Kenya Music Festival

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Lesson Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Kenya Series at SwahiliPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Kenyan holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 24. Kenya Music Festival. In Swahili, it’s called Sikukuu ya Muziki Nchini Kenya.

The Kenyan National Music Festival takes place in Nairobi, Kenya at the Kenyatta International Conference Center or Jumba Kuu la Mikutano la Kimataifa la Kenyatta. This festival happens in August every year, and is a time when the entertainment sector enjoys a rise in popularity.

In this lesson, we will learn how Kenyans celebrate this day.

Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question-

Who are the main donors of this festival?

If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening.

The Ministry of Home Affairs and National Heritage, in Swahili Wizara ya mambo ya kinyumbani na urithi wa nchi, organizes this national music festival each year. Different government departments and national clubs and non-governmental organizations are the main partners of this event, for which they organize cultural dances, music, and acrobatics.

The music champions, those who took top honors in the previous series of competitions, are invited to perform in their respective categories of music and dance. These categories include set pieces, traditional songs, choral music, choral verses, and original songs. This event is organized primarily for the benefit of students, to give them a chance to display their talents and the hard work they have dedicated to their musical and artistic abilities.

The winners of each category of the festival are then invited to give their performance before the president at the state house. Their performance is crowned as Kenya's cultural choir of the year, known in Swahili as Kwaya ya Mwaka ya Utamaduni Nchini Kenya, and they are also invited to entertain guests during certain national holidays and events.

Now it's time to answer our quiz question-

Who are the main donors of this festival?

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Heritage are the chief sponsors of this festival. As I mentioned, the government contributes the most resources to this event, though the private sector is also involved.