Trainee teachers thrill with their battle of wits at music festivals

Students from Kibabii Diploma Teachers Training College recite a choral verse at the ongoing Kenya Music Festival in Kisumu. [PHOTO: GEORGE ORIDO/STANDARD]

Many a time human beings never seem satisfied with nature in its raw form. But students from teachers training colleges took it upon themselves to defend mother nature, saying life is never perfect, after all.

Yesterday, Citam Amphitheatre in Kisumu was full of colour as college students exhibited their prowess in song composition, rendition and choral verses as the National Music Festivals marked its fifth day.

In a choral verse set piece, each team came in a battle of wits and interpretation to present Less Variety from Yoruba.

“Why do we grumble when a tree is bent while in our own streets we even have men who are bent?” Goes part of the verse. In the rendition, the teacher trainees observe that great eaters have no food and great drinkers have no wine in a world full of paradoxes.

Kibabii Diploma, Mosoriot, St John’s Kilimambogo, Migori, Nakuru, Egoji, Nabongo, Embu and other teachers training colleges showed they had put a good time to details in their elocution endeavour.

Kagumo TTC had their moment of glory when they won in the verse set piece My Life:No Place for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, beating Thogoto TTC and Kenya Technical TTC to second and third positions.

Children were not left behind, getting their chance to praise their teachers for training and support.
Malivan AIC form Metropolitan region impressed with their song that appreciated the invaluable role of a teacher in promoting ethical culture, emerging winners ahead of Riara School from Nairobi and Isongo from Nzoia.

The Nandi, who resisted the colonists, had their day on stage too when groups presented vertical movement inspired dances at the Lions Primary School dome.
Teams appeared in Columbus Monkey head gears with the girls in beautifully flowered lessos in this class that also involved pieces from Kipsigis, Sangwer, Tugen, Kelo, Sabaot and the Ogiek communities.

Gethesemani Primary School from Nakuru emerged the best followed by St Mathews Primary, All Saints Kebulonik and Londiani Elite in that order.

Best performance

And the day would not have ended without the warm and rhythmic performances of the Mijikenda, Taita and Pokomo communities.

The Sengenya rhythms filled the air with those thumping feet and jingles responding in conspiracy to bring the Kaya bombo alive.

The traditional trend was maintained: No group outside the Coast has ever won this category and this year they swept the podium with the first four groups all coming from Mombasa region.

Mwarani came tops with  91 per cent, with Harambee Gardens came second with 90 per cent and Likoni and Mtamandoni primary schools locked in a tie for third placen with 89 per cent marks in this tight contest. Secondary schools are hitting the stage for the first time in this edition of the festival today marking the very peak of the fete that will come to a climax on August 13 during the winners gala.

As technical colleges and polytechnics took to the stage for the first time, Kenya Utalii College scooped the best performance in two categories.

Under the arrangement mixed voices, the college performed a Luo sacred song Yesu Ngai Na (Jesus is My Shield) with tunes from African folk songs.

A thrilling performance by Gusii Institute of Technology captured the theme of responsibility, telling the story of a single lady who throws her baby into the fire after failing to fend for her family.

Other institutions which participated in this category included Kisumu National Youth Polytechnic, Mombasa Technical Training Institute and RIAT Institute among others.

In own choice sacred category, Eldoret National Polytechnic scooped the best performance with their piece Brother James’ Air beating Kabete Technical Training Institute which came second.

With the theme ‘the Lord is my shepherd’ borrowed from Psalms Chapter 23, the group thrilled the audience, igniting spiritual emotions which sent the hall calm as heads swung to catch the tunes.

Nairobi Technical Training Institute, Sigalagala Technical Training Institute and NYS-School of Entrepreneurship and Technology also participated in this category.