Palliani and a unique collaboration between Comrade Fatso (Zimbabwe) and Ewok (South Africa). With the exception of Mhlophe and Ewok, and with the addition of Ngwatilo Mawiyoo, the tour continues with shows at Manneberg and Book Café in Harare on 28th and 29th, before being part of the Blantyre Arts Festival in Malawi on 1st October. In each of the centres the tour will also showcase local poets, and incorporate workshops, discussions and engagements with artists and cultural activists.
Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 14th Poetry Africa festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), HIVOS (Humanist Institute for Development Co-operation), City of Durban, Arts and Culture Trust, Pro Helvetia Arts Councit of Switzerland, Mimeta and the French Institute of South Africa.
Festival Queries to Tel: 031-260 2506 or 031-260 1704 cca@ukzn.ac.za
For Media Queries Contact Sharlene Versfeld Tel: 031-8115628 Fax: 0866827334 Email: sharlene@versfeld.co.za -
Tribanghi Dance Theatre at The SAMOSA Festival, 18th - 25th Sept
Posted: September 14, 2010, 10:35 pm by N.W
TRIBANGHI DANCE THEATRE - INDIAN/ZULU DANCE GROUPThe SAMOSA Festival presents South Africa’s celebrated TRIBANGHI DANCE THEATREAN INDIAN ZULU DANCE THEATRE GROUPThe production includes four African men and three Indian women. Splendidly virile and athletic, in skirted Zulu-warrior mode, the men amaze with their muscular movements and traditional rhythms. The women with their seductively flashing eyes and rhythmically stamping feet step out in congruence. The audience is lured to a visual feast of cross-cultural fusion animated by pulsating music and energized drumming.
2 PERFORMANCES ONLY - BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!!SATURDAY 18TH SEPT AT THE ALLIANCE FRANCAISE GARDENMONDAY 20TH SEPT AT THE LOUIS LEAKEY AUDITORIUM, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KENYATICKETS: KSHS 1,000/-
The rest of the SAMOSA Festial Programme is as follows:-
TRIBANGHI DANCE THEATRE
SAT 18 SEP │7.30PM│ALLIANCE FRANCAISE GARDEN │KSHS 1,000
SAMOSA FILM SCREENINGS
SAT 18 - SUN 25 SEP │MATHARE │FREE
MOVING HOME – A THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION
SUN 19 SEP │7.30PM │ALLIANCE FRANCAISE AUDITORIUM │FREE
KENYAN RANGOLI
MON 20 - SAT 25 SEP │RAMOMA ART GALLERY │FREE
TRIBANGHI DANCE THEATRE
MON 20 SEP │8.30PM│LOUIS LEAKEY AUDITORIUM, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KENYA │ KSHS 1,000
A DISCUSSION PANEL ON COHESION AND ETHNICITY
TUE 21 SEP │ 6.30PM │ ITALIAN INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE │FREE
SAMOSA KIDS
TUE 21 - WED 22 SEP │BROOKHOUSE SCHOOL │INVITE ONLY
SAMOSA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM LAUNCH & COCKTAIL
WED 22 SEP │ 4PM │ HALL OF KENYA, NATIONAL MUSEUM │ INVITE ONLY
PERFORMANCE POETRY
THUR 23 SEP │ 6.30PM │ ALLIANCE FRANCAISE AUDITORIUM │KSHS 200
CONCERT UNDER THE STARS – AN EXPLOSION OF KENYAN FUSION
FRI 24 SEP │ 8PM │ COURTYARD, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KENYA │ KSHS 750
SAMOSA SPORTS
SAT 25 SEP │ 10AM │ NAIROBI GYMKHANA │ FREE
TICKET VENUES
ALLIANCE FRANCAISE │ HOMECARE & HARDWARE FRAMERS- YAYA │MUTHAIGA MINI MARKET │ALL TIMES – VILLAGE MARKET │ ALKASH – DIAMOND PLAZA │ OPTIVISION – KAREN CROSSROADS │SAVANI’S BOOK CENTRE - WESTGATE │ MONTY’S - SARIT SIMPLY BOOKS – ABC PLACE -
TEDx Nairobi 'Green City in the Sun', 18th Sept, 2010 at the National Museums of Kenya
Posted: September 13, 2010, 11:22 pm by N.W
TEDx Nairobi which is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TED stands for technology, entertainment and design—three broad disciplines that are collectively shaping our future. The event is broader still, showcasing brilliant ideas that matter from any discipline during more than fifty presentations and several morning and evening events. The intense, immersive environment allows attendees and speakers from vastly different fields to draw inspiration from unlikely places and cross-fertilize their ideas. Unexpected connections. Extraordinary insights. Potent inspiration. That is the practical magic TED generates when a thousand of the world’s most remarkable people gather.
8th August last year was the inaugural TEDx Nairobi event which brought together various Kenyans who have made an impact in society in their own unique way.
At the TEDx Nairobi event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.
This year's theme is ' The Green City in the Sun'. The list of speakers are:- Jon Bøhmer, Laila Macharia, Su Kahumbu-Stephanou and Myself.
The event will be at the Leakey Auditorium at the National Museums of Kenya on the 18th of September this year. Click here to sign up if you haven't already.
I hope to see you there. -
“Verse of Fire”: A Conversation with Benjamin Zephaniah, Sunday 3rd Oct 4 to 6pm
Posted: September 1, 2010, 10:40 pm by N.W
In “Bought and Sold,” Benjamin Zephaniah asks, “What happened to the verse of fire”? “Smart big awards and prize money,” he warns, are “killing off black poetry.” Poets who seek commercial approval risk losing their ability to find what Zephaniah terms “de magic poem,” a poem that “can ease our sorrows” and celebrate “our tomorrows.” A poet of the heart and of the head, Benjamin Zephaniah writes and performs socially engaged poetry, a poetry that makes audiences laugh and cry, feel and care, think and plan, engage the world in its possibilities and its obstacles.
Deeply committed to an ethical vision of the world, an expansive ethics that ranges from veganism to anti-racist activism, Zephaniah works on and off the page. He has championed a poetry that speaks to publics, eschewing the model of the isolated genius artist intent on writing in cryptic codes. His commitment to a democratic poetics is perhaps most evident in his writing for children in the volumes Funky Chickens, Wicked World, and School’s Out: Poems Not for School. Zephaniah is deeply committed to the future of a risk-taking poetry that pursues social and political utopias. In “Protest Poets,” he urges “human poets” to “unite,” “Lest we pass on to future poets / a world in which, poets do not fall in love / or mek mistakes.”
On this “Verse of Fire” panel, Benjamin Zephaniah is joined by Kenyan poets Tony “Smitta” Mochama and Njeri Wangari, in a wide-ranging discussion about the present and future of poetry, the relationship between art and activism, and how to engage multiple audiences through innovative performances. The panel will be moderated by poet and literary critic Keguro Macharia.
Bio:
Keguro is an Assistant Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Maryland, College Park. he belongs to the Koroga Collaborative and to the Concerned Kenyan Writers Collective. His writing can be found at gukira.wordpress.com
Bio:
Tony 'Smitta' Mochama is a successful journalist, and popular performance poet in Nairobi, with two published works of poetry to his name - 'What if I Am a Literary Gangster', and its sequel, 'The Literary Gangsta - II.' A third work of poetry 'Evanescence' is on the way ... Mochama has also lectured on creative writing and poetry, most recently as a guest speaker in June at Concordia University, in Montreal. A self-confessed vodka aficionado (no lemons, no avocado), the dread-locked poet also did Law at UoN, but sez: "Don't practice. Just preach!"
Bio:
Njeri Wangari is well known local poet/ spoken word performer, blogger and literary activist. Her first book of poetry was launched last month, Mind and Mind Fields: My Spoken Words. Check out her blog http://kenyanpoet.blogspot.com/
Bought and Sold from "Too Black, Too Strong"
Smart big awards and prize money
Is killing off black poetry
It's not censors or dictators that are cutting up our art.
The lure of meeting royalty
And touching high society
Is damping creativity and eating at our heart.
The ancestors would turn in graves
Those poor black folk that once were slaves would wonder
How our souls were sold
And check our strategies,
The empire strikes back and waves
Tamed warriors bow on parades
When they have done what they've been told
They get their OBE's.
Don't take my word, go check the verse
Cause every laureate gets worse
A family that you cannot fault as muse will mess your mind,
And yeah, you may fatten your purse
And surely they will check you first when subjects need to be amused
With paid for prose and rhymes.
Take your prize, now write more,
Faster,
Fuck the truth
Now you're an actor do not fault your benefactor
Write, publish and review,
You look like a dreadlocks Rasta,
You look like a ghetto blaster,
But you can't diss your paymaster
And bite the hand that feeds you.
What happened to the verse of fire
Cursing cool the empire
What happened to the soul rebel that Marley had in mind,
This bloodstained, stolen empire rewards you and you conspire,
(Yes Marley said that time will tell)
Now look they've gone and joined.
We keep getting this beating
It's bad history repeating
It reminds me of those capitalists that say
'Look you have a choice,'
It's sick and self-defeating if our dispossessed keep weeping
And we give these awards meaning
But we end up with no voice.
Copyrights to Benjamin Zephaniah -
Lauryn Hill bounces back with 'Repercussions'
Posted: September 1, 2010, 10:35 pm by N.W
She is back! and boy am I glad, although looking very different reformed and not as eccentric as we knew her. Lauryn Hill who has been on a break since the release of her Award winning Album 'The Mis-education of Lauryn Hill'.
Repercussions is the name of her new single. I would say her legendary raspy voice & style are still very much with her.
“There’s been such a long period of time where I haven’t been able to communicate where my mind is, where my consciousness is, where my ideas are,” Lauryn Hill told MTV News last weekend, following her performance at Rock The Bells in New York.
Talking of this come back, it seems to be an ongoing trend with the pioneers of the Neo-Soul movement/genre. Erykah badu is another Icon who has shed her signature head wrap, platforms and long dresses and early on in the year, Maxwell made a comeback, lost the unkempt afro and the retro funk look to suits.
Whats happening, somebody fill me in!
-
The Kenya Boys Choir in 'Trees for Harmony Concert' 4th & 5th Sept, @ Alliance Francaise, Nairobi
Posted: September 1, 2010, 10:30 pm by N.W
Blah blah blah
Fish cakes
Alas a fish cake.
Yet more fish cakes
Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.
The end of the fish cakes
