Major event for Kenyan Diaspora

By Chris Wamalwa in USA

One of the Diaspora signature annual events is scheduled to take place this weekend in New Jersey.

The Jersey 254, a brainchild of two entertainment promoters and one DJ based in New Jersey, starts Thursday 30th evening and will run through the weekend in different cities in New Jersey.

Dubbed 4th of July All Kenyan Re-Union and

Street bash, the event has continued to attract scores of Kenyans living in the US and Canada.

Organised under the auspices of Umoja Entertainment, Sambaza Inc and VJ One, all based in New Jersey and who came together 4 years ago to form the formidable -Jersey254, the event usually delivers a true Kenyan experience in terms of music and dance, food and drink to the Diaspora.

Since its inception, the organisers have laced their line-ups with the current hottest Kenyan artists, and the biggest DJ names in the industry especially

those based in the US and Canada. The main attraction this year is Jaguar who is in the US promoting his hit song, Kigeugeu. Kigeugeu has taken the Diaspora by storm.

The Jersey Street-bash, an event that is staged in the streets in Patterson, JN is everyone’s favorite. Not to anyone’s surprise, hundreds of Kenyans attended the first event and continue to pour in each year for the 4-day festivities.

Everything from free barbeque', dance competitions, face painting, vendors and local businesses to nightclub after-parties have made the event a success for attendees and entrepreneurs alike.

The street-bash involves closing of a public street, complete with big concert speakers and lighting and a huge stage is erected for the performances. As one

drives down the busy roads, familiar African beats can be heard echoing across the urban streets and avenues of the host city of Paterson.

Last year, the event attracted wananchi from the far West Coast states and Canada with their aggressive promotional campaign by taking full advantage of

social media. In previous years, artists like Nameless, Redsan, Jua Kali, Mr. Lenny and Daddy V have graced the stage to adoring fans. Not to mention Dj's Kriss Darling, Styles and Simple Simon, all based in Nairobi, Kenya.