Lion Hill takes top honours at national music festival

Lion Hill Vocational Centre emerged top during the Kenya Music National Festivals with its Taarab composition titled 'madhara ya mitandao' (negative effects of internet).

The verse from the Nakuru-based college resonated with this year's theme of "Enhancing the Creative Economy through Artistic Expression for Sustainable Development".

It addressed cybercrime and social media, a category sponsored by the Communications Authority of Kenya. However, the students beat all odds to emerge on top. The journey to the national competition was an uphill battle for Lion Hill Vocational Centre, a small institution from Nakuru. 

A primary concern was lack of appropriate performance attire, according to one of the students, Hannah Njoroge. The group's performance was led by Melvin Wanjera. "We don't have matching costumes (dera). Everyone has their own attire," said Njoroge, highlighting the reality of their limited resources.

The team performed in their everyday clothes, a contrast to the often elaborately costumed competitors, yet their authentic presentation underscored the festival's theme of accessible artistic expression. 

Musical instrumentation also posed a considerable obstacle. Njoroge revealed that the school was unable to afford essential equipment like a piano or proper seats.

Their innovative, albeit challenging, solution involved utilising a borrowed small Bluetooth speaker to provide the necessary backing tracks for their performance.

"We used a small speaker that we borrowed from another team," Njoroge explained, emphasising their reliance on makeshift arrangements.

This ingenuity in overcoming resource limitations directly reflects the spirit of the creative economy. Despite the shortcomings, the students' dedication to their craft was unwavering.

Secondly, the group had no dedicated trainer. It was upon themselves to perfect their act. "We just trained ourselves," Njoroge stated, detailing how they independently rehearsed to achieve the desired flow and rhythm.

But the students saw the challenge as an opportunity for self-driven initiative to develop their artistic skills, a vital component of a thriving creative sector.

Thirdly, the group faced logistical challenges, as travelling from Nakuru to the national venue was another significant hurdle. However, the college stepped in to help them travel to Meru.

This crucial support from their principal ensured the team's basic needs were met, allowing them to focus on their performance and the impactful message of their piece.

Lion Hill's "Madhara ya Mitandaoni" was one of three entries in the Tarab category for Vocational Training Centres. The Taarab category saw diverse entries across different educational tiers.

In the Choral Music, Taarab Music for National Polytechnics and Technical and Vocational Colleges section, Kiirua Technical Training presented a piece composed by Jeffrey Liwasa.

The piece warned bloggers against content that could "demolish and burn the country", saying such bloggers should face the full wrath of the law for cybercrime and cyber malpractice.

They were joined by Meru National Polytechnic and Eldoret Polytechnic in this category.

Meanwhile, the Taarab – Music for Teachers Training Colleges category featured several thought-provoking compositions.

Egoji Teachers College presented "Basi (Bus)", a Tarab piece encouraging participation in the CBC (Competency-Based Curriculum) journey, emphasising love for Kenya and the continuous acquisition of knowledge.

This category is sponsored by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). Asumbi Teachers College from Homabay offered "Picha Yetu", celebrating Kenya's beauty and resilience in overcoming challenges through unity.

Shanzu Teachers College performed "Boma Letu", a call to protect Kenya and uphold peace. Kenya Coast National Polytechnic contributed "Amani", a patriotic piece questioning individual commitment to national peace.

Thogoto Teachers Training College also tackled the critical theme of cybercrime and social media with their Tarab titled "Simu Janja" (Smart Phone).

Finally, Machakos Teachers Training College addressed the issue of gossip with their song "Umbea".

The festival's focus on the creative economy and digital literacy was further bolstered by key partnerships.