Sawa Sawa festival

SAWA SAWA FESTIVAL A RUNAWAY SUCCESS

The just concluded Sawa Sawa Festival organized by Sarakasi Trust was a great success by all terms setting new records in attendance, sound and production. The event surpassed all expectations by revelers and organizers alike by bringing together a grand collection of artistes from all over the world and one of the biggest gatherings a musical event has ever attracted.

Sawa Sawa Festival 2007 was put together by Sarakasi Trust in an effort to bring quality entertainment to all Kenyans indiscriminative while at the same time celebrating the diversity of culture. The two-day event received massive support from local and international partners among them The Royal Netherlands Embassy, Celtel, Mundial Productions, KCB/ Metro, Stadia Management, KLM, Capital FM and the Ministry Of Culture. Invited to spice up the event was South Africa's jazz maestro Hugh Masekela and Jamaica's Burning Spear. Others included Dutch Reggae Luie Hond and pianist Mike Del Ferro and Kenya's very own Eric Wainaina, Harry Kimani, Ayub Ogada, Cheche and Bad Man Kollege.

Saturday's event at the Nairobi Arboretum that attracted over 7000 music lovers began just after midday with tantalizing performances from Cheche, Harry Kimani, Mike Del Ferro, Eric Wainaina and London based Ayub Ogada. Harry Kimani then came back accompanied by orphaned children from Wema Center in Mombasa and delivered a powerful introduction to Africa's Jazz ambassador Hugh Masekela who did not fail to impress either. He belted out tune after tune under the twilight sky and into the darkness of the night as crowds refused to let him go. The location further added great intimacy to the performance which had to be stopped, albeit ruefully, at half past eight. Nevertheless the attendees had their fill of the ever youth full Jazz legend.

Crowds started trickling into the Kasarani Stadium the following day by 8.00 am with a few mistaking the ongoing sound check by reggae icon Burning Spear as the actual performance. By the time the event officially began there was an eager crowd of over 50,000 peacefully chanting as they awaited the maiden performance of the African Teacher (as Burning Spear is fondly referred to by his fans) while hundreds more continued swarming in and to warm them up was Kenyan reggae band Bad Man Kollege and Holland's Luie Hond who are currently on a Sarakasi Trust supported exchange program. MC's Kris Darling, Junior Dread, Bayo and DJ Lastborn also kept the crowds on their feet in between performances.

When he finally arrived, Burning Spear thoroughly endeared his fans with over two hours of non-stop playing and candidly delivered messages through his already popular music. The crowd chanted along to every song and even as he prepared to leave the stage they screamed his name and forced him back on for a much deserved encore.

The much anticipated chaos did not materialize as the 60,000 strong crowds peacefully made their way home, happy to have been accorded a chance to meet their icon at no charge.

The event also witnessed the biggest sound and stage in East and Central Africa with absolutely no hitches much to the relief of the fans.

Sarakasi has raised the bar yet again in event production and succeeded in bringing the finest of world talent to our doorstep in the biggest cultural celebration ever witnessed and promises to give nothing less in upcoming events.