African Strings: The Nyatiti and The Adungu News
…ti Jazz, happened in the 60s, have a listen: Benga music is the perfect example of how ancient and traditional music can be kept alive by using the styles and instruments in a contemporary way. One of the keys objectives of the Singing Wells project is to introduce tribal East African music to a new generation of musicians and fans who might not consider it relevant today, through The Influences Series. Some of my favourite prominent Benga musicia…
Day 3 continued – an interview with Steve Kivutia Story
…Someone pointed out that what we needed was a clapperboard – something the film industry had discovered 100 years ago and the solutions to all our problems! We were chastened. We asked Nick to be in charge of ‘the clapperboard’ and he got very good at shouting out takes, despite a lot of abuse from the Camera Crew. We now refer to him as ‘Clapper Man’. The rain We need to talk about the rain. We were completely rained out today. A deluge. We had t…
Day 1: In Nairobi, packing and talking to Tabu Story
…ts including painters, sculptors, musicians and a film and TV production company. It attempts to keep art alive and well in the community and in particular in the youth of Nairobi. At the Art Centre we went to a photograph exhibition of “Nairobi Burning” during the 2007 riots. There were some poignant photos of the slums burning and people being beaten and killed. The unrest mainly affected the poor areas of Nairobi. One of the artists, Uncle Subu…
The Batwa Trail News
…I am worried about the Batwa people destiny. The Batwa are the mankind example of how people can live in harmony with nature. Something that the Batwa did much longer than all other populations! I am an amateur film maker and I was pleased with the explanation about the living, the medicinal plants, hunting methods… that the Batwa use(d). When I think about the darkness in the Garama Cave and then the sudden singing and dancing, I am still deeply…
Gary Barlow, Ayub Ogada & the Diamond Jubilee song News
…rformed the beautiful and haunting song Kothbiro for the soundtrack of the film The Constant Gardner. We were delighted to hear that Gary followed Andy’s advice and met Ayub on his trip to Kenya this week. Here he is speaking about it to Chris Evans on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show (22nd March). Click here to listen: Gary Barlow speaking from Kenya on Radio 2 Kothbiro If you’ve never heard the song Kothbiro here it is – we think you’ll love it as we’…
The Kalenjin & Kenya’s elite athletes News
…ing in Art History and Archaeology. After she graduated, she worked in a computer company during the .dot com. boom. She then worked for a production company where she helped make programmes for Discovery Channel and National Geographic where she developed a passion for film. Four years after university Jackie went to Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and Washington DC to gain her MA in creative writing. She thoroughly enjoyed this programme an…
May 2011 – Jimmy reports back on the pilot phase News
…and souped up as ‘nzele’. The Mijikenda (literally “the nine clans”) also employ the use of a vast array of impressive instrumentation such as kayambas, marimbas, flutes, horns, various cow-hide drums and shakers. I often point out to the “misuse” of the synthesizer in generation of drums beats and percussion in modern recordings. However, modern technology can greatly enhance these acoustic sources of music if one chooses to start from there. Ima…