MAY 11TH- AUGUST 3RD 2013.
# NaiNiWho
Nairobi; brace yourself for a festival like no other! In May;
on a clear Sunday afternoon; youth groups; fans and friends of the “Nai Ni Who”
festival; took to Enterprise Road in south B’s industrial are to kick start the
3 month long series of neighborhood gigs.
With the Salvation Army band in tow; song; dance and
merriment marked the boisterous parade that proudly wound its way around the estate’s
shopping and residential areas. This is the first of 12 such celebrations
across the city.
“(The festival) was something we had not foreseen,”
confesses The Go down Arts Centre Director; Joy Mboya. Last year; in
preparation of the Centre’s 10th anniversary; a series of conversations
informally tagged ‘WHO IS NAIROB?’ were initiated across different spheres of
society.
“We began to examine the relationship that existed within
the city; its ambivalence; history and evolution,” explains Joy.
“For us; the question of identity is primary;” Joy
reiterates. That means that each neighborhood was required to reflect inwardly
and ask them what their area was about: the good, the bad and the ugly. This makes
the festival title apt as it makes a play on English; Swahili and sheng; as it
begs the question, “Nai Ni Who (WHO IS NAIROBI)”.
South B resident, Zuhura Aden recalls hearing the loud
parade as it made its way past her home.
“the band music drew me to the window and I saw lots of people
marching on the streets; including the XYZ puppets of president Uhuru and
deputy Ruto!” she says.
For her; a festival of this nature is necessary.
“We don’t often stop to look around at our environment and appreciate
what we have. If people became more conscious of their surroundings; then we
could all make Nairobi better in the long run. There would be no more dumping
and littering.”
The festival has invited people to share their definition of
the city. Some have called it “the heartbeat of the country,” “city of learning”,
“maisha ya shida (difficult life)”; “a place for everyone;” while others simply
just know it as “home”.
-this piece first appeared on UP Magazine. It was a piece by
Wanjeri Gakuru.
-stay updated on where the action is happening via facebook:
Nai Ni Who; Twitter: @NaiNiWho
or visiting-http://www.nainiwho.co.ke/
See the gallery at our page-https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.636469369704567.1073741841.609419172409587&type=3
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