Music festival kicks off with nutrition top on the menu

Jabali Christian School perfoms their winning choral verse 'UJI'. [Standard]

The 2019 Kenya music festival began yesterday with schools from Embakasi Sub-county taking to music, dance and poetry to advocate for better nutrition.

Jabali Christian School took to the stage with their choral verse, Uji written by Wilson Kakai to enumerate the benefits of porridge in a category sponsored by Equatorial Foods.

“Whenever I take my porridge in the morning, my day starts well. I am energetic and concentrate in class as I enjoy every lesson,” the pupils recited.

Gatoto Primary School seemed to agree, taking the tribute to porridge a notch higher in a verse that blamed low performance in class to lack of breakfast.

Tender Care Academy added their voice to the tribute to porridge, praising it as an affordable meal and a good investment for a healthy nation and resourceful people.

Jabali's vocal variation, facial expression and fidelity to the script pleased adjudicators Dickson Egesa and Seline Onyango who declared them overall winners in the category ahead of Gatoto Primary and Tender Care Academy.

Behind the intense competition was a beautiful contest of vocal power, interpretation of the theme and sheer uniformity while at the same time emphasising the need of taking care of children’s nutritional needs with fortified foods.

An interesting piece by Duncan Naliaka, an independent performer, titled Usilie Mapeni, depicted a reluctant child who refuses to go to school unless he is given pocket money.

In it, the persona pleads with a friend to value education over pocket money.

“Stop crying, pull up yourself and let’s get to school because education is the future,” pleads the persona.

Goodrich Schools led in the class 1105H set piece while as Sunrise Student Centre came in second and Gatoto third.

Other schools that participated in the class included Chrives Royal Academy, Emmanuel Junior School, St Vincent Junior School, Embakasi Benedeta School, Umoja Primary School and  St Theresa’s primary.

Msasa Junior Academy presented a Maasai folk song performed by morans during a happy ceremony in a piece choreographed by Gift Emmanuel and a powerful soloist duo of Faith Kamene and Serena Bogana.

At the same time Innercore Bethlehem school presented a Luo folk song – Dodo, in praise of a young but hard working girl in the village.

Mwangaza Academy led by Millicent Pascal entertained with their singing game (African style) eschewing the values of playing as a means to learning for the child.

Epren School had a singing game (Western style) introducing nursery school children to different professions.

The festival will end today with winners proceeding to Nairobi Regional edition in two weeks’ time.