Tune Your Guitar in Less than one Minute

Africa Impact Movement: A Day at Deloitte East Africa

A section of Participants with the facilitators at the close of the training

You have probably heard of this saying: your network is your net-worth. It has been a great Day at Deloitte the Place in Nairobi Kenya. The company has a great focus on the development of Africa and has put in strategies to ensure that this is not just a mere dream.

Truth be told, I wouldn't have gotten the invite for Africa Impact Movement Day were it not for the connection from Yali Network. The email which had a deadline of one day helped me look into the books of accounts for my business. Among the qualifications was a demonstration that one has a registered business whose returns can be verified.

The training targeted startups with an aim of equipping the young entrepreneurs on matters Strategic planning. Mr. Alex Murage, one of the facilitators challenged us with this truth:

Millions of people are thinking about the same thing you are planning to do. What matters is the Speed of Excecution. 

There was an emphasis thoughout the day on the need for good time management in order to achieve success. If things seem not to work say because of change in the environment, one has to embrace agility; the ability to innovate and work around the new status quo instead of just giving up.

The TechTeam (known as TAS) served a great eye opener to me specifically on how to leverage on the invaluable IT tools  to ensure security as well as the smooth running of business. The fact that such a successful company has a program to help young people rise up at the right speed speaks volumes on the progress of our continent and it is high time we the youths open our eyes. As stated in our earlier blogs, Dowe Music &Arts is not just about learning musical notes, tones, sentence structure and semantics, we are all about Art4Leadership and that is why we won't let go such opportunities to help spread the word that Africa is indeed on the right course.

As it is with farmers, I never imagine leaving my tools of trade. It was an honor giving an ice breaker of a violin tune before the afternoon session. I am greatful to the Mc of the day, Ms. Halima. This was a great opportunity to meet with Yali Alumni from other cohorts such as Nicodemus cH16, Kevins cH11 (MWF2017) and Lydiah cH1( TAS facilitator), Malik cH27 as well as James Kinuthia from cH28.
Thank you for reading and I hope this inspires you to have a great view of Africa that you have always had.

James Kinuthia (Left) from Cohort 28

The writer is the founder of Dowe Music & Arts

There are Sensible Youths out There

Part of Inuka Njoro Youth Group with YALI ALUMNI-Nakuru

A section of Panelists

Delegates from Nakuru

Unruly, careless, sexually hypersensitive, unstable, unfocused and confused are perhaps just some of the adjectives that run in the mindset of many an old folk when asked to define who a youth is. This could explain why some cling on the wings of political power as they console the young aspirants thus: “You are the leaders of tomorrow.” Well the fact that much of the misconduct in the society is propagated by the youths can- not be gainsaid. 

However, what if the stereotype is locking up our ears and shuttering our sockets of vision to most young people who indeed have a sense of direction? What if those who err do so for lack of real mentors who are too busy amassing wealth in cartels? I am reminded of a verse by King Solomon in the Bible who said, “Better a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice…” Eccl 4:13.

It was a privilege attending Future of Food Conference 2018 organised by Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA). The invite was courtesy of OXYGENE company which is an event organizer. Are you curious about how a musician got into such an Agricultural based forum? This is how: One of my fans has been attending Art4Leadership events and discovered that despite the fact that I am a music creator, the discipline is just a tool through which I mentor youths. In other words, the concerts deal with various topics that are geared towards youths empowerment- employment and job creation.
 Secondly, I have been active in promoting agribusinesses for the larger part of this year through helping youths (majority of whom are famers) create blogs and make their work known to the world. So, if you just thought that a musician is just an empty shell or like a sounding gong for enticing the rest of the universe then I’m glad you are reading this. Some of us are deep.

Lenah Mwangi, the leader of Njoro Inuka Youth Group and an upcoming YALI Alumni (cohort 29) extended the invite which I could not give a second thought. I mean, food security is a universal matter. The event, graced by various dignitaries from the ministry of Agriculture and CEOs of renowned brands such as Mr. Vimar Shah of BIDCO Africa was very informative especially to me who is still green in matters Agroeconomics. Mr. Maina from the Transnational Bank sensitized the farmers to work from the market point of view as opposed to the farm-market traditional approach. This is the essence of design Driven Entrepreneurship, a course facilitated by YALI Network. Dr. Kalibata, the president of AGRA challenged the delegates not to stop at initiating; rather, consistency is key in everything one does.

There were quite a number of youths on the panelist table. I will mention two for the interest of your time. Ms. Marion Moon, the founder and MD of WANDA Agriculture stunned all of us with her eloquence and masteryof the topic : Women. Youth Enterprises in Corporate Supply Chain as Diverse of Agriculture-led Industrialization in Africa. Using her own story to highlight some of the challenges faced by women in the quest of attaining economic prowess, one could see that it is possible to rise against all odds. She finished her presentation with a challenge to all and sundry thus; “Do what you can, with what you have.” I quickly paraphrased this in my active brain; boy, you’ve got to start where you are.

In the same panel was Lenah Mwangi, the young vibrant leader I described above. She is a post graduate student at Egerton University pursuing Msc. Agribusiness. We would only marvel at the real success stories she narrated about her youth group. The team outsources knowledge from industry experts then disseminates it to the local farmer who would otherwise just remain in ignorance resulting in perennial poor yields. Indeed, a candle loses nothing by lighting another one. Lenah and her group are such examples of sensible youths.

Inuka Njoro Youth Group Officials: Lenah and Ciru

A midst the group was a representation of YALI Alumni Kenya, specifically, the Nakuru Chapter. It was an honor sharing this platform with my chapter chairlady, Ms. Oliver Jemuge. Her passion for entrepreneurship and youths empowerment can not be compared to anything. During our briefings with the team for the two nights, Oliver shared nuggets of wisdom in various aspects of youth leadership and general personal development. One thing that makes me hopeful about real change is interacting with youths of such calibre who use their own stories to impact change. “Guys, I have failed a number of times but that doesn’t deter me. Failure is part of the process,” she said.

Oliver Jemuge:
YALI Nakuru Chairlady

Was there music during the two days? Yes, why not? I never miss my guitar or violin, wherever I go. If worse comes to worst, thankfully, my vocals are always aligned for singing. The first night was more of catch up as some of us were total strangers. As a matter of fact, Lenah had just seen Oliver and I on the podium most of the times we facilitated events. We had never spoken in person. The following night, she asked for permission for me to use the instrument in the hotel. By the way, it is my nature to find out from the environment whether or not I am allowed to perform. Not everyone likes what you do. With the go a head, it was unbeknownst to me that the team couldn’t wait for the guitar music after our debrief. Lenah said; “Let us pray and then those who want to listen to music can remain.” The response was unanimous. Prayers would be made after the musical. This was warm. I felt honoured. That is when I realized that the song Mimi na Wewe was gaining populace. If you have been following you will recall the post “THIS IS AFRICA” which I put up a few days after composing it. My friends and I sang our hearts out upto around midnight.

During the conference, the interlude sections were lubricated by a great jazz collection by the DJs. To say that the event was pure bliss is an understatement. Isn’t it a wonder how youths come together in a short-while and just bond, doing things like they were siblings in a world before this? Our journey back to Nakuru made me experience déjà vu. I became nostalgic of one Christian Union trip from Lubinu High to Namirama Girls School (about 10 years ago) as well as an Evangelistic tour to Garsen, the coastal region of Kenya. I remember us singing on the way. 

The difference however was that in the previous expeditions I was with a group of People we often worked together. Yesterday, I was with friends from diverse denominations, majority of whom are Catholic. I continually learn that when Jesus talked of praises being in the mouth of babes, he did not mention any religion, leave a lone denominations.
My Beautifier by Chris Shalom was one of our praise tune. Check the video below.

Next time you think about a youth, remember this post. There are sensible young people out there!

The writer is the founder of Dowe Music & Arts 

and the frontier of Art4Leadership

AFLEWO NAKURU 2018 REVIEW: WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Africa Let's Worship

Back Ground Vocalists

 A few months ago, I wrote about the wonderful activities AFLEWO Nakuru Chapter was doing in the community specifically the participation in the Agricultural show. Well, in today’s post I'll be giving a review of the major event, that is, AFLEWO Night 2018 vis a vis the same in 2016. I have chosen the two since I did not attend the one in 2017 due to some other commitments. Let’s look at a few pointers:

AUDITIONS

In 2016, I attended the auditions late in May. This means we had only three months to practice more than forty songs as well as carry out community service and ministry in different churches. You have to realise that practice only happens twice or at most thrice a month. That left us with less than twenty 10 sessions of real rehearsal. For musicians reading this, you must be aware of the 10,000 hour rule. What this tells you is that unless an individual disciplined him/herself to work on the music in their closet, our ministry would be nowhere close to excellence.

Chester (Left) With part of the Nakuru Leadership

Good news! In 2018, I think the process began immediately after the set down of the previous year’s major event. Word was already on social media about AFLEWO auditions. By late March, a team had already been formed and zealous young people were ready to voluntarily serve God and the community. I must applaud the leadership under Mr. Philip Kirui and Mr. Chester Omonde. There is a Swahili saying that goes thus, ‘Siku njema huonekana asubuhi,’ meaning that one can tell the goodness of a day just by how the morning starts. When I attended the auditions, I noticed a better plan. There were tables with panelists who sought to find out how committed the aspiring ministers were. This time around, there was a table auditioning those who wanted to join the band. This to me was a sign that things                                                                         had changed for the better.

THE BAND

Pastor Josh of Mavuno Church

 and his co-Mc welcoming the congregants.

I have already indicated that there was a deliberate plan to ensure that AFLEWO 2018 had instrumentalists who were committed to working with the rest of the team up to the end. Truth be told, in most churches, band members are usually left in their own class. Seldom do the choir/worship team think about their whereabouts provided they are good at their job. When discussing simple matters such as the uniforms, the band is normally left to do it’s mix and match style- perhaps because most bands are male dominated, and the notion normally is, aesthetics don’t really matter if your tune is good. Did you attend this year’s AFLEWO Night? These pictures can tell you how maroon colour beautified LCC Deliverance church on the night of 19^th October.

Unlike the case in 2016 where there was close to no clear band practice plan, this time there was. The emphasis here was not to seclude the band from the team but just to ensure a synchronous performance by the instrumentalists. As a matter of fact, we were required to attend the rest of the sessions with the other team members. This is where I give a pat on the shoulders of Music Team Leaders- Ibrah and Rose for the wonderful facilitation. The end result was that we had the same people who had been consistently attending practice ministering in the AFLEWO Night. Again, this was a plus to the organisers. Back then, we practiced only to realize on the night that there were ‘brethren-meant-for the-job’ while some of those who had labored especially the drums, keyboard and bass guitar became spectators and part of the congregation. Being a mentor myself, I admit that this broke my heart despite the fact that I was not among the spectators. I remember raising this point to one of the officials a few days after the event. Thankfully and to the glory of God, things were different in 2018.

Baraka on Semi-Acoustic Guitar

Bass Guitarist

Jose on Lead Guitar

Douglas on Violin

Erick on Drums

Above photos: Aflewo Nakuru Page

SOUND

Thursday, 8^th 2016 was the day sound set up was to be done. I am not perfect with time but I try keeping it especially when it is something that needs my attention. This was going to be my first time in Aflewo Night. I arrived at the venue at 5pm and saw no sign of sound set up. There was a fellowship in the church on going and there after, a lady friend came around where I was. She was also a member of the team. I realized there had been a hitch in getting sound and that meant the set up would be done on Friday. I had just bought a mic for my violin and really wished to find out how good or bad it was.  Come Friday, at around 6pm, I heard a statement that I think I never wish to tell any instrumentalist performing thus; “To all instrumentalists; you have to sort yourself out. Make sure you have the right cables and test your instrument.” Well, this was not a blatant statement especially in the way it was presented- with a smile. I tried my mic through the DI Box (see the picture below) and nothing was working.

Retrieved from Guitar Center

 Every one was busy with their stuff and seemingly there was no particular reference personnel to address our frustrations to. That was going to be a long night. I tried switching from violin to guitar and that is when I realized the DI box was faulty. The only remedy was to play the violin as it was and perhaps at the mercy of the vocalist mics to pick some of the vibrations. That meant I would use effort than skill to play the violin. I could not even hear myself.

The episode at that time made me realize that I had not also prepared well. It is not just enough to practice the notes. As an instrumentalist, you have to ensure that you have the right gear. When I went for the auditions this year, I had a new mic and two cables (which are always in my bag wherever I go), just in case one fails. I remember one official saying, “I think this is a different person from the one I saw in 2016” after I presented my favorite hymn, ‘At the Cross.’ I went with the cables to the Aflewo night and as I was unwrapping, the Technician came and gave me another saying, “use this.” The feeling was fantastic. The sound was on point and I almost thought there was a fellow violinist at the mixer who gave me just the right frequency and amplitude ( a post on these terms will be coming soon) leave alone the correct reverb effect. A big thank you to the Tech team among whom is a fellow church mate at Mavuno Nakuru, Mr. Patrick Omondi of RHEMA Production Studio.

GUEST MINISTERS

Imagine attending a worship night, you are fully socked into the event then all of a sudden somewhere around 11:30 everything stops. You see chaps on the pulpit moving around with cables, someone changing the drumkit, singers leaving the stage and others come and instead of continuing with the process, you hear this, “Sound Check! One! Two! Three! Hallelujah!” The process takes whole of your forty five minutes and boom! You hear a different kind of sound altogether. There were some squeaky sounds but now no more. The new team manages to bring back the atmosphere and somehow, you get back and even beyond where you were. Time flies and you realise it is already at 5 am. Time to go. How would you describe the event? Won’t you have a tale of two nights in one whereby the first one was a rehearsal?

Above is just a description I got from a friend of mine attending AFLEWO 2016. There was an awesome team from Nairobi that came to minister with us. Well, it was great having them. However, stopping everything in the middle of the service was the undoing. Logically, even if they would arrive late, it would have been prudent to send their system earlier with a person in charge so we could have a seamless transition. The point is that however much we had brethren who just worshiped regardless of who was leading, we are psychological beings and at one point we draw conclusions from the behavior of ministers on the pulpit. That tends to affect our focus on the prime goal.

Mr Kaberia, AFLEWO founder.

There were guest ministers in AFLEWO Nakuru 2018 worship Night. One was Mr. Kaberia, the founding leader of AFLEWO. During his ministry, you could tell his passion for a Godly African continent. He related with the youths and even led a song which they could dance freely as he reminded them that Africa needs their energy. The other two guests sang with the team too and a part from the different colors of their attire, you could not tell they were visitors from Mombasa. They did not even stop to say it.

A section of youths in dance

Part of the Aflewo patronage

Godwill Babete with Guest ministers

GOING FORWARD

We all start from somewhere. I can only say that there’s a great change in the organisation’s operations and if you had stopped attending due to some of the above challenges or even something else, I am optimistic that 2019 will be even greater. Basing on the improvement, we may be required to start looking for a bigger venue. Above all, whenever attending, remember the focus, the God we worship. For those attending as ministers, do your practice diligently; however, remember, it is not so much about the song, rather, the heart of service.

LCC Deliverance Church, Nakuru

The writer of this post joined AFLEWO in 2016.

He serves as a violinist and a guitarist and

 is the founder of Dowe Music & Arts