By Fredrick Odiero
Muluanda Primary School from Western region was among the top performers as the National Music Festival got underway in Kisumu.
The school scooped a total of 88 marks in the class 167 category where the adjudicators noted accompaniments and composition were the major features.
Others schools whose performance impressed judges were Ekerenyo from Nyanza and Nairobi Baptist from Nairobi County.
Professor Fredrick Ngala who was one of the adjudicators at Kisumu Boys High school, advised choir masters not to sing so as to avoid interfering with the tone of the pupils.
He also noted that accompaniments should meet the intended purpose and not be brought for the sake of it.
His colleague Vivian Gichuhi advised pupils to neither be scattered nor too close together while on stage.
She further cautioned choir masters against tapping their fingers while conducting.
The Festival makes a comeback after a two-year lull occasioned by the Covid-19 scourge and will mark its 94th edition this year.
It is themed ‘Kenya My Pride, My future’ and will run from today, 17th September to Sunday, 25th September.
Apart from Kisumu Boys High school, Kisumu Girls High school and Arya Primary school are the alternative venues where security has already been beefed up with organizers keen to replicate past successes of the event in other parts of the country.
A state concert will be held on Saturday, 24th September at Kisumu State Lodge where President William Ruto is expected to be the guest of honour and eventual winners will be awarded trophies and certificates.
Executive Secretary of the Kenya Music Festival, Janet Langat said they had finalized plans for the event and confirmed that the President was among the guests they had invited.
