By Fredrick Odiero
Kenyatta University reigned supreme as the the 94th edition of the Kenya Music festival drew to a close in Kisumu with a whopping twenty trophies to its credit.
The university was declared the best overall among a host of others thus maintaining supremacy for the tenth year now.
It won in the own composition, instrumentals, quartet, own choice and university set pieces, among others.
What kept the audience on its edge was their rendition of Lucky Dube’s song, ‘Reggae night’ where reggae fans rose up in applause under the Zilizopendwa category.
A jubilant Mr. Sylvester Otieno who is its choir director and works in the Music department said that it took a lot of dedication and good management by the institution to come up with new items annually and achieve the results.
“People tend to copy what we perform hence the need to change tack each time we appear,” he said.
St. Ignatius Ishiri school from Busia emerged best overall in the African Dance category under the charge of Mrs Anne Murambi while The Nairobi school emerged tops in the ensemble consisting of the woodwind and brass and Narok boys carried the day in the Maasai dance category.
In addition, St. Josephs Rapogi was named the winner in the Luo folk song category as Likoni Secondary carried the day with a Mijikenda folk song and Mama Ngina Girls ran away with the Taraab title.
The annual festival which took a two-year break occasioned by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic commenced on 17th September and ended yesterday, 23rd September with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua gracing the event.
While speaking on behalf of the President, Gachagua said that the government was committed to nurturing talent among students and the youth.
He noted that it had been proven by content creators in the country and abroad that the youth could earn a living through their talents and encouraged them to take arts seriously so as to develop themselves socially and financially.
The Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) George Magoha challenged Kenyan playwrights and music composers to create local content that promoted national and positive moral values, and also peaceful co-existence.
The CS said Kenyans could not continue watching foreign soap operas and wrestling shows as core content on the country’s national television stations.
“Kenya is yearning for local productions, but our indifference has handed foreign soaps, some simplistic, unnecessary prominence and infiltration on our screens. It is very possible for various government agencies to partner in improving the national finals scripts and put them on the market,” suggested Magoha.
He added that the skits and productions were potential tools for solving societal problems, communicating ideas, teach, raise consciousness and provide a livelihood for those with talent and the technical know-how.
Prof. Magoha further appealed to the government to release capitation funds as schools prepare to open next week.
Governor Nyong’o on his part pledged to donate five trophies to the festival on condition that they are named after popular traditional musicians such as Owino Misiani, Gabriel Omollo, Daudi Kabaka, Olima Anditi and Anton Mito among others
Kenya Music Festival National Chairman Peter Wanjohi noted that the event had attracted participants and teachers from Early Childhood Development Centres, Special Needs Institutions, Primary Schools, Teacher Training Colleges and Universities with a total of 89,000 participants and 9,000 teachers taking part in the event.
He observed that music played a vital role in exposing and nurturing talent among children and that the festival was an ideal opportunity for them to showcase and expose their talent and also get a chance to interact with a variety of cultures.
“This is a festival that provides children with the opportunity to develop their talents. There is no other area in the education programme where children come together and showcase their talent as well as the skill they have been taught,” he said.
