Taarab lyrics fill Eldoret as Equity Bank rewards Kamagambo

On the fourth day of the 96th Kenya Music Festival, youthful and graceful Taarab performances stood out as primary schools stepped back, making way for secondary schools.

Tuesday featured only girls' schools performing original Taarab songs by renowned coastal artists, focusing on talent and creativity.

Nzoia Sugar Primary, a favourite, introduced a fresh style with their rendition of 'Nitisiri Mola Wangu' performed by Evelyne Leleruk, Anita Wanjiku, and Velvian Nasimiyu. In their song, they ask God to nurture their talents so they can change society for the better.

The original Taarab queens, Sacred Heart from Mombasa, dressed in golden yellow, performed tunes from Mzee Yussuf, Aisha Ramadhani, Jahazi Modern Taarab, and Mwanahamisi Ali. Their engaging performance was arranged by the talented Maxwell Ouma.

The band, featuring Blazer Rwaya, Josiah Chemit, Richard Khisa, and Wilfred Mutie, provided impressive backup, showcasing the progress made in this class since performances relied on techno sounds.

From the host city of Eldoret, Hill School delivered a beautiful rendition of the African melody 'Tenda Wema Nenda Zako'.

The song encourages well-wishers not to expect anything in return. It depicts a society that is often ungrateful and compares the expectation of gratitude to seeking water from a rock.

The competition was tight, but Nzoia Sugar emerged victorious, securing first place. Sacred Heart won silver, while Hill School took gold.

Just before this, teams competed for the Equity Bank anthem prize. Kamagambo School won the contest and received Sh100,000.

This was one of many categories sponsored by corporates at the festival where music teams performed a set piece designed to promote early childhood financial literacy.

“Uniformity, chorality, and Rhumba rhythm were crucial in this class,” said adjudicators Cameron Buskirk and David Isindu, who announced the results.

Mr Buskirk, one of six University of Florida musicologists at the festival for an exchange programme, is pursuing a Master’s degree in Music Education.

“I really loved the African American Spiritual class. I was driven to tears as they sang those songs," said Michelle Gibson, an African American from the University of Florida attending the festival.