Kiamba Africa

Last year, I went to rural villages with some students from Maseno university to survey people on how and where they got their water. Those students graduated last year, and now this year they have already gotten jobs. A near miracle when finding a job after college is doubtful ,especially in your field. Luckily there is a severe shortage of Planners and they were all studying Rural and Urban Planning.

Nearly all of them are in Nairobi this week getting folded pieces of paper which will disperse them in different and remote districts all over Kenya. From Turkana (the area with the tribe where the women extend their necks with rings = REMOTE) to Mombasa (the touristic beach city on the Coast). They have no idea where they'll be sent, but they are excited.

So since they are around, a couple of them and I took a matatu (public transport= 13 seater mini-van packed full of people, driving like mad down the road) to a red and dusty patch of land called Rock City. A family recreational place with upside down loop-de-loops, teacups, around other old carnival rides. Unfortunatly almost all the rides were down, except the swings. How disspointing.



But right when my I was thinking that our journey had been futile, a group of men with shades and matching shirts got on stage. Kiamba Africa! A famous singing group that sings songs in almost all the languages of Kenya (Masaii, Luo, Kisii, Kalingin, Kamba, Luya, Kikuyu) in the traditional style. Like seeing 10 concerts in one and at my favorite price, free.



They also sang Congolese and S. African music, but in Swahili. The fun part was they pulled us all into a Congo line, much like they do at home but with more pelvic thrusts.



My friends and I danced on stage for a while before going back to eat our food. Them with a huge plate of roast goat, which is the Kalingin favorite and me with my mokimo (green mashed potato and veggie mix), which looks like an appetizer to them.