New film brings to life 1950s Kenyan beats

Kenya’s political, social and musical transformations over the years have been brought to life in a new romantic dance movie titled ‘The Time is Now’.

The movie, directed by Bettina Ng’weno chronicles much of the dance music of 1950s Nairobi, with an African twist. The political tension of pre-independence Kenya is contrasted with the ethereal beauty of the dance amid the gritty industrial context of the railway yards. For the short movie, Ms Ng’weno has enrolled leading Kenyan singer/guitarist Manaseh Uzele, with dancing by salsa stars Wangari Wachira and Stanley Ng’ang’a. Obura Aloo, a newcomer to the film world, is surprisingly electrifying as the politician whose speech motivates the narrative.