Talent galore as annual music festival starts

Kenya High School students perform an Equity-themed performance during the Kenya Music Festival hosted at Buru Buru Girls.[Benard Orwongo Standard]

The power of music took centre stage as the Kenya Music Festival (KMF) Nairobi regional competitions kicked off at Buruburu Girls High School, with learners using song and performance to raise awareness on tuberculosis (TB), promote responsible tax payment and inspire hope, faith and social responsibility.

Hundreds of learners in senior schools across Nairobi showcased their talents in a festival that evolving into a platform for addressing national and global issues through art.

This year’s regional festival features a rich blend of traditional folk songs and dances, choral set pieces, sacred music, original compositions, spoken word, Afrobeat and Hip-Hop, reflecting the diversity and creativity of Kenyan learners.

One of the standout performances came from Loreto Valley Road Girls School, whose original composition, The Creation, retold the Biblical story of creation. “In the beginning God created the heavens. He said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. He divided the light from darkness. The Lord is great, the Lord is mighty,” the learners sang, drawing applause from adjudicators and the audience.

At State House Girls High School, students performed There Is a Land, a moving composition expressing hope for eternal life. “There is a land far beyond the sky where we shall live forever, where the angels gather. The glory land is full of hope, where God has promised His throne. The land is far beyond the sun and moon where He shines forever. I long to see it,” the students sang.

Hosts Buruburu Girls delivered a sacred piece encouraging believers to trust in God during difficult times. “Take your burdens to God, He will lighten them. Those who are heavy laden, your burden is light, your yoke is easy,” they sang.

Moi Girls Nairobi used music to champion the empowerment of girls through their composition Tinda. “May I grow. We are looking to those who are able to promote the girl child,” the learners sang, calling for greater support for girls’ education and leadership.

Other performances focused on public health campaigns, with learners creatively spreading awareness on the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis. Several schools also highlighted the importance of paying taxes, urging Kenyans to embrace their civic duty as a way of supporting national development.

The Kenya Music Festival has increasingly incorporated themes aligned to government policies and the Sustainable Development Goals, allowing learners to use artistic expression to educate communities.

Beyond the performances, school heads used the festival to renew calls for increased government support for co-curricular activities, arguing that schools are struggling to finance competitions from already stretched operational budgets.

One of the school heads said schools support nurturing learners’ talents but the financial burden has become overwhelming.

“Co-curricular activities should be funded as a separate budget line to reduce pressure on school operational funds,” he said.