YES MOMBASA: Dowe Music Band at the Coast

Dowe Music Band arrives at Mombasa Terminus

The weekend started with a wonderful journey on Friday 8, February 2019 from Nakuru to Mombasa. A team of four, (two gents and two ladies) had been preparing for the Entrepreneurship Summit organized by the YouthEmpowerment Program Initiative (YEPI) for about a month. Tasked with a duty as the guest artists, the team under the leadership of the director knew this was an event to put their best foot forward. From the feedback after the event, you can be sure, they never went wrong.

Mr. Amani (Center), CEO, YEPI

The two nights were spent at Garden Park hotel while the event took place at Sai Rock Beach Hotel. Upon arrival, the team made sure that the clients at Garden Park had a snippet of what was in their package. Little did they know that they would be needed the following day due to public demand. However, this couldn’t work as the main occasion of the weekend ended almost midnight and the songbirds had an early train to catch up with.

Late Night Performance at the Dinner, Sai Rock Hotel 

We must applaud Mr. Amani Katana, the CEO of YEPI together with his team for the transformative work they are performing at the coast. This is one among the many young people who are on cause to transform Africa. Looking at the invited speakers, the idea pitching competition, panelists and the whole meticulous organization of the event, one would think this was a foreign company with fifty years of existence in Kenya. On the contrary, YEPI have embraced the art of collaboration, team work and synergy. This is a big lesson to all of us, especially the youths who have grown up with a competing attitude. Leveraging on others’ strength makes one formidable. A force to reckon with.

From Left: Douglas, Mitchelle, Juliana and Antony

Dowe Music Band was on stage starting with a performance from Asa’s beautiful tune ‘Jailer.’ As the audience seemed to settle, the sizzling violin tune on ‘You Raise Me Up’ arrested every one as if to command them to pay attention. This was followed by Eric Wainaina’s Daima Mkenya in which the violin leads the verse while the singers take on the chorus.

In what seemed as a fresh reminder of the recently departed hero Mr. Oliver Mtukudzi, his international tune Todii engulfed the audience as they could resonate with the guitar plucking and the organized vocals. 

Ms. Mitchelle and Douglas on Jailer

You could see from the audience that the worth of a man is actually in his work, which lives on even after he leaves the earth. The team then sang Siteketei with the energy that the siong commands of any performer. The MC, known as Mr. Good Stuff signaled the team to do the last piece. No other tune does the curtain raising better than No To Poor Leadership and own composition that gets everyone singing along or better still nodding in agreement with it’s simple but provocative message.

The various speakers challenged young people to rise up and be on course. One, Ms. Carol Odera, MWF2018, Tony Elumelu Fellow and a Yali RLC Alumnus reminded the young entrepreneurs that Financial Capital is important but its not the main reason people fail to start businesses. One must invest in knowledge search.

During the tea break, the hall was jammed with cool live Jazz performed by Mr. Ogutu. The guitar was on point and it sort of reminded people that this is February, a month of love. With his favorite phrase Babu Kanambia ( Grandpa told me), sipping coffe has never been easy and fun than at the time whenyou hear words of widom fused in tunes made of guitar strings. One of the Idea Pitching Judges would later say, “Wow, I loved the Guitar plucking.” Mrs. Julie Mwinyi is a business Coach at the YALI RLC, East Africa Region and an MWF alumni.

Douglas, Solo Jazz Performance

The pitching competition premiered five participants in which the winner will receive $1000 (Ksh. 100, 000) to boost the initiative. The top three entrepreneurs will get a one year mentorship program from Hazina Trust Organization which is one of the partners with YEPI. Moving forward, we can only say that such activities should be encouraged and if our leaders are looking for youths to support ( as the claim has always been), then it’s time they acted on their quest. We shall do it even if they don’t showp though.

Team at the Terminus

In conclusion, we are grateful to the YEPI fraternity for inviting Dowe Music & Arts the opportunity to entertain the guests. We look forward to bigger engagements and call out to any other organizations to emulate the same. Our music is live and authentic, relevant and least to say sound. Doesn’t our tagline command us so? It reads, Dowe Music & Arts: RIDING ON EXCELLENCE!

The writer is the founder of Dowe Music &  Arts