National Music Festival gains momentum

Wambaa Mt. Olives Adventist school student Dallia Adannah plays her music instrument violin during the National music festival at Kibabii University in Bungoma. [ Benjamin Sakwa/ Standard]

Participants making their maiden appearance at the national stage in this year's  National Music Festival have showcased exceptional talent.

Bungoma County in Western Kenya is hosting the music extravaganza that has entered its fifth day.

Little known schools have impressed both judges and spectators by demonstrating a high level of competitiveness, innovation and creativity.

Among the standout performers was Utwiini Primary School from Mbooni, Makueni County, which showcased its prowess by finishing second in the category it entered at the national competition.Moi Educational Center student Kayo Fletcher performed under class 1111J, 

Nzoia Sugar School emerged top in the Choral Music for Junior Schools, Mountain View school from Nairobi emerged winners in set piece music for junior secondary school category,

ACK St. Andrews school from Nairobi won in Junior school category in a choral verse about values in the CBC, St. Augustines school student Sherry Manish Patel emerged champions in an Indian solo dance and Highlands Junior School from Rift Valley region were crowned winners of the Swahili Choral Verse category for Junior Schools.

They claimed top honors with a stellar performance on the UNICEF sponsored theme "Refugee Inclusion".   Kedowa Special school for the Deaf performs also showcased their performance, 

According to Utwiini school headteacher Peter Musyoki, they had an item on "Heko Mama Kwa Kunilea nitakununilia Zawadi” and the second item focusing on the Public Service Commission (PSC).

He cited transportation challenges as a major obstacle saying the cost of hiring a vehicle is over sh.100,000 which he termed exorbitant.

Organizers hailed this year's festival as the largest ever held in the country, involving over 100,000 students from all corners of the nation.

The festival is scheduled to conclude on the 14th of this month, with the overall winners earning the opportunity to perform before President William Ruto's at State House in Nairobi, an initiative aimed at recognizing the students' talents and creativity.

In an increasingly digital world where marketing and advertisements have become vibrant, engaging parts of our daily lives through platforms like Facebook and Instagram Reels, corporate Kenya has found an equally dynamic, physical stage to connect with audiences - the Kenya Music Festival.

A strategic synergy is rapidly emerging between digital marketing, brand placement, and the country's broader push for wealth creation as top corporates, investors in educator sector, and consumers tap into the annual festival, creating a unique space where commercial messaging and talent development thrive together to reach millions of Kenyans.

Through a newly introduced competition category called ‘Adverts’, which runs alongside traditional choral verses, solo verses, and special compositions, brands are leveraging student performances to drive their corporate messaging.

The messaging goes beyond brand visibility. Students are now composing pieces that drive financial literacy, investing in government securities, climate change, and sustainability. And adjudicators at the festival have laid out a strict rubric for these branded performances.

Judges are interrogating the communication of the core message and the subtle, seamless placement of the Kenya Music Festival partners. They evaluate whether the composer accurately brought out the intended message and how well the theme was carried.

A critical factor is "text setting", which dictates whether the speed and clarity of the song allow the message to be absorbed by the audience. Adjudicators noted that some schools were hampered by overly fast pacing which swallowed the brand's message. Furthermore, judges warned against students showing off with overly loud pianos and accompaniments while insisting that instruments must support the message rather than overpower it.

The corporate integration in the items presented is a deliberate strategy to build the creative economy.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Director and CEO Prof Charles Ong’ondo noted that the festival serves as a practical stage for the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) Arts and Sports Science pathway.

Prof Ong'ondo noted that KICD is currently collaborating with government stakeholders to implement a presidential directive aimed at digitizing and monetizing student performances to create sustainable revenue streams for young artists.

This mandate is echoed by Kenya Music Festival Chairman Prof Frederick Ngala, who describes the festival as the ultimate vehicle for dispensing with the Competency Based Education (CBE) approach.  “To that extent, the Kenya Music Festival fosters imagination and creativity because it includes categories for original composition and creative engagement. It enhances communication and collaboration through peer-to-peer interactions,” Prof Ngala said.

“The festival also promotes digital literacy. The modern festival has integrated categories that require the use of technology, such as digital backing tracks and basic audio recording. It builds the capacity of teachers, enables us to nurture diverse talents, and cultivates citizenship,” he added.

For both the public and private sectors, including Equity Bank, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the Communications Authority of Kenya, and KUCCPS, the festival is a prime avenue for driving financial inclusion and grassroots impact.

“Together, we are building an enterprise that will transform our lives, our society, and create jobs, while we support talents and improve livelihoods,” said Equity’s Head of Education, Peter Ndoro.

Equity category for Choral Music for Junior Schools attracted fierce competition with Nzoia Sugar from the Western region emerging top, followed by Adu School from the Coast region, and Dago Junior from Siaya County taking third place.

Similarly, the Central Bank of Kenya’s special composition category featured standout performances on Wednesday from Makutano Junior School from Eastern Region, Moi Primary, and Moi Forces Nairobi.

With the creative economy poised for massive growth, Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa has called for expanded multi-sectoral partnerships to ease the financial burden of hosting the massive national fete.

“Kenya is a great country, and it has many stakeholders who can come and partner. It is possible to partner and make the load a little bit lighter," Ololtuaa said during the festival's opening at Kibabii University," he said.

"God willing, from next year, we will be involving other Principal Secretaries, county governments, and all CEOs, not necessarily just those in the education sector. I think we can revolutionize the Kenya Music Festival, a united people is a strong people, my call is that we come together and do better than this,” he added.

As kindergartens, Early Childhood Development centres, and primary schools wrap up their performances, the stage is now set for High Schools, Technical Training Institutes, Colleges, and Universities.

The older students are highly anticipated to captivate the festival with complex renditions of Zilizopendwa, African folk songs, and Taarab in the coming days.