RAMADHAN TSUMA

NITETEE.

Today we talk about royalty, Ramadhan Tsuma's versatility as an artist, highlighting his successful career as an actor, singer/songwriter, dancer and a poet. His notable accomplishments and his upcoming project Nitetee under Dowe Music. Ramza has been in the art industry for 3 years  professionally under  Rift theatres production.

 He has appeared in numerous successful films, playing roles such as Sultan in a musical play Aladdin a McTedEnt Production staged at Nakuru Players Theatre on 2nd and 3rd Dec 2022, he has also acted in set books such as Blossoms of the Savanna, The Pearl, Chozi la Heri, and Kigogo which he and his team performed at Langalanga high school, Njoro boys, Kirobon Boys, and Kericho High school. 

Ramadhan Tsuma is also know for his philanthropy particularly in areas of Environment where he has actively participated in climate change activisms under the community based organization  Talk to save Youth. he has on several occasions such as World Aids day facilitated the drug and substance abuse awareness program in Rvist, Kikopey Sec School, Kaptembwo, Koinange and Heshima Primary schools. One of his major work has been Talanta na Amani program spreading peace under Sarakasi Trust sponsored by the American Spaces which has seen him actively work on various projects for the betterment of the society.

His upcoming project Nitetee set to be released soon is a simple and melodic song that express a deep sense of humility and gratitude with a focus on creating a peaceful and meditative atmosphere. 

The Executive Director  McTed Entertainment, Jacob Endurance simply describes Ramza as not just a simple entertainer but also a true artist who uses art to spread love and encourage diversity and unity through his music. He inspires other artists to grow in the right direction.

Published by Mercy Mitei.

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BowDown

So much is going on and it is very easy to get puffed up in the anguish and despair. However, in this song, we are reminded of the Majestic nature of the creature in making all of us. The author takes time to marvel at the creation and Christ's redemptive work at the cross. We hope you enjoy as much as your spirit is lifted. Stay safe, keep calm.

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STUDENT OF THE YEAR!

 

Optimism, hope, a longing for a brighter sun is what engulfed the whole world, perhaps even the entire universe as we counted the dragging days of 2020. You could see the empty streets mid March, thinking it would only take a few weeks then we'd be back. October, November, December 1st...11th...21st...31st curfews were still on. Thankfully, we can now say this in past tense. Even though the virus is still among us, our resilience has paid off. The cautiousness has helped us curb the menace. We are not afraid, and we shall overcome. Yes, even though we mourn the loss of loved ones, decry the loss of jobs and curse the disruption of our economy, we are standing tall to this giant, ready for a fruitful 2021 against all odds, HAPPY NEW YEAR! There are BETTER DAYS ahead!

Our physical lessons were interrupted as the students had to travel home due to restrictions. Thankfully, a few would be comfortable to continue with the virtual lessons. However, things were never the same or as thriving as we had envisioned while we were doing a post like this last year. The paradox though is that this is the year we have done more especially on the output of the Music Production as well as increasing our visibility. Our social Media handles are doing well as we get more inquiries from potential clients. For all your comments, clicks, following and support in whichever way, we want you to know that we are grateful and that you matter to us. Thank you.

Well, this post is about recognizing our outstanding student. The disclaimer is that all our students are always great, and for this year, they formed a great support team through their hard-work the zeal to know more, submitting assignments despite the challenges we experienced. Below is a conversation we had with our Student of the year, Tina Kasia- an accountant by profession.

Which Instrument did you learn?

Tina: Guitar

Why did you choose the above instrument?

Tina: A general interest. Sounds great.

How did you come to choose DMA?

Tina: I found the lessons to be ideal and class schedules are very flexible.

What can you say about our mode of instruction?

Tina: Professional and friendly.

Were your expectations met? 

Tina: Yes

Explain

Tina: I had been longing to play the guitar from a professional point of view. The training has aligned my skill.

Share any general comments for our readers

Tina: The instructor is very professional and has a yearning to teach. Makes you feel comfortable.

 

We applaud Tina for the award, and we'll be glad to give her a full set of new acoustic strings plus a guitar cable upon her certification.

As the new  unfolds, remember that you're never alone. We'll be here bringing you great tunes, fabulous lessons, inspirational stories as well as leadership captions. WE ARE TOGETHER IN THIS!!

 

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O COME_BEST COVER SAXOPHONE & GUITAR(PLANET SHAKERS)_ STEVIE & DOUGLAS

If you can access this link, then we all have a reason to give thanks. The year has been tempestuous, tedious and disturbing with unprecedented calamities. It is that year that we however, have come to learn what matters most, life. We hope you enjoy this Saxophone and Guitar cover by Douglas and Stevie from Dowe Music &Arts as arranged by Planet Shakers.

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Amkeni Choir_Ewe Roho Mtakatifu Lyrics

Ewe roho mutakatifu, utu ongoze sisi wakristo,

Utufikishe kwenye njia iendayo kule mbinguni,

Ewe roho mutakatifu, utu ongoze sisi wakristo,

Utufikishe kwenye njia iendayo kule mbinguni,

Njia ile, ni nyembamba sana na imejaa shida nyinga,

Alikuja Yesu mwokozi kutufikisha kwenye uzima,

Njia hii, ni nyembamba sana na imejaa shida nyinga,

Alikuja Yesu mwokozi kutufikisha kwenye uzima,

Imejaa shida na hofu, mbele yake ni mwana wa nungu,

Hivyo ndivyo alisema malaika, Mwana wa mungu,

Imejaa shida na hofu, mbele yake ni mwana wa nungu,

Hivyo ndivyo alisema malaika, Mwana wa mungu,

Njia ile, ni nyembamba sana na imejaa shida nyingi,

Alikuja Yesu mwokozi kutufikisha kwenye uzima,

Njia hii, ni nyembamba sana na imejaa shida nyingi,

Alikuja Yesu mwokozi kutufikisha kwenye uzima,

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Last week ended well with performance from Douglas, the CEO Dowe Music & Arts performing at the 2^nd Youth Symposium on Devolution. The conference dubbed, “Putting Youth at the Center of Devolution” saw young people from across Kenya and with diverse backgrounds learn a lot on matters governance.

 Ms. Caren Wakoli, the founder of Emerging Leaders Foundation emphasized the need for Kenyans to reconsider strengthening the family bond as a move towards sound leadership. She decried the erosion of morality in society and encouraged youths to go for value based systems rather than circumstantial decision making that influences Africa’s Constitutional Amendments.

Hon. Eugene Wamalwa, the CS for Devolution enlightened the youths about their rights within the counties and the country at large. He stressed the issue of citizens putting leaders on the spotlight with regards to the responsibility given during and after the elections.

All in all, it was a wonderful two day occasion with everyone pledging to move from just being sounding bells but being the real voice of change in a tag named: From Noise to Voice. The songs Say No To Poor Leadership and Carry On Africa graced the occasion leaving the participants with something to ponder. Here is what the event hosts talked about the performance. Authentic Music Appraised

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Lead Where You Are

What comes into your mind when you here the word Leadership? For many, it’s a figure of someone in a top position privileges, capable of issuing commands and one who stands aloof from the common man. They imagine of a commander, and the ones being led as subjects. This, however, is not the case for youths in Nakuru county. Last week the 2^nd of May 2019, we had a great event at the Kenya National Library as our Art4Leadership Episode II of the year. If you are just reading this blog for the first time, this is musical concert in which we invite professional speakers from various spectra of life to inspire youths towards positive social change. In January, we tackled a topic on Education for peace where our guest speaker was Mr. Winnie Machila, the Head Teacher at Milimani Primary School. You can read about the event here: African Dream

Joseck Addressing Youths

The facilitators for the last week’s event were Mr. Joseck Olala a YALI Alumnus and ICT Officer at the Nakuru Knls and Dowe Music & Arts director, Mr. Douglas Ogutu. The eagerness in the faces of the youths and their timely attendance as well as their abundance is enough to tell you that young people long for a better Kenya, if not Africa at large. The event, themed “LEAD WHERE YOU ARE: The Africa We Want” was graced by Dowe Music Band with the main song being “The African Dream.” This song is not only easy to sing a long but thought provoking through it’s proactive message. Written in the first person, listening to or sing this tune especially the chorus challenges one to reflect on one’s actions and pledge to do what is right. Here are the words of the chorus in Swahili:

Nitatenda mema (I will do what is good)

Nitahesabika (I’ll stand to be counted)

Eh Mungu wangu (Oh My God)

Nisaidie (Help me out)

One can see from this words that the listener is being called to action. The call is for one to shift the paradigm from just delegating responsibility to those in positions of power but realize we all have a role.This tied in so well with the messages from the Speakers. Youths were taught on the effects of poor governance and shown the benefits of sound governance. It was made clear that our actions for or not voting directly affect our lives since governance holds all sectors of livelihoods be it health, economy, infrastructure, education etc. 

Youths participating in the discussion

Mr. Olala reminded the youths that the constitution gives them a right to public participation, questioning actions of the elected leaders as well as demanding that they deliver what they promised. He emphasized that we all must in one accord Say no to PoorLeadership in word and action.

 The second speaker, Mr. Ogutu talked about Servant Leadership. He enlisted qualities of a good leader as expressed in the image below from his presentation. Of the 7 characteristics, “Self-Awareness” came out as the most critical.

“When you get a position to lead, you give the people a chance to know you. They can relate with you easily if they have no difficulty understanding who you are. It becomes a tragedy when you don’t know yourself in the first place,” He said. From the discussions with the attendees, it became clear that poor leadership spearheaded by corruption in Africa is an enormous problem to even think of tackling it. However, they all agreed that it is not impossible. They pledged to be “bold enough to fight patiently even if we ourselves don’t live to see the fruits.”

One of them said, “We have to develop a long-term strategy, not limiting ourselves to election time periods.” It was Impressive seeing such a discourse led by youths themselves. Indeed, it is noble to fight for something that will outlive you. Thank you for taking time to read and hopefully this will spark hope and a desire for a greater Africa than we have now. To listen to the recorded version of the theme song of the day click this link.African Dream

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How Much is a Guitar?

Retrived from Aruna Musical Store

"Hello sir, I want to buy a guitar, I was wondering if you can help me choose the best..." This is the message I hear quite often from guitar lovers ranging from admirers, beginners, amateurs to experienced players. My first question has always been, "What do you want to use it for?" In this post, we'll look at recommendations of the ranges that you can consider before purchasing a guitar. Disclaimer, when it comes to prices, you are free to do as your pocket allows but if you're like me as in you like counting every single coin and ensuring none goes to waste, this post will help you. I will categorize the prices basing on the levels of guitar players:

Admirer's Guitar 

Souvenir Guitars
Image c/o shutterstock.com

Just like we have people who love watching the Rugby sport but cannot stand the imagination of injuries the players go through leave alone playing the game itself, the guitar has more admirers in the world than aspiring players. In this category, the features of the instrument are more aesthetic than musical. The user goes for color, shape and the general appearance as opposed to sound quality. 

Have you ever visited a friend and found a guitar hanging on a wall and you know very well they can't even tell how many strings the guitar has? Well, that is what am talking about. Most of these are usually souvenirs for birthdays, anniversaries of some sort and so forth. If you plan to buy such, I bet the smaller the size the better. Budgeting from $50 (Ksh. 5000)  can get you a good colored guitar. You don't have to worry about which musical shop to get it. Supermarkets all over the place can sort you out. One more thing, the brand doesn't matter as long as you got the right color for the occasion.

Beginner's Guitar
You have been searching for a music tutor for long and someone just hinted to you about Dowe Music and Arts and how their trainers handle students with utmost excellence and expertise not to mention respect. After a tune or two they showcase you get convinced that you should give it a shot but you must buy the guitar first. Which way to go? There is a wide range of acoustic guitars that you can get from the market. By acoustic I mean those that don't have Pre-amps to connect to a PA system. At this stage, you want to focus on ensuring you have a good grip of the guitar itself. Trying to play on PA at this stage will horrify not only whoever cares to listen but yourself as well. So, let's begin where we are. What is our budget recommendation? $80 (Ksh. 8,000) and above will solve your current problem friend.

Acoustic Guitar
Image c/o melbournemusiccenter.com.au

Amateur's Guitar

Guitar with pick-up Image c/o ebay.com

This belongs to people who have been playing the guitar for say two years (notice I said playing not owning). Chances are they have started having a clear picture of the notes on the fret-board and are not slaves of the Capo. I mean, they use it when they want and not as an escape from the barre chords. Though not  yet veryclear, they can a tleast discover the key in which a song is being played and can tune a guitar without dependance on electronic tuners. They own the above Beginners guitar. 

 If the above guitar is in good condition, get a gadget called Pick-up and mount it on the guitar just near the sound box opening. The pick-up acts as a pre-amp for converting analog signals from the guitar strings to digital to be sent to the PA. This should cost between $20-50 (Ksh. 2,000-5,000) inclusive of a cable say five meters long.

Semi-Acoustic Guitar
Image c/o audiomart.co.za

Alternatively, one can decide to buy a semi-acoustic guitar. At this stage, chances are that the player still has little or no gigs at all to enable them purchase a higher quality guitar. This means you have to outsource money elsewhere. Most people on such a lean budget as I was then decide to sell the beginners guitar (of course at a lower price than they bought) and top up the savings to buy a semi-acoustic guitar. Where are we at? Now that you've began to enjoy your own guitar playing, it's time to let the world feel a taste. Your budget needs to upgrade to something like $150 (Ksh. 15000). At this point we start mentioning brands like Yamaha, Fender. Sadly though, you may only afford the Gibsons which has some good invigorating sound vibrations.

Professional Guitar

Yamaha SA2200 Semi Acoustic Guitar
Image c/o rimmermusic.co.uk

We call you a professional guitarist because you are no longer confused with the music theory rules/rudiments. In fact, you are outgrowing them to a point where their boundaries make sense but not enough to limit your exploitative fingers. You bend a few like using a Major Chords where your teacher said you shouldn't. Yes, you can run a number of scales beautifully to any given song or create a chord pattern given just a monotonic melody. The point is, you find no problem understanding this paragraph.

Unfortunately, sometimes you may reach this level but your pocket is still at the admirer's level. I once attended a christian mission where we were amazed that there were three old acoustic guitars but the players distinguished them as Lead, semi-acoustic and Bass. In essence, for a professional guitarist, you can turn any of the above into what you want. However, some audiences are very judgmental. You don't want to lose your show just because of your stinginess. Get a good guitar, with a guitar case that takes care of the instrument well. You should be ready to spend $300 (Ksh. 30,000) and above for the guitar alone while the case chops $30-100(Ksh.3000-10,000) depending on whether you want a bag or a wooded/metallic case.

Electric Guitarists

Lead Guitar Image c/o jiji.nj

Bass Guitar
Image c/o stagefrontmusic.co.au

These are majorly the bass and lead guitars. There are also acoustic electric guitars. For these, we not only mention Yamaha, Gibsons and/or Fender, rather, we work ourselves out to purchasing them since our ears have precision to understand what sound we want. Budget? Anything less than $200 (Ksh. 20,000) will not serve you for a desirable duration. Remember, the reason I have placed this category here is that the players are assumed to have basic music theory and have good musical ears. It will be a bit problematic to learn these if you don't have the basics. However, nothing is impossible in this world. Also, these guitars come with the budget of a PA system. So unless you are buying for a church/band which already has the PA, realize that your budget can not be any less than $50(Ksh. 50,000).

Conclusion
  As stated earlier, sometimes it is your pocket that speaks for you. However, as you can see, you can not start from the last to the first. Life itself doesn't work that way. Even if it does, no one wishes it does. Hopefully, this post will help you in purchasing your next guitar.

The writer is 

a guitar trainer at 

Dowe Music & Arts

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Youths on The Frontline: UNODC Kenya

Mrs. Pamela Mutembei, Head of Business and Marketing,
Credit Bank awards Dowe Music &Arts

A rare opportunity it was to represent Nakuru County, YALI Network as well as DoweMusic & Arts in the United Nations on Drugs and Crime initiative targeting the youths in Kenya. The conference, themed as NATIONAL YOUTH WORKSHOP ON GOOD GOVERNANCE, INTEGRITY AND ANTICORRUPTION took place between 5-7^th December 2018. I must confess that this is a spectacular move by the UN organizations and must needs not stop. 250 young people were selected from a pool of 2000 aspirants to spearhead the unanimous resolve of embracing good governance and saying no to corruption, a menace that has eaten up Kenya so bad that it is still classified as an underdeveloped country.

Nairobi Governor (Left) Arriving

We have always stated in our Art4Leadership Events that the youths have all it takes to course positive change that will last not only in Africa but the world at large. It was a great honor to meet young people who organized this event led by Ms. Wambui Kahara. Throughout the event, one could only admire as well as get inspired by the synergy, unction and the zeal exhibited by the young leaders as they ran up and down to ensure that the delegates had a conducive environment. ‘Life' between the UN setting and the choice hotels was amazing as the participants interacted freely, aired their opinions and provided valuable feedback whenever required to.

Dignitaries, including Nairobi’s Governor Mr. Sonko applauded the youths for their efforts. His testimony on the past criminal life was moving and at the same time motivational. He reminded the youths thus:

Your past should not dictate your future.

Madam Charity Kagwi, an expert on matters Criminal Justice shocked us with statistics on the number of youths in jail. Isn’t it a concern that 68.5% of the cell occupants are 35 years below of age? Isn’t it even more disturbing that the youths are leading in the population of drunkards and a rendered-useless populace generation? Who shall save us if not our own resolve? The point is, we as the young people have the energy to say no to vices. We have the drive to channel our energies in the right direction. We cannot rely on the passing generation entirely anymore since some of them could even be worse. We are the hope of our time. Let us arise. Now is the time, what are you waiting for?

Mrs. Charity Kagwi, On Urban Crime and Criminal Justice

Being an artiste, I must say it was impressive of the organizers for the opportunities they gave musicians, poets and visual artistes to teach the youths. Teardrop made it clear that most of the spaces we see labeled as CORRUPTION FREE ZONES are in fact Corruption FEE Zones. As J.F. Kennedy would put it, an artiste’s work is the lens through which the society can see itself. One can quickly recall Sauti Sol’s Tujiangalie vis a vis the current scandals in Kenya. This begs the question, what do you listen out for in Music, a drawing or a poem? We were also happy to wrap the session with the celebrated songbird WAHU who led us in Eric Wainaina’s Daima Mkenya before public demand dictated that she does her Sweet Love tune. I mentioned the other day that artistes are not just empty shells. They are reliable people that can give counsel to the society. This is what Juliani did. His message was clear that we have to go beyond eloquence and academic accomplishments to provoke change. We must get tired of the norm! The same message would be echoed later by a another artiste in the paint world, Mr. Mukabwa.

Since I hadn’t asked prior to the conference as to whether i would perform, there was no way I’d be slotted in the program because I was just a delegate, known by none as an artiste. However, attire will always tell, especially accompanied by a guitar or violin. One of the correspondences, Mr. Timothy asked me whether I’d play during the conference. I’m sure you know the answer.  Well, thanks to fellow YALI Alumni from Nakuru and cohort 28 who joined me at Trade Mark Hotel on the second night. 

With time, we had a crowd singing to some of the compositions like Say No to Poor Leadership, Mimi Na Wewe and Carry On. Out of nowhere, someone spotted Hon. Amb. (Dr.) Amina, Cabinet Secretary for Education. She joined us listening to the message we put across about the resolve to cause relevant change in Africa. The following day is when I got an opportunity to sing the same song to 130 youths tackling Urban Crime and Criminal Justice.

By mid-morning Friday, the framework document we had been working on was ready for presentation to the UN and the Government. This is a sign that we have sensible youths in this country. News about appointment of a 91-year-old in a board kept disturbing the youthful champions. The president’s remark on the same however taught me something. We both hate each other; the youth and the elderly. No one trusts the other. This must stop. As much as there are errand boys and girls in here, we only remain naive if we box everyone in the same basket of rotten eggs. Conversely, the fact that we have senseless and foolish old chaps in this country does not invalidate the existence of wise, considerate and reliable old folks, regardless of their age. For a mutual coexistence, the elderly and the youths must create an ecosystem of trusting each other. Seeking to understand the other party is the antidote to the many fights that this world continues to experience.

Mr. Peter Moll Presenting the youths' resolutions

I was not prepared for the Recognition of Dowe Music &Arts by Credit Bank. I remember applying for the $500 grant shortly after completing a course from YALI dubbed Fundamentals of Grant Writing. You can access the course by clicking here The lecturer had quoted the famous line:

One must have written close to 15 applications to win the first one. 

This was my third. I didn’t qualify for the Google Impact challenge, and I am waiting for results for the second one. Besides the boost from the funds, I wish to let Credit Bank and the UN to know what the recognition meant to us at Dowe Music & Arts:

•     We are doing something positive in the society
•    Someone is always watching, keep doing what you were meant to do
•   The only shortcut to success is determination for she never stoops

My heartfelt gratitude goes to the ALMIGHTY GOD. YALI NETWORK, UNDOC, CREDIT BANK and DOWE MUSIC &ARTS Team.

The writer is the founding director;

Dowe Music & Arts

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WHY MUSIC? Demystifying the Narrative around Music & Arts

Pacifique and Douglas guitar duet

Douglas, delivering his speech

Proactively engaging with the members of Swahili Students Association of Kenyatta University was empowering as they expressed their fierce passions and noble aspirations. A section of YALI Cohort 28 participants had an impactful evening with these aspiring young leaders to motivate them. The interactive Swahili Forum undoubtedly became a fruitful avenue of positively impacting and extensive knowledge sharing along with it naturally entertaining.

In a society where music is typically seen a mere hobby or at most a lesser career, Douglas Ogutu, the Founder of Dowe Music and Arts incorporates a whole innovative approach. Quitting his full-time job to venture in music and nurturing young talents has been a revelation to him. Zeal and determination are his assets, and that’s just a story for another day.

During his articulate speech to the Swahili enthusiasts, Douglas emphasized more of looking deeper into one’s abilities and talents. The soul thing that one has always wanted to do, the inner calling that one will always come to terms with.

"Think of that passionate thing you love to do, that activity that you love the most, discover your purpose and act on it in the best way you can to even impact other people," he urged earnestly. He was even more articulate on the importance of using talents and passions to impact the community and people around you.

As much as music is something that cannot be segregated from our lives, the normality of it being a mediocre venture is still in the atmosphere. Combating the negative perception was therefore evident from the young crowd of the Students fraternity.

Having a talk with some of the cohort 28 YALI participants, their ideals about music are so positive. Seeing young African changemakers display the zeal to learn more about music and even get curious and interested to perform on numerous musical instruments is fascinating!

Barbra, a participant from Uganda resonates with music as a way of inspiring her thought process and mind relaxation.
“I don't think I can work without music in the background. It relaxes my mind," She comments.

Speaking to a few participants, music is a huge source of motivation to them. It brings life, joy and fun. As much as it is a source of entertainment for some it is a stress reliever, mind relaxing pill, speaks to their situations and so forth. Wacuka (Team Leader, Jenga Vijana Initiative) for example, prefers to listen to jazz and soul music on tired evenings to simmer the otherwise heated atmosphere of daily chores.

Theophile, a young man from Rwanda pulls his headphones after a long day of Design Thinking and Entrepreneural challenges. He says, “I wonder what drug makes up music, in fact, I think, music is in itself a drug.” Probing him further reveals how music helps him balance his whole being from the physical, spiritual as well as emotional life. A substantial percentage of the Yali participants enjoy the incorporation of music into the learning lessons. For most of them, it is sort of an energizer that makes different sessions fun and enjoyable.  It brings relaxation, they say; that of self-reflection especially when coming up with ideas in mind blowing activities.
In this season at the East Africa Regional Center, Dowe Music becomes an umbrella of inspiration in YALI by bringing in different participants to engage in musical activities. Most evenings are spiced up as the students get entertained to various tunes such as the sweet swahili romance melody ‘Malaika’ by Fadhili Williams.

The session which was majorly about how the lovers of Swahili language can be proactive leaders brought in a major twist that blended with the music, discussions and information sharing. Thanks to the two major speakers William Malega-Tanzania and Douglas who brought the message home in the best articulate manner possible. For visitors from other countries, the session was more about learning a term or two in Swahili.

Cohort 28 played the part of encouraging these youthful students to even reach more noble heights. In whatever field they stand in, they learnt, building up on it is the most significant thing. Language represents art, so is music and any other form of creative talent. Discovering that a number of these students had these abilities was an avenue to let them realize their potential.

Spreading the message of change and fighting the status quo was carried forward hoping to reach more youths. Douglas Ogutu is a valid living definition of Music as a professional career investment and a hope to other young people who would want to achieve their dreams. My takeaway home note is,

“You can create a sustainable career in almost anything you do, depending on your approach and perspective.”

Dear reader, I hope you will not be the next individual killing another person's dream just because they prefer music to engineering or dancing to architecture. Remember there is so much to explore. Let it!

From Left: Lelei, Anita,Wacuka and Pacifique(Rwanda)

Students listening actively

Douglas Leading students in the East African Anthem

N/B: All photo credits to Ruth Lelei, cohort28

The writer of this post, Anita, is a YALI RLCEA Cohort 28 member and a violin student at DoweMusic &Arts.

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YALI RLC East Africa Cohort 28: Hub of Inspiration

A section of Cohort 28 at Karen Shopping Center, during the cleanup on 22nd, 09, 2018

It’s only one week since the program began yet every participant has a bunch of stories, inspirational quotes, memories and moments to share. Well, when I started applying for the training, I was somewhat timid and unsure if the “serious-academic-like” program had any space for a musician like me. I remember at one point I just discarded my application and gave it a break till this year. 

The motivation came from the fact that in February, I was called for an interview for the Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF, 2018). It was so influential that the regret letter that followed the interview didn’t deter me from anything worth trying. I will stop the description right here and just talk about Yali-Rlc EA, Cohort 28.

We arrived on Sunday 16^th and as usual I had beside my bag a violin and a guitar. Truth is, it always feels awkward when you imagine no one else will be carrying the “unnecessary” stuff that lag you. However, having some little knowledge in Swahili, I usually cling to the proverb mficha uchi hazai which means one can not beget a child if one conceals one’s nakedness. Since music is my profession, it’s my land and my economy, I dare not leave the tools of trade behind whatever the circumstances. My roommate, Mr. Desire (please pronounce in French) from Burundi arrived at 11.00pm, after I had finished my practice, that meant any discussion about the presence of music gadgets would be the following day.

The following day we had a whole day of orientation and this is where I began feeling home even though the rooms seemed small for a musical performance. Thankfully, and unbeknownst to me, my needs were catered for. This was not only an academic center, but also a holistic center where brilliance was understood not to be limited to papers and theories. Well, we got a little scared by one Mr. Imran, the head of admissions but I remembered campus life. Whatever face he put on was matching his job.

Mr. Francis led the orientation in the most effective way and when he announced that we’d leave Kenyatta University for Bracken Hurst Hotel, I recalled his friendliness and reached.

“Hello sir…, I came with my guitar and I’d like to carry it with me because I can’t stay two days without practicing,” I said, eyes full of hope and my face brimming. 

Whether it was for the presumption for him or the excitement of making it here I can’t tell. I just recall him saying,

“Sure, no problem.”

Bracken Hurst presented wonderful bonding sessions that helped us know one another before engaging in class work. As young people, we made friends quickly as it took just the first tea break to see small groups emerging and of course teams of pairs; I mean, ladies and gentlemen. The first exercise reminded me of the series ‘QUANTICO.’ We were told to find out from minimally five people various aspects of life. Two people came to me and asked me a question which I guess it was because they had seen me with a guitar. They forund out that I have no problem singing before people. That being my daily hope, what followed broadcast my passion to the whole team.

 Mr. Robinson from Uganda was the first one to finish the assignment. He read out my name and when the facilitator noted the characteristic, he asked me to prove. That’s when I recalled that we had left our luggage outside. He then pointed me to a grand piano on his right hand side! This was way beyond my expectation. We all know that such moments are never to be wasted. I went and introduce my song, SAY NO TO POOR LEADERSHIP. Since the lyrics are easy to follow, one minute was enough for the whole hall to be warmed up by the chorus.

I must say that the short presentation earned me friends (of course by God’s grace). Thereafter, there was a group of five to eight young people around the piano together with Chrispin a fellow Kenyan who had come with his guitar. We sang a few hymns and pop songs before I taught them what I called Stand for Change (YALI THEME). I started composing this song as soon as I got a congratulatory message from the admission desk, a month before. The chorus can be sung in English, Swahili and French and I just loved how the youths grasped and appreciated the lines.

The High ropes activities deepened our budding bonds the more as we learned the essence of trust, team work and the importance of daring to risk. I must admit this was something I had never tried and it was somewhat scary but eventually everyone pulled through. The last day at the hotel began with an exercise to solve an African problem. Our team, The lions had a skit, poem and a song which tackled illiteracy in Africa. Just to let you know, the song was composed within twenty minutes by a section of the team and the end f our presentation was not without everyone on their feet, dancing and singing thus:

We are the agents of a better Africa,

Educated Africa

The week ended on a pick as we learned the essence of an Inclusive society. The teaching on selflessness is never an easy one. However, the team must be applauded for the way the whole program is tailored to ensure everyone understands. On Friday, a challenge from Riara University was presented to us in our various groups. The day was a bit long as we took time to pitch ideas.

On Saturday, we were invited to participate in a clean up exercise at Karen shopping center which we did cheerfully. On the way to and from Karen, I couldn’t get mind of my new album called Ubuntu.

 The aim for this is to sensitize the society to go back to the basics of being human. We love technology and yes, it is very important. Even so, I am sure that I am not the only one under pressure to ignore the people around me while laughing with others I might never see overseas. Ubuntu is about Africa, love, community development and letting youths know that no one will create it for us.

As I reflected, I recalled the session on Social Inclusion by Mr. Moses Okumu. He emphasized the point that humanity comes first before we are anything else and that we are the ones responsible for the change we want.

 I hope my fellow leaders didn’t find it weird that I took a lone seat both ways. The result of that is a tune that I think is beautiful and educative as well as entertaining. In filling up my Ubuntu Album, I had the concepts, but I must admit, that for this song, it was not until this weekend that it came out. I’m so grateful that it comes out in the presence of leaders from East and Central Africa. God willing, Africa shall get the point home soon. You can get the song on YouTube by clicking Mimi na Wewe (Africa is Waiting for Us). The following people are highly appreciated for accepting to do the draft with me till 10:00Pm:

Stay tuned especially for the next three weeks. Lots of fun coming your way!

Ruth Lelei : Vocalist_Kenya

Tushabe Immaculate: Vocalist_Uganda

Chrispine Bosire: Vocalist/Guitarist_ Kenya

Josue Sincre: Vocalist/Video recorder_ Rwanda

Joseph Jinju: IT Support @ Dowe Music & Arts_Kenya

The writer is the founder of Dowemusic &Arts

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Art4Leadership Season III: Empowered To Empower

DoweMusic junior students.
From left: Kyle, Sonia and Scott

August 24, 2018 goes into the records of Dowe Music & Arts as one of the important days on which an Art4Leadership event was organized. We can never be thankful enough for the Kenya National Library Services in conjunction with The American Corner for availing the ample and efficient space. 

The theme for the day was “Empowered to Empower” where more than fifty young people discussed the importance of giving back to the society. The outstanding fact was that one is never too poor to offer a helping hand. 

The youths were challenged not to wait until they are well endowed resource-wise for them to consider empowering others. From a discussion that sought to find out what unique ability distinguished each one of them from the other, the message that at least everyone in the world has something they can do better than others was driven home.

The event was spiced up by Dowe Music & Arts junior students performing with guitars. The speaker of the day, who is also the director of the initiative, joined them with his violin accompanied on piano by the Academy's admin Ms. Mwihaki a.k.a Michieygial. 

This was an event which also saw children from New Life Home Trust attending. Even though they had come to see one of their own, Sonia performing, the children were lively and some shocked the whole group by the way they participated actively in the discussions. Two of these, Oliver Daima and Judy Bahati became darlings of the whole team due to their boldness and eloquence. When asked about what she had learned, Judy calmly responded, "How to love people!" Led by Mr. Daniel Omitto , Adminstrative assistant, the group is a lively time one wishes to stay around them, all the time.

Towards the end, YALI Alumni gave short speeches sensitizing the youths about the need to join the network as well as giving tips on the just opened application for cohort 31 and 32. If you are interested in applying, click here. Take a look at the photos below to get the  gist of the event as you plan to attend upcoming events.

 Applications for Cohort 31 and 32 is now open. Apply!

Youths from Nakuru Listening actively 

Judy Bahati from New Life Group
 responding to a recap question

YALI Alumni Kate Cheptoo on how to 
apply for YALI RLC opportunity

YALI Alumni Amdany enlightening youths

YALI Alumni Oliver Jemuge on how to join YALI Network

Music performance by DoweMusic Team

From Left: YALI Alumni Oliver J.,
New Life Group child Oliver Daima and
MLM Consultant Oliver Kibet

Oliver Kibet Pitching his idea

Young Oliver presenting a song

Ms Mwihaki,
DoweMusic &Arts admin
 rehearsing for the event

The author is the founding director of Dowe Music &Arts and the frontier of Art4Leadership

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