For a city of an estimated four million people, Nairobi has the feel of a city substantially smaller-particularly in certain social circles. I feel as if I am beginning to emerge into one of these social circles, and feel a real sense of belonging- and that is among the art and entertainment circle. Nairobi has an ever-developing arts and cultural scene; that is sponsored by organizations such as the British Council with WAPI, and events at Alliance Francais and the Goethe-Institut (the German Cultural Institute). The latter two often hold joint events or it seems like always have things going on, and last nite I went to the opening of an art exhibit (and a techno dj set for the opening), at the Goethe-Institut.
This new exhibit called (It’s A Pity That We Only Exist in the Future) has the aim to highlight and perpetuate the city’s newfound embrace of Nairobi’s emerging art scene. Throughout the course of the night in talking with people, I felt the sense of belonging and extremely comfortable in a sort of “these are my people” effect. In the aftermath of the post election violence in Kenya in December 2007 and January 2008, art emerged as a major force of deterrence from this violence, as it has the ability to reach a large mass of people very quickly. I have started to figure out that a few major players in this peace movement are all interconnected, and even share a connection to me. This realization hit me full force last nite at Goethe. A few figures who had major influence during and after the violence are the absolutely phenomenal Kenyan musician Eric Wainaina, who has quickly become one of my favourite musicians (Kenyan or otherwise), whose music company and peace organization Rainmaker shares the same building as our AU Abroad office, my internship Sarakasi Trust for reaching out to the youth especially during the violence and giving them an progressive, productive outlet, and the artist Solo 7.
Solo 7 is an artist who is known to paint slogans of peace (such as Keep Peace, Wanted Peace alive, etc.) around Nairobi and especially in Kibera (where the worst and majority of the post-election violence took place more than a year ago). Walking around Kibera you can see his peace slogans all over fence posts, walls, doors, rocks, and other structures. I first came in contact with his work the first time I went to our AU Abroad office, where on an outside wall of the house is a huge mural with big letters that say “Keep Peace Alive”. At the exhibit last nite, he had custom t-shirts that he designed and painted hanging from the ceiling, and I saw one that I wanted to buy that said “No Ugali, No Peace”, so I asked a Goethe Institut employee if the shirts were for sale or if it was part of the exhibit? The next thing I know I was introduced to Solo 7, and we ended up talking for 45 minutes or so about art and the post-election violence and a number of other things. It was absolutely amazing to meet this artist who utilizes his art for a positive movement during a time it was much needed in Kenya. I walked away from that conversation having bought one of his shirts (a custom shirt that said “Keep Peace alive”- The same slogan as on the wall of our AU Abroad Office, so it has an extra meaning for me.) I also ended up with his phone number and a promise to go to his studio in Kibera sometime, as well a promise from him that he would take me around Kibera and show me all his different art on the walls and buildings there.
I felt extremely connected to the people at this art exhibit last nite, and dropping one of two names (either that I worked for Sarakasi Trust, or the name Kaje (the former AU Abroad Kenya director who is now in Nigeria developing an AU Abroad program there and was extremely connected in the Nairobi art world) gave me instant conversation points with anyone there. I ended up talking to this guy for an hour (who looks like a twin to the Chicago hip-hop star Common) and he told me that they have a African drum circle at the Nairobi National Museum every Sunday and invited me to go sometime. In talking to him, I mentioned that I worked for Sarakasi Trust, and he said that he was part of Sarakasi when it was first starting out before it had money in the late 1990s. He was a drummer and performer, and now he teaches African drumming to kids (he is not affiliated with Sarakasi anymore but he knows the director and her husband the chairman well). I left Goethe last nite having had an amazing nite that was a complete change of pace, and a new sense of belonging in this city.
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