National Music Festival Winner: Lion Hill's Triumphant Performance
In the heart of Nakuru, Lion Hill Vocational Centre, a small institution with limited resources, made a significant impact at the Kenya Music National Festivals. The students, led by Melvin Wanjera and Hannah Njoroge, won the Taarab composition category with their piece "Madhara ya Mitandao", a powerful composition addressing cybercrime and social media.
Their success story is a testament to creativity, determination, and resourcefulness. Due to a lack of appropriate performance attire, limited musical instrumentation, and logistical difficulties, the students had to perform in their everyday clothes. However, they used a borrowed small Bluetooth speaker to play backing tracks during their performance, demonstrating their innovative spirit.
Their composition, which warns bloggers against content that could "demolish and burn the country", resonated with the competition theme sponsored by the Communications Authority of Kenya. The piece was one of three entries in the Taarab category for Vocational Training Centres, showcasing the diversity of entries across different educational tiers.
Meanwhile, Asumbi Teachers College from Homabay celebrated Kenya's beauty and resilience in overcoming challenges through unity with their performance "Picha Yetu". Egoji Teachers College presented "Basi (Bus)", a Tarab piece encouraging participation in the CBC (Competency-Based Curriculum) journey. Kenya Coast National Polytechnic contributed "Amani", a patriotic piece questioning individual commitment to national peace, while Shanzu Teachers College performed "Boma Letu", a call to protect Kenya and uphold peace.
Thogoto Teachers Training College tackled the critical theme of cybercrime and social media with their Tarab titled "Simu Janja" (Smart Phone). Kiirua Technical Training presented a piece in the Choral Music, Taarab Music for National Polytechnics and Technical and Vocational Colleges section. The Taarab category saw diverse entries across different educational tiers, reflecting the festival's focus on the creative economy and digital literacy.
The festival, themed "Enhancing the Creative Economy through Artistic Expression for Sustainable Development", further bolstered its goals through key partnerships. The principal of Lion Hill Vocational Centre provided crucial support for the team's travel to the national venue, and the students had no dedicated trainer, instead training themselves independently.
The Taarab - Music for Teachers Training Colleges category featured several thought-provoking compositions, each showcasing the unique talents and perspectives of the participating institutions. The success of Lion Hill Vocational Centre serves as an inspiring example of how resourcefulness, creativity, and a compelling thematic message can lead to triumph against all odds.
[1] Source: The Standard [1] Source: Nation
- Amidst the diversity of entries across different educational tiers in the Taarab category, Lion Hill Vocational Centre, with its limited resources, made a significant impact at the Kenya Music National Festivals through their powerful composition, "Madhara ya Mitandao", addressing cybercrime and social media.
- Despite facing logistical difficulties, a lack of appropriate performance attire, and limited musical instrumentation, the students from Lion Hill Vocational Centre demonstrated their innovative spirit by using a borrowed small Bluetooth speaker to play backing tracks during their performance.
- The Taarab category, which saw diverse entries reflecting the festival's focus on the creative economy and digital literacy, also featured several thought-provoking compositions, each showcasing the unique talents and perspectives of the participating institutions.
- The principal of Lion Hill Vocational Centre provided crucial support for the team's travel to the national venue, and the students had no dedicated trainer, instead training themselves independently, serving as an inspiring example of resourcefulness and self-development.
