|
Kenya is a diverse country, with many different cultures represented. Notable cultures include the Swahili on the coast, pastoralist communities in the north, and several different communities in the central and western regions. Today, the Massai culture is the best known, due to its heavy exposure from tourism.
|
Apart from the national flag, Kenya is yet to have a national dress that cuts across her diverse ethnic and racial divide. With each of the more than 42 ethnic communities in Kenya having its own traditional practices and symbols that make it unique, this is a task that has proved elusive in the past. However, several attempts have been made to design an outfit that can be worn to identify Kenyans, much like the Kente cloth of Ghana. The most recent effort is the Unilever sponsored "Sunlight quest for Kenya's National Dress". A design was chosen and though it was unveiled with much pomp at a ceremony in which public figures modeled the dress, the dress design never took hold with the ordinary people. Kitenge, a cotton fabric made into various colors and design through tie-and-dye and heavy embroidery, is generally accepted as the African dress. Though used in many African countries, Kitenge is yet to be accepted as an official dress as it is only worn during ceremonies and non-official functions The Kanga (Khanga, Lesso) is another cloth that is in common use in practically every Kenyan home. The Kanga is a piece of clothing 1.5m by 1m approx, that is screen printed with beautiful sayings in Kiswahili (or English) and is largely worn by women around the waist and torso. Kangas are a flexible item, used in many ways such as aprons, child carrying slings, picnic blankets, swim wear etc. However, except for the Coastal people, it is usually not worn as a full outfit. |
||||
Kenya is home to a diverse range of music styles, ranging from imported popular music, afro-fusion and benga music to traditional folk songs. The guitar is the most popular instrument in Kenyan music, and songs often feature intricate guitar rhythms. The most famous guitarist of the early 20th century was Fundi Konde. Other notable musicians of the 60's era include Fadhili Williams (recognized by many as the author of the hit song "Malaika" that was later re-done by Miriam Makeba and Boney M) and Daudi Kabaka. Popular music in the 80's and 90's could be divided into two genres: the Swahili sound and the Congolese sound. There are varying regional styles, and performers often create tourist-oriented "hotel pop" that is similar to western music. Them Mushrooms later renamed Uyoga was one of the popular groups in this era. In the recent past, newer varieties of modern popular music have arisen which are mostly local derivatives of the western hip-hop and rap. They include the sub-genres: "Genge" and "Kapuka" beats. This has revolutionized popular Kenyan music and created an industry dominated by the youth. Most artists affiliate themselves with a production house which serves the same function as a record company. Some popular production houses include Ogopa DJ's, Homeboyz, Mandugu Digital, Calif Records among others. Popular artists include Nameless, Redsan, Necessary Noize, Nonini, Juacali, Kleptomaniax, Longombas, Suzzanna Owiyo, Achieng' Abura etc. Their sounds run the gamut from Reggae/ Ragga, Pop, Afro-Fusion to Hip-Hop. Many Kenyan performers will mix languages in any single song, usually English, Swahili, their mother tongue or Sheng (a hybrid of Kenyan languages and English/Swahili). The industry is still evolving and there is much more to come from Kenya. |
Kenya is active in several sports, among them football (soccer), rugby, cricket and boxing. But the country is known chiefly for its dominance in cross country and road running, and middle and long-distance athletics. Kenya has regularly produced Olympic and Commonwealth Games champions in various distance events, especially in 800m, 1,500m, 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathons. Kenyan athletes continue to dominate the world of distance running, although competition from Morocco and Ethiopia has somewhat reduced this supremacy. The Marathon world record holder, Paul Tergat, and the current women's Boston Marathon champion, Catherine Ndereba, are among the best-known athletes in Kenya. Retired Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion Kipchoge Keino, who helped usher in Kenya's ongoing distance dynasty 1970s even before fellow Commonwealth champion Henry Rono's spectacular string of world record performances, is currently Kenya's most famous sportsmen. Lately, there has been controversy in Kenyan athletics circles, with the defection of a number of Kenyan athletes to represent other countries, chiefly Bahrain and Qatar. The Kenyan Ministry of Sports has tried to stop the defections, but they have continued anyway, with Bernard Lagat the latest, choosing to represent the United States. Kenya is making a name for itself in rugby. Rugby has always been popular in Kenya especially with the Annual Tusker Sevens tournament but only recently has the country began to be noticed on the international circuit. Most notable was their 15-12 win over Australia in the 2003 Hong Kong IRB Sevens tournament. Sevens is slowly on the up and, with a population of almost 30 million people, the country has a lot of talent to pick from. Kenya has also been a dominant force in ladies' volleyball within Africa, with both the clubs and the national team winning various championships in the past decade |
||||
Kenya holds one of the biggest annual drama events, the Kenya schools and colleges drama festival, in the south of Sahara. Although the government has not been very supportive of the film industry in Kenya, the country offers some of the most spectacular sceneries and can only be compared to South Africa in regard to producing some of the most talented actors and actresses on the African continent. Due to the nonchalant attitude and lack of enthusiasm exhibited by the government, the industry has remained considerably dormant whereby notable movies shot in the country have been few and far between. The most recent movie is the award winning The Constant Gardener Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. Other films shot in Kenya in the recent past include the Academy Award winning Nowhere in Africa, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and To Walk With Lions. Notable film actors from Kenya include Paul Onsongo, John Sibi Okumu and Njeri Osak. Acting for television has proved popular with the Kenyan audience. This genre of drama has been around from the 1960s when actors like Mzee Pembe and Mama Njeri graced the Kenyan television screen. Others, like Benson Wanjau and Mary Khabeele, followed later with their rib-cracking comedies presented exclusively in Kiswahili. Serious television drama was witnessed for the first time in the early 1990s with the entry of actors like Packson Ngugi and BMJ Muriithi. A new genre in the form of stand-up comedy followed with the entry of the group, 'Redikyulas', comprised of a trio of young Kenyans who specialized in political satire.They poked fun not only at the establishment but also at the then Kenyan President, Daniel Arap Moi. This was hitherto unheard of and could have led to their prosecution, or even detention without trial, had it been done in the 1980s when mimicking the head of state or exhibiting any form of political dissent was considered treasonable. |
Kenya Information: Inside
|
