Kenya Stockholm: A Mixture Of Bereavements And Parties
Magic System in action
Kenya-Stockholmers are faced with a weekend packed with action. After all, it’s month end and people have Kwachas! This follows a period when the community has been in solemn mourning after a series of bereavements that greeted the entry of summer. Josephine Kirigo lost her brother after a short illness and she had to rush home for burial. While she was still in Kenya, Pastor Tillarh lost her dear Mom and the community was back to condole with the bereaved family.
Then, Nelly Musira’s mom also departed and as she left for Kenya, Rose Wachira’s Mom passed away after a short illness. This makes the month of May one of the worst months when it comes to Kenya Stockholm bereavements.
The case of Nelly is especially unfortunate because just a few months ago, she lost her sister and she had to rush home for burial. It’s not so long ago when Kirigo lost her brother who was working in South Africa. Now, she had to return to burry yet another brother. Surely, death is very cruel. It takes away our loved ones without mercy. How good and pleasant it is for Wakenya to congregate and share the grief with the bereaved!
It reminds me of the passing of my elder bro in 2007. I had to rush home to bury him. His death means that I am now the eldest in the family but do I say? Before all these latest bereavements, Queen Johansson lost her sister and people had to rush to her place to console her. And that was after Rukia Amina also lost her Mom.
I still remember how Jamlik Muritu lost his relative in Germany and the difference was that he had to rush to Germany to identify the body and to pick it up for transportation to Kenya, all by himself. Just imagine arriving in Kenya with a coffin and you will understand how Jamlik felt. It was not easy.
Many Kenyans still remember Ofore who lost his Dad and many other Kenyans losing relatives back home each and every time. May be, we need to start a Network just to remember our departed and loved ones. We could then fix a day when everybody could come and remember them by talking about them. I always get very sad when one of us loses a relative because in 1999, I lost my Dad and learnt about the real pain of death.
It is especially shocking when it comes to deaths because on January 20th, we lost Moussa Awuonda, one of the most rounded up African Journalist I have ever met in Stockholm. Awuonda was one of us and the shock has even prevented me from writing about his cremation in Stockholm.
DON CARLOS
On the other hand, a stream of parties have also kept Party lovers on the move. The forces that have been “keeping the winter warm” have included Sound of Blackness, Africa Maison and Network for African Unity, groups which have ensured that there is something purely African to get people out to sweat at night.
Kenyans at Magic System
On the entertainment scene, there has been at least one serious and new entrant – DJ Wadada and the “Zion Heights”. He had his debut last Friday at Kista and he will be in action again today Friday at the same venue.
The difference with the new DJ Wadada activity is that he has a very big potential of putting together a place where reggae lovers could congregate every Friday to praise His Imperial Majesty Emperor Hail Selasie-I, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, I-Lect of Jah, Ever-living Jah, Alkebu lan Africa, de hola one of I-ration, Jesus Karast living in the hearts of everyone this day continually… Eko de man kal you black man joe Texas man Prince Jasper de man kal de man believed to be de man hu boosku bu so Jah sey Ras Okoth Osewe inna de mike ha!… those were them 1994 days in Sundsvall when we used to rap with Man Muirani, Man Mwaura and Man Manto 22 inna de room. We used to pull big crowds before going into pension.
Wadada is coming in at a time when the “in-thing” is to wait for one action after another in an irregular way. By trying to get a foot-hold at a regular joint in Kista, Wadada’s idea is to regularize entertainment using his world of reggae as a space to gather people every Friday, just like other communities are doing at different joints.
Many DJs have succeeded with this strategy with the most successful groups being “Mama Africa” and “Trinity”. Both have a long history of getting their thing done at specific joints and at the moment, they have become names, not just within the African community but also among reggae lovers in town.
While Mama Africa has become popular with European and West African clientele, Trinity Sounds departs from African-Caribbean roots. The significance here is that Zion Heights could begin by curving a niche within the East African Reggae fans as it spreads its wings to capture fans from other regions. It was unfortunate that I couldn’t make it to the Wadada debut because I had to catch up with Don Carlos who was performing in Tyresö.
On that Friday, I first caught up with Otieno Owiyo with whom we attended a meeting and after linking up with Barry Owino and his bro, we began the long cruise to Tyresö. Despite his old age, Don Carlos is still very strong and it was good seeing him live for the first time. I hope I will have time to upload the video clips soon. “It was a passing cloud”, “Sensimilla” and other hot Don Carlos numbers were all part of the menu. When we left the place passed three in the morning, we were satisfied that the 300 kr gate fees was well spent.
WHERE WAS “LADY TETEMESHA VIOMBO” AT MAGIC SYSTEM?
When you attend these kinds of concerts here in Sweden, you begin to change your mind about racism and discrimination. Out of a crowd of over 400 people, 95% were white and they seemed to have mastered the songs like the National anthem. At one point, a whitie tried to get me on a sing-along of one old number and I just couldn’t compete! I had to hurry up from the scene under the pretext of taking a picture of Don Carlos!
Where were they at Magic System?
I did meet Man Bryan Njoroge aka Njoro after a long time and it was nice to know that he is doing well. He told me about some rumours which have been doing the rounds although they are not for public consumption. There was no time for a serious chit chat because we were both there for fan. I wanted to ask him why he closed down his blog and other stuff but then, we had to party at the same time so we promised to meet again. He did hint to me that he is working on a book project, the kind of stuff that interests me. I hope I’ll soon hook up with him for more exchanges.
Time has really gone and I have missed a lot of stuff that should have been at KSB long time. I am just catching up. We were at the “Magic System” show and I was surprised that Wakenya were nowhere to be seen. Gaouo fans had decided to chill at home when the Magic System boys were in town.
For example, I expected to see Lady Lingash gyrating her stuff to the beats or even Lady Tetemesha Vyombo getting cargo close to the ground and shaking it as if swallowing stuff lakini wapi! They are popular among “Party insiders” because they like Gauo and when it hits at the disco, you can think that the Jesus Christ of music is descending on earth to prepare his people to be lifted to heaven to dance to the staccato beats of Angel Gabriel, the heavenly DJ. The “Gauo girls” are known to dance with feeling and if you study them closely when Gauo is booming, you can be forgiven if you begin to think that their souls have been taken over by “Misic spirits” commanded by the devil DJ who?
From the absence of Wakenya at the Magic System concert, my conclusion was that the Global economic crisis seem to have hit hard because in a crowd of over 500 (mainly white) there were less than ten Kenyans and that was Mark Gaya, DJ Jimmy, VJ Frank, VJ Safi and Man Clay Onyango as the big names worth mentioning.
At 300kr, it was cash well spent because when you left the hall, you moved out quietly without grumbling about them having played for a short time or having performed few numbers. They gave us the full feed. The question is why when Kenyan artists come to Stockholm and the gate fees is 200kr, people begin to complain eti “it’s expensive!”. You could even hear some Kenyans saying that the organizers are “trying to exploit people!”. Our Kenya-Stockholm is really a different world.
At the moment, I am warming up for the Friday Wadada show then on Sato, there will be no shortage of where to go. Kwanza, I will be at Mrs Nyambura Ngatia’s “Caai wa Mwana” in Norsborg. Apart from the fun of welcoming the baby, I expect to hear lots of Kikuyu traditional songs including “Werukamu” and stuff. It’s my favourite! At least, it’s a huge break from CNN and BBC.
After that, it will be a bit tricky because I have to get a leg at Norsborg Musikhuset where Lady Winnie and crew will be getting some feet on the dance floor while at the same time my other leg will also have to wonder in Märsta Central Skolan where Vumbi Decula and Pablo Machine will be performing Live before the explosion of a disco extravaganza that will run for the whole night.
DJ Jimmy will be spinning and if you know Jimmy, the curiosity may not be the kind of music that will be rocking but whether your two loyal carriers will be able to sustain the kilograms of beef for the whole night as you shake and sweat it out on the floor in the name of “taking a break” from work at MacD.
Okoth Osewe
Rose Wachira Prayer Meeting Update
The “Prayer Meeting” called by Rose Wachira and scheduled for this Sunday the 31st has been rescheduled because the situation has changed. Rose is travelling to Kenya on Friday this week and this development has prompted the family to hold the Prayer Meeting on Thursday 28th instead.
Everybody is welcomed and any inconveniences which may have been caused by the abrupt change are highly regretted. The family continues to be grateful for the emotional, spiritual and other support they continue to receive from different quarters during this difficult time of shock and sorrow.
Okoth Osewe
Rose Wachira’s Mother Passes On: Prayer Meeting
Rose Wachira, a Kenyan resident in Stockholm, has lost her Mom back home after a short illness. Friends, sympathizers and well-wishers are invited to an “Open House” from tomorrow Wednesday May 27th at Olshammargatan 63 (3rd Floor) in Hagsätra. There will be a Prayer Meeting on Sunday 31st May 2009 at the residence of Rose at Hagsätra. Further information can be obtained through: 0704470289.
KSB condoles with the bereaved family during this tragic and sad moment. We offer deep condolences to relatives, friends and everybody who knew and loved the deceased. We hope that Kenyans and all concerned will come together to comfort Rose and her family which is no doubt undergoing a very trying and difficult moment in life.
It has been a season of bereavements in Kenya Stockholm as mothers, brothers, sisters and other dear ones depart the planet for good and at short notice. Death is the will of nature and we hope that the entire family of Wachira will find the necessary strength and master the necessary courage to go through this difficult moment.
Today, it is Rose Wachira and family suffering the pain. Tomorrow, it will be you. Let us all unite to support Rose and family at their moment of greatest need, comfort and compassion. May the departed soul of Wachira’s Mom rest in eternal peace.
Okoth Osewe
Joni and Amita’s Mom Passes On: Prayer Meeting
Joni and Amita Kilumanga has lost their Mom. You are invited to an “Open House” at Vidargatan 33 in Märsta daily from 13.00 hrs until Friday 29th May. On Saturday 30th May, you are invited to a Prayer/Memorial session at Stationgatan 3 (Central skolan) from 13.00 hrs. In the evening, there will be an all night African Party at the same venue (Central Skolan).
KSB takes this opportunity to send deep condolences to the family of both Joni and Amita during this time of deep shock and sorrow. The cruel hands of death has robbed the family of a loved one who will be missed greatly by all those who new her and who were close to her. We hope that the family will have the courage to go through this difficult moment of mourning and great sadness. Further information: 0705263303.
Okoth Osewe
Africa Summer Party At Norsborg 30/May
The first Africa Summer Party has now been fixed at Norsborg Musikhuset and will be held on Saturday 30th May from 21.00 hrs. The Party follows the Africa Winter Party that was held a few weeks ago at the same venue. The hall was packed to capacity as a mixed clientele of Africans and friends had their share of fun.
The organizers would like to inform all fans that they are free to make proposals on the type of Music they want played at the Disco. This is in line with the mixed nature of the audience. The organizers plan a series of Parties in the summer so fans should take note.
Okoth Osewe
Diplomat Jenipher Awuor Recalled
Reports reaching KSB indicate that the cocky diplomat Jenipher Awuor at the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm has been recalled. Although efforts to confirm the news with Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs were fruitless, an independent report mailed to KSB indicated that Ms Awuor was recalled together with the Kenyan Ambassador to King James Court, London.
The recall will no doubt bring down pressure at the Embassy especially among lower cadre employees because Ms Awuor has been associated with some of the most draconian methods of leadership at the Embassy.
Awuor (L) carrying Purity's hand bag
On the other hand, the departure of Awuor will leave Ambassador Purity Muhindi lonely because on many occasions, she has been banking on Awuor as a morale booster during her Conference and meeting excursions within Stockholm’s diplomatic community.
Because of the working chemistry between the two top female diplomats at the Embassy, serious policy decisions have largely been viewed as the product of the Ambassador and Awuor’s thinking.
When the Ambassador transferred the celebration of Jamhuri day to Oslo last year, observers were quick to point out that Awuor must have been involved in the decision making because she is known to hate Kenyans to the bone.
According to sources, the transfer of the Jamhuri celebrations to Oslo was part of “punishing” Kenyans in Stockholm for having boycotted last year’s Madaraka day celebrations that was called at the Ambassador’s residence.
Another decision by the Ambassador to organize a “coffee meeting” with Kenyans in Denmark last year was also seen to have had Awuor’s input whose attitude all along has been that the Embassy should forget about Kenyans in Stockholm because they are “forever ungrateful”.
The Embassy has never organized a “meet Wakenya” beat in Stockholm and when the Ambassador committed tax payer’s money last year to try and impress Kenyans in Denmark with tea and coffee, critics were quick to point out that Purity had forgotten that charity begins at home.
With her departure, a cross section of Kenyans in Stockholm are likely to toss because Awuor is also seen as “bad influence” on the Ambassador. Some Kenyans believe that she is responsible for the horns Purity grew after she came to Stockholm because as the Deputy Ambassador who had a wider experience in Kenya Stockholm prior to Purity’s arrival to take over from former Ambassador Kinyanjui, it was Awuor’s responsibility to take Purity through the paces of Kenya Stockholm and to advice her correctly on how to handle the Kenya-Stockholm crowd.
Good Ridance
Instead, Awuor embarked on a program to isolate Purity from Kenyans with a lot of negative propaganda which later, is reported to have convinced Purity that Kenyans here are a bunch of alcoholics who must be avoided at all costs.
Awuor became so close to Purity that at the time of her recall, she had become Purity’s hand-bag carrier on her way to different functions across Stockholm instead of remaining in the office to take charge when the Ambassador is away.
When evidence was published at KSB about Awuor’s hand-bag carrying responsibility as Purity strolled beside her “hands free”, Kenyans were shocked. It is this kind of degeneration that might have attracted the attention of the Foreign Office prompting her recall.
As Kenyans prepare for a new Deputy Ambassador, the big question is when Purity will go. In the meantime, the departure of Awuor is “good riddance” and Kenyans here can only hope that another mistake will not be done by the bosses in Nairobi to bring yet another Awuor to perpetuate a culture of opacity and intransigence between the Embassy and Kenyans in Stockholm.
At KSB, we hope that her departure is the beginning of Purity’s exit because she is too “contaminated with the Awuor cancer” to bring about meaningful reform at the Embassy. Kenyans need an Embassy they can communicate with, an ambition that has repeatedly been frustrated by the two lady bosses at the Embassy.
On the whole, it has been a bad show of girl power at the Embassy. Awuor leaves behind a legacy of contempt that makes her recall an event that should have taken place long time ago. At KSB, we hope that she will never be given another diplomatic posting because her personal history at the Embassy should not be allowed to repeat itself at any Kenyan embassy under any circumstance.
Her posting at the Embassy was probably one of the biggest tragedies to have struck the Embassy in recent time because the havoc she has created in terms of Public Relations is so devastating that some Kenyans stopped viewing the Embassy as a Kenya government institution because the leadership behaved more as though they were running a family business empire, not an extension of State House in Stockholm.
Okoth Osewe
Don Carlos Live at Tyresö
“Maestro Entertainment” proudly presents, Live from Jamaica, Don Carlos and Dub Vision Band featuring governor Andy, Ashman (Soundkiller), Regeolgy (Diegojah) and Rastaman at Solkraftv 23 (Tyresö) on May 22nd from 21-03 hrs. Age limit is 18 years.
Directions: Take Bus 807 from Gullmarsplan to Hanviken. Estimated travelling time:11 minutes. Tickets available at: Multikulti, 08 6436129, Tajmahal 08 6541400 and Ältarkryset at Tyresö Centrum.
Okoth Osewe
The Heart Beat Of Africa Show At Calisti
Fun lovers are invited to “The Heartbeat of Africa” show on Saturday 23rd May at Calisti Bar (5 Star) located at Malmtorgsgatan 5 (behind Kulturhuset) at Sergels Torg, T-Centralen. The show will be held every Saturday.
Africa’s best DJ Apeman from Uganda will be the Guest DJ while the show will run from 22-03 hrs. Age limit is strictly 20.Revellers are invited to enjoy the real tropical music straight from the Continent. Gate fee: 100 kr.
Okoth Osewe
New Bereavement As Nelly’s Mom Passes On
Nelly Musira, a Kenyan lady resident in Stockholm, has lost her Mom home. Kenyans, friends, well-wishers and sympathizers are invited to an “Open House” at Nelly’s residence at Pålsbodgränd 11 in Hagsätra everyday from 15 hrs. Everybody is invited to a Prayer meeting on Saturday 23rd May 2009 at the same venue.
The sudden and tragic loss comes at a time when Nelly’s family had just suffered bereavement following the demise of her brother, prompting her to travel home for burial. The sudden and unexpected death of her mother within a very short space of time following her brother’s demise has brought a double tragedy to the Nelly family.
KSB sends deep condolences to Nelly and the entire family following this irreplaceable loss that has no doubt brought great sorrow and sadness to the family. The bereavement is the second to hit members of the Kenyan community in Stockholm within a span of one week.
Last week, Pastor Tillarh lost his Mom after a short illness. We hope that Nelly and family will find strength to go through this difficult and traumatizing moment. No amount of words can describe the amount of pain the family is currently going through and we wish them the best as they prepare for a final farewell to their loved one who has just left us.
Okoth Osewe
Apostle Karanja’s Prayer Meeting Postponed
The Prayer meeting by Apostle Karanja of the Christ Harvesters Ministries that was scheduled for Sunday May 24th, has been postponed until further notice.
Speaking to KSB, Mr. Githuku wa Muirani, a leading personality who has been behind the planning of the visit, said that the postponement has been occasioned by Apostle Karanja’s difficulties in obtaining a visa to travel to Sweden.
Mr. Muirani said that a new date for the Prayers will be announced as soon as Apostle Karanja is ready to travel. The Apostle was scheduled to commune with Kenyans and friends at the former Bagarmossen Fellowship center.
Mr. Muirani regretted any inconveniences that may have been caused as a result of the abrupt postponement.
Okoth Osewe
Young Actors Wanted
We are looking for guys aged 10-15 years with African appearance for Ruben Östlund new film – PLAY!
Film project : Long film, “Play”, will be recorded in the autumn of 2009 and directed by Ruben Östlund who last made the acclaimed and award-winning film, “De ofrivilliga”.
The film premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2008 and was nominated in five categories on Guldbagge Gala in January.
We are looking for guys aged 10-13 who are interested in an audition or “test play”. You do not need any previous experience in acting. For more information about the movie, ring: Mr. Sandy. 0737803451
“Namelss Fever” Catches Up In Stockholm
Kenyans and fans alike are loading up for the Nameless show tomorrow. It is expected to be the bigest thing to have happened in Kenya-Stockholm in the recent past. In the meantime, sources tell KSB that nameless will be jetting in on Saturday morning for the historic show. After Magic System from Ivory Coast, Don Carlos from J.A, its time for Nameless from KENYA and what else could be more fantastic!
Magic System In Stockholm Part 4
DISCLAIMER: It has to be mentioned that the poor sound quality in the clips is the responsibility of KSB: The camera was too close to the speakers and KSB is answerable to nobody. Sound quality at the show was perfect. Secondly, these are short clips meant to give a peep into the show which was marvellous. WYSIWYG.
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