By George Orido
A young man from a poor home sees himself through primary, secondary schools, up to university.
His kin are impressed with his achievements. They believe they will not only have someone to provide for them, but also to boast about. Their hopes are realised when their son gets a job with a ‘fat’ salary.
But as he takes care of them, they realise there is a missing link in their son’s life. The man takes long to marry. Their patience having run out, the young man’s parents and aunties arrange a bride for him.
“She’s just too ugly. I cannot marry her,” the man declines their choice. But they insist. They organise a traditional marriage ceremony, where they install the girl at her new home.
This story that captures the dilemma of most young men today was the work of Kisii University College during the ongoing music festival.
Dressed in colourful African attire, the choir sang powrfully in the dance that got the audience pulsating.
Love and peace
Kenyatta University also wowed the audience with a love story of a smitten man seeking a young girl’s hand in marriage. The man declares he cannot live without her. “That’s why my love I open my heart for you.” The song was romantic and reminded many of Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet.
But the team that won hearts of the audience and judges was University of Nairobi choir led by Chris Wekhulo. Their song Peace be with you was about love and peace among communities.
The beauty of the song was in the simple, but dynamic arrangement of vocals. Its delight was in stagecraft where the audience was treated to tantalising dance steps and patterns enriched with pop beat.
“We are glad that we beat stiff competition to emerge winners. It’s a great honour to students and everyone who put their time in this effort,” said Wekhulo, who has won several awards.
Earlier, he had won in five different college categories with Nairobi Aviation including in Zilizopendwa category for foreign tunes. Their choice of TPOK Jazz’s Kimpa Kisangameni (meeting of witches) was a performance that impressed the audience and judges.
The song is a tirade against sorcery with reference to Franco’s late brother Bavon Marie whose death was believed to have involved sorcery.
In the secondary school category, a special piece for mixed voices based on a Canadian set piece The size of your heart was hotly contested with Mangu High and Mary Hill combination grabbing the winning trophy.
In second position was a mixed choir comprising of State House Girls and Upper Hill School with Moi High School Kabarak emerging third.
