Alliance Française Nairobi celebrates World Music Day

Also known as Fête de la Musique, the day is a celebration of the universal language of music. It was introduced in France in 1982 by the then culture minister, Jack Lang, and is now observed throughout the world in hundreds of cities around the time of the June solstice.

On this day, musicians, young and old, amateur and professional, and of every musical persuasion, take to the streets, parks, plazas and other open spaces to share their love for music with others.

As the sun dipped below the city horizon and Nairobi came alive with the evening sounds, hundreds of people were pressed flush against each other at the entrance of Alliance Française. After a scrutiny of the guest list and a mandatory security check, they poured in one by one to the stage area where an electric night awaited them.

A musically wide-ranging line-up of performers would serve up a tasteful auditory and visual experience as a pumped-up audience demanded more, pushing the show way past the expected closing time.

Before the day’s main act, Dan ‘Chizi’ Aceda, electrified the stage with his blend of Kenyan sounds, artists like Nile Dawta and Muhonja had nearly brought it down with energetic performances bursting with lyrical militancy rarely seen in the local scene.

When things threatened to explode, ensembles like Wanavokali, Hornsphere and Katoi Wa Tabaka & the Mijikenda Jazz Band helped the charged air cool down with their traditional, jazzy and bluesy offerings.

Other Kenyan artists who showcased their skills on the night include Udelele, Liboi, Iddi Achieng and Zaituni Wambui, among others.

But the event wouldn’t have served its purpose without some foreign acts. Uganda’s Apio Moro proved to be a crowd favourite with her absorbing performances leaning on the jazz-funk and Afro-soul side of things. Parisian Ethio-jazz band Akalé Wubé and Tunisian-born musician Smadj also offered a taste of what is in store during their next dedicated performances slated for this week at the same venue.