Commentary: Changing Party Trends In Stockholm
For now, it appears as though the traditional and exclusive huge Kenyan parties at Norsborg are on the wane. Although a popular Party joint for Kenyans in Stockholm, Norsborg has had one major problem of security which every Party organizer knows too well.
In the last three Kenyan parties that were organized at Norsborg, non ended without some kind of violence. To be precise, the last Party there was on15th December last year and it ended with someone’s blood being spilled on the floor and both police and an Ambulance had to be called.
The reputation of Kenyans and violence at Norsborg is so serious that hiring Norsborg hall for a Kenyan Party has actually began to be problematic. The Kesofo Party last December that preceded the December 15th Party and which was held on December 2nd ended in violence and the Association had to part with about 3000 kr after a window was smashed to smithereens by Gambian protagonists who later disappeared into the estate.
While looking for a story for KSB, I personally participated in the big chase of the Gambians to record how the tale ended but this time round, the Gambianos were too fast for Wakenya. A small platoon of Kenyan “War veterans” that quickly congregated to apprehend the Gambians to be held to account for the mess they had done at a Kenyan Party failed to nab the bad boys and Kesofo had to pay.
Some Kenyans could be heard swearing that Kenyan Parties should be closed for non Kenyans who come late, zonked and breathing fire after they have been having a good time in Stockholm city disco points. The violence was coming in the heat of anger by Kenyans that “these foreigners” not only spoil Kenyan parties with violence but also chokoza Kenyan ladies in the very presence of Kenyan men. When they raid Kenyan parties, they don’t know anybody and instead of taking it easy, they embark on crude requests for a dance with each and every manzi they spot.
Following the violence at Kenyan parties at Norsborg, Party organizers began to have second thoughts as the Management of Norsborg also begun to look at Kenyans as “trouble makers”. For the management, it doesn’t matter who caused the violence, thwacked who or smashed windows. The bottom line is that it was a Kenyan Party and the circumstances of violence is irrelevant because police was called and they made a Report which filtered back to the management even if no arrest was made.
The problem for Party organizers then is the question of responsibility. You hire the hall claiming that it is a Kenyan Party then after violence, you turn around to the Management and claim that those who fought were not Kenyans. “They were just some stupid foreigners who came to spoil the party after they had been drinking elsewhere”, you claim but it doesn’t wash because that kinda ujuzi does not work in Sweden where the key word is “responsibility”.
There are never security guards on the door at Kenyan Parties. Organizers normally try to improvise their own local security – some big chested youth floating around and announcing to friends that he is the security at the Party. You just have to wait and the next moment, the security is inebriated so much so that instead of providing security, he is talking in tongues.
The consequence is that Kenyan Parties are moving away from Norsborg into more open and unchattered grounds. Last weekend, there was a Kenyan Party at the Redline Disco in Sätra. Although the Party was well attended, the crowd was mixed and, apart from the Kenyan music that was being boomed by Sound of Blackness that had organized the event, it was difficult to describe it as a purely Kenyan Party.
Of cause, many Kenyans were there – Marky, Mwaura, Jasper, Cathy, Clay, Dan, Susan, Otuga, Makan, Bridget, DJ Jimmy, Grace and others. Despite the Kenyan presence, you could not miss the fact that strangers (or foreigners if you like) were also well represented in a way that the Kenyan flavor of the Party somehow evaporated. Parties at Norsborg are always mixed but the Kenyan flavor never melts away and people dhianga until the summer sun rises from the North. The Sätra Party was taking place in a pub environment and some people who were at the Party were just regular customers who regard the place as their drinking hole.
Probably, this is the new trend and the way to go, a reality which might mean that Kenya-Stockholm parties as we know them are gone. You should have been at the Kenyan Party at Södra Station that was called after the 6th of June Nyama Choma in Fittja. It was deserted and by 1 am, the place was empty because it was closing time. Last week at Sätra, the place was devoid of revellers by 3 am because it was closing time.
The difference is that there was no violence at either parties and there was heavy security presence at the gates. The signals being sent by Party organizers is that due to violence and other unpredictables, it is better to settle for a neutral ground where the Management is divorced from the Disco operations in a way that those who mobilize do not take responsibility for security and other ugly incidents.
The nearest Kenyans came to having a Kenyan Party was at Märsta where Jack Joel Odhiambo was celebrating his graduation. There were strangers but one could clearly get the “Kenyan feel” of the Party.
What can be appreciated is that regardless of the difficulties that surround the Kenya-Stockholm party life at the moment, there are Kenyans who have refused to abandon attempts at maintaining the Kenya-Stockholm social life. The Sätra Party was organized by Sound of Blackness and Kenyans should continue to support the group as it struggles to bring Kenya social life in this city alive and kicking after a long period of ukamwe.
Okoth Osewe
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June 16, 2008 -
Posted by makozewe |
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Commentary: Changing Party Trends In Stockholm
For now, it appears as though the traditional and exclusive huge Kenyan parties at Norsborg are on the wane. Although a popular Party joint for Kenyans in Stockholm, Norsborg has had one major problem of security which every Party organizer knows too well.
In the last three Kenyan parties that were organized at Norsborg, non ended without some kind of violence. To be precise, the last Party there was on15th December last year and it ended with someone’s blood being spilled on the floor and both police and an Ambulance had to be called.
The reputation of Kenyans and violence at Norsborg is so serious that hiring Norsborg hall for a Kenyan Party has actually began to be problematic. The Kesofo Party last December that preceded the December 15th Party and which was held on December 2nd ended in violence and the Association had to part with about 3000 kr after a window was smashed to smithereens by Gambian protagonists who later disappeared into the estate.
While looking for a story for KSB, I personally participated in the big chase of the Gambians to record how the tale ended but this time round, the Gambianos were too fast for Wakenya. A small platoon of Kenyan “War veterans” that quickly congregated to apprehend the Gambians to be held to account for the mess they had done at a Kenyan Party failed to nab the bad boys and Kesofo had to pay.
Some Kenyans could be heard swearing that Kenyan Parties should be closed for non Kenyans who come late, zonked and breathing fire after they have been having a good time in Stockholm city disco points. The violence was coming in the heat of anger by Kenyans that “these foreigners” not only spoil Kenyan parties with violence but also chokoza Kenyan ladies in the very presence of Kenyan men. When they raid Kenyan parties, they don’t know anybody and instead of taking it easy, they embark on crude requests for a dance with each and every manzi they spot.
Following the violence at Kenyan parties at Norsborg, Party organizers began to have second thoughts as the Management of Norsborg also begun to look at Kenyans as “trouble makers”. For the management, it doesn’t matter who caused the violence, thwacked who or smashed windows. The bottom line is that it was a Kenyan Party and the circumstances of violence is irrelevant because police was called and they made a Report which filtered back to the management even if no arrest was made.
The problem for Party organizers then is the question of responsibility. You hire the hall claiming that it is a Kenyan Party then after violence, you turn around to the Management and claim that those who fought were not Kenyans. “They were just some stupid foreigners who came to spoil the party after they had been drinking elsewhere”, you claim but it doesn’t wash because that kinda ujuzi does not work in Sweden where the key word is “responsibility”.
There are never security guards on the door at Kenyan Parties. Organizers normally try to improvise their own local security – some big chested youth floating around and announcing to friends that he is the security at the Party. You just have to wait and the next moment, the security is inebriated so much so that instead of providing security, he is talking in tongues.
The consequence is that Kenyan Parties are moving away from Norsborg into more open and unchattered grounds. Last weekend, there was a Kenyan Party at the Redline Disco in Sätra. Although the Party was well attended, the crowd was mixed and, apart from the Kenyan music that was being boomed by Sound of Blackness that had organized the event, it was difficult to describe it as a purely Kenyan Party.
Of cause, many Kenyans were there – Marky, Mwaura, Jasper, Cathy, Clay, Dan, Susan, Otuga, Makan, Bridget, DJ Jimmy, Grace and others. Despite the Kenyan presence, you could not miss the fact that strangers (or foreigners if you like) were also well represented in a way that the Kenyan flavor of the Party somehow evaporated. Parties at Norsborg are always mixed but the Kenyan flavor never melts away and people dhianga until the summer sun rises from the North. The Sätra Party was taking place in a pub environment and some people who were at the Party were just regular customers who regard the place as their drinking hole.
Probably, this is the new trend and the way to go, a reality which might mean that Kenya-Stockholm parties as we know them are gone. You should have been at the Kenyan Party at Södra Station that was called after the 6th of June Nyama Choma in Fittja. It was deserted and by 1 am, the place was empty because it was closing time. Last week at Sätra, the place was devoid of revellers by 3 am because it was closing time.
The difference is that there was no violence at either parties and there was heavy security presence at the gates. The signals being sent by Party organizers is that due to violence and other unpredictables, it is better to settle for a neutral ground where the Management is divorced from the Disco operations in a way that those who mobilize do not take responsibility for security and other ugly incidents.
The nearest Kenyans came to having a Kenyan Party was at Märsta where Jack Joel Odhiambo was celebrating his graduation. There were strangers but one could clearly get the “Kenyan feel” of the Party.
What can be appreciated is that regardless of the difficulties that surround the Kenya-Stockholm party life at the moment, there are Kenyans who have refused to abandon attempts at maintaining the Kenya-Stockholm social life. The Sätra Party was organized by Sound of Blackness and Kenyans should continue to support the group as it struggles to bring Kenya social life in this city alive and kicking after a long period of ukamwe.
Okoth Osewe
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June 16, 2008 - Posted by makozewe | Commentary