Students sell happiness as music festival gala begins in Eldoret

Kisumu County’s Karanda Primary School pupils perform during the national Kenya Music Festival at Moi Girls High School in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

Traditional songs and dances that brighten dull days stole the show at the national Kenya Music Festival at Moi Girls, Eldoret as the event’s prestigious gala got underway.

Participants who emerged top in their classes after ten days of music, dance, poetry and public speaking among other categories underscored happiness as the cure for stress.

The most outstanding schools yesterday started doling out their winning items.

The gala, set for today, is reserved for winners of different classes.

After the gala, the best of the best from the festival proceed for the State concert, where they will entertain President William Ruto at the Eldoret State Lodge on Friday.

Top performers continued presenting their show-stopping songs and dances, with messages of happiness filling the air.

After beating 11 contestants, little-known Ketebat Primary School from Teso North, Busia County jumped their way into the hearts of adjudicators.

The Ketebat pupils had won in the African Cultural Dance from Iteso and Marakwet class with 90 per cent and were confident of impressing at the gala and sailing to the State concert. They presented Akisuk, an Iteso dance that involves entertaining jumps on stage.

Akisuk traditional dance under the guidance of teachers, Eunice Eseme and Fred Emukule, is performed during happy occasions where daughters are encouraged to value their marriages.

Teso North Music Secretary David Imutan, who was accompanied by Chairman Joseph Imujaro, said Ketebat was performing for the first time at the national stage.

Moi Girls Kamangu Secondary School from Kiambu delivered happier moments with “Ndumo” a Kikuyu traditional folk song sung during entertainment functions.

The song teaches Kikuyu girls to behave well in order to attract responsible suitors.

“Ndumo is sung by Kikuyu girls during leisure time. Girls, especially those getting ready for marriage, sing it to display beauty and attract good suitors,” Moi Girls Kamangu trainer Joseph Kinyanjui said.

Senende Boys from Vihiga electrified the festival with their winning zilizopendwa with live accompaniment category items as they made their seventh appearance.

It was not only about African traditional songs and dances. The international culture was appreciated as students sang their hearts out.

Malaba Township Junior School, also from Busia, was impressed with the Indonesian traditional song “Burung Gakak Tua” a rendition which praises Turkey with beautiful feathers, just to elate audiences.

Carmel Catholic School Utawala received a standing ovation for a South Korean traditional dance, performing a song titled Buchaechum.

The Korean song praises flowers and butterflies, which symbolizes love and beauty in the Asian country.

Daystar University band members rocked with Romeo and Juliet, a song originally sung by Lucky Dube.

Karanda Primary School from Kisumu triumphed in the Luo traditional dance with their Dodo dance.

They were selected for the gala after emerging in position one with 92 per cent in their class.

It was a day to remember as the performances by learners left no doubt whatsoever that Kenya’s got unlimited talent giving true meaning and purpose to the theme of Talent Development for Growth of the Creative Economy.

Borrowing a leaf from the younger brothers, Kenyatta University came to kill and indeed they killed it with Koffi Olomide’s Loi with the Ndombolo idiom ruling the air.

Members of the audience couldn’t help as some took to their feet as they whiled the afternoon away with Lingala moves.

Bramwell Asige has surely come of age as he conducted his arrangement of Hart The Band’s ‘Nikikutazama’ with Ngenia Boys.

Ngenia is arguably the team of the season!

The group was an entertainment machine as they brought this marriage of Kenyan classics to life clearly shown by the thunderous applause they received when the hit the very last note of the song.

With mature mixed voices and high-octane dance styles, Kenyatta University asserted themselves as leaders in big choral groups at the fete.

As if that was not enough, Daystar University opened the gates wide as they rendered Sam Fan Thomas’ Genenda Suwe’ with Makossa moves and Soukous melodies from West Africa.

Alliance Girls High School calmed things down as they performed an English set piece Nothing’s Gonna Stumble My Feet with precision and fidelity of a marksman to the notes.

Directed by David Isindu the African American song depicts commitment to a righteous path without wavering despite challenges of temptations.

And Kabarak added spice to the spiritual renditions as they performed yet another African American song that mocks Christians who preach water but drink wine as other actions differ with what they profess.

St Clare’s Maragoli rendered a choral verse, There’s A New Sherriff in Town, admonishing drunk driving that has caused the loss of many lives and maimed even more on the roads.

They encouraged the use of breathalyzers to ensure drivers are sobre so as to reduce accidents.

“And the men in blue, why turn roadblocks to tax collection centres,” they asked, decrying the habit of bribe-taking law enforcement as they turned the other way when road users break the traffic code with impunity.

St Theresa’s Girls questioned why there is an incremental case of human-wildlife conflict yet the Kenya Wildlife Service Act stipulates ways of conservation.

They questioned why people are into bush meat, including making crocodile meat a delicacy.

In all these, The University of Nairobi, directed by Fed Atoo sought divine intervention as they rendered a solemn song Singo Ng’ama Loyi Onge.

Abadares Teachers Training College got romantic rendering Killing Me Softly, a Rhythm and Blues classic originally done by Charles Fox and later popularised by the Pop group Fugeees. Ngara Girls cracked ribs with their witty and pithy chiral Behind the Adjudicator’s Table.