When I arrived at the Red Line Disco in preparation for the “First Ever Kenya Video Mix Boogie” with VJ Delph in the cockpit, the atmosphere was already Party-like. The clientele was a mix of Kenyans, Swedes and other foreigners. On the two giant screens where action was expected was a message urging revelers to prepare for the big night.
Kenyans were grouped around tables scattered in the disco hall. In some tables, it was easy to detect a “Kenyan network” while in others, the groupings indicated no special attachments. I quickly squeezed myself at a strategic corner around a table where some Kenyans were already doing their thing. The music was loud and it was difficult to maintain a normal conversation without shouting so I tried to spare my voice as much as possible.
Some hunters arrived single while others swung in holding hands and bubbling with expectation of real fun. As usual, Kenyans did not take any chances with the dressing code and some ladies even went further and ensured that they were in red to transmit the “Valentine spirit” which appeared to work because there was no shortage of men trying to pull them on to the dance floor. There were more men than women, an indication that the girl-species is on high demand in Kenya-Stockholm. In swahili, we say that there is Ukamwe.
Within the human mix, there were Kenyans who came with their wives and others with their girlfriends. Some married men left their women at home for reasons beyond KSB inquiry. Some males who had signed “life-time contracts” with their women by entering into the “marriage cage” occasionally jumped on the dance floor with other ladies although a reasonable distance was kept in the process of activities on the floor. You could easily “pass through” the space in between without problems even if you have weight problems. As their men took a break with alternative babes shaking on stuff, the wives watched events keenly from their vantage points.
It was like the men were very conscious that they were being watched by their ribs because they stayed away from the hand-holding moves or the attachment of one hand on the waist and another on the shoulders during those “dangerous swings” that could end up with the boobs scratching the chest and encouraging an even closer contact as bodies moved in unison.
When the situation appeared to have been getting out of hand for one guy who appeared to have forgotten that he was being watched, the rib just walked on the dance floor and pulled him off a babe with the force of a powerful tractor. I saw the babe point a finger on the face of the “offending babe” but as I moved closer expecting more spectacle, the guy was tip-toed towards the entrance and the couple left the scene. Interestingly, not many people noticed the drama because it happened in a split of a second while there was enough “darkness” to provide cover.
It has been long since Kenyans attended a disco in such a large number. From the human mix, it was possible to gather some latest hot news. A long standing bachelor appears to have hit the jack-pot although it was impossible to tell how deep he had penetrated into the babe’s mind just by watching them dance on the floor. What was clear was that once the couple finished their moves on the floor, they would both retire back to their table, leaving no chance of extra and dangerous plays with other opportunists who might have been on a hunting mission at the disco.
Tonny Nyadundo
A brave bachelor actually told me that it was the first time he was taking his new find out on a Kenyan disco after hiding her for a long time because he was still brain washing her into getting into his system of doing things. After some weeks of good work, he was now courageous enough to expose her to Wakenya and one did not have to ask a lot of questions because the bachelor is very experienced and he has a way of telling other predators to keep off his latest catch.
He was clearly doing the buying thereby sending signals as to who was in charge of the cargo which was, nevertheless, wrapped in exotic material that brought out her shape as she swung to download some of the stuff (in the Lady’s) that was costing her rib-to-be some good quid because Red Line is not Vasa where you can walk in with 100 Crowns and leave in a stagger.
We did not wait for long before the Video mixers hit the twin screens with what appeared to have been a well choreographed “opening session” that was well designed to introduce the moments in a big way. There was no mistake that it was the first time Kenyans in Stockholm were experiencing Video mixing on the dance floor by a Kenyan VJ because there was enough text on the screen to convey the message.
Suddenly, attention was focused on the screen as VJ Delph began a systematic trip into the world of Kenya VJeying as he knew it assisted by DJ Frank and DJ Safi, the Mixologist who has been mixing the mixes as Kenyans mixed with foreigners in mixed disco sessions in our great Stockholm, mixed with all kinds of people.
Another conspicuous observation was the technology that was on display and that facilitated the process. When I zoomed around the VJ’s table, it looked more like the cock-pit of Kenya Airways cruising to Kenya than some disco equipment at redline disco. What remains to be seen is whether VJ Delph effectively introduced his Stockholm colleagues to the art and whether DJ Frank and DJ Safi will soon mutate into VJs who will be able to give Kenyans a run for their hard-earned cash.
There was some worries in the beginning when the scene tended to mimic MTV but as the night deepened, the situation began to change to an extent that at some point in time, Tonny Nyadundo found himself on screen with his famous Obama hits. Another interesting thing about the VJ session is that you can never get bored because if the dancers are not pleasing the eyes, one could switch to the screen for a change.
Disco spinners are known to be slightly ahead of the dancers when it comes to music collection and with VJeying now in Stockhy, it will probably be possible to zoom in and spy on some latest collections from Kenya for the development of the home archive, a good motivation for attending Disco in Stockholm. We hope that both Safi and Frank will live up to the expectations. After introducing Kenyans to VJeying, Djeying will be like taking people back to stone age when technology is advancing!
Will Sound of Blackness Go Virtual?
There was maximum security with over six guards on duty and there was no way of taking chances with a fight. Nevertheless, some little fracas did erupt after the disco and outside the hall long after the disco was over. A man and a woman began to exchange words which ended badly when the woman was floored and now, we have learnt that the matter is a police case. The beat will soon be an attraction at KSB.
In another instance, police with sniffer dogs invaded the disco and managed to nab a drug peddler who appears to have come to the place to do business. One funny incident is that a guard, who was very provocative, threw a guy out claiming that he was sleeping. At the time he was chucked out, the guy was on his feet and discussing with another Kenyan how the Coalition government in Kenya could be overthrown. It was bizarre to say the least.
Despite the minor hitches, the event was a huge success and Sound of Blackness demonstrated to revelers and fun lovers alike that it is a very serious group in the world of entertainment. The VJeying was both a good innovation and an investment to increase interest in Kenyan disco sessions.
Now that Vjeying is here, much will depend on whether Sound of blackness will go virtual and whether they will move another extra mile to begin bringing the big names in Kenya to rejuvenate the Kenya-Stockholm community which has been yearning for both action and a change of tune in the ways Kenya-Stockholm entertainment is presented. It was a night that was worth more than 100 kr and very few Kenyans will complain.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
