Kenya Diary - Part Two

(Photo: Maurice Ogolla and Patrick O'Shea, Bomas of Kenya, Lang'ata, Sunday June 4, 2006)

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

The first day of classes was enjoyable. My instructor for the course is Dr. Douglas Waruta, a professor from the University of Nairobi, and an ethnic Kikuyu. There are three students and three field assistants in the class, so it is quite a bit smaller than the broader survey courses. I am the only non-African in the class, so it is very interesting to have the change of perspective of being in an academic environment where I am a minority student (and a valuable experience). When topics such as the abuses of European Christian missionaries or the arrogance of American foreign policy come up, there is certainly a degree of discomfort.

On the other hand, I am seeing many parallels between what Irish Christianity had to do to “Celticize” the Latin form of Christianity that was imported by Britons, and what African Christianity must do in order to “Africanize” Christianity. The first thing is that Africans must be able to read scripture in their native languages. The Irish didn’t really have that problem, because there was only a very rudimentary form of written Irish (Ogham) that was only really used for memorial inscriptions when Latin was introduced along with Christianity. The Irish, who had a flourishing oral bardic tradition, embraced the Latin script and adapted it to use with the Irish language, and learned Latin itself very rapidly, as it was a much simpler language than Old Irish. It was not so much a case of Latin being imposed on Irish culture, but rather that the Irish culture readily adopted Latin as its own, and thus the language of the Roman Liturgy was adopted along with it. Indeed, the Irish preserved much of the literature of the classical world in the vacuum of the next several centuries after the collapse of the Western Empire, really until the Carolingian Renaissance of the 8th and 9th centuries.

This was not the case in Africa. Rather than present the scriptures in a language that could be understood by African peoples, or in a language that they might have adopted or developed as a liturgical language (such as Ge’ez in Ethiopia), Christian missionaries of the 19th century seemed to believe that African culture needed to be erased or suppressed in order to “make room” for Christianity. This failure to seek common ground with the indigenous spirituality of African peoples was a terrible miscalculation, and unless there is a blend of traditional beliefs, rituals and ethics with Christian scripture and ideals, there will never be a truly African Christianity. Dr. Waruta is hopeful that this may happen, but the process is only just beginning. In any case, I look forward to exploring this more fully.

After returning to Flora Hostel this afternoon at 3:00 or so, I went with Charles Brock to the Anglican Church of Kenya Guesthouse where he is staying – a short walk from here. He has been walking to Flora to catch the bus to Tangaza College, and so I thought it would be good for him to stop here and see my lodgings, and then I dropped off my books and went to see his. Another attraction was that the ACK Guesthouse has its own cybercafé with fairly modern machines – ones that accepted my USB jumpdrive, which allowed for file upload and download with e-mail, and to the web. Thus, I was able to post the first blog entries and send some longer letters home using attached MS Word documents. It is wonderful to know that this facility is nearby! Also, the cost is quite reasonable: KSh 90 per hour ($1.25).

After gorging myself on Internet access, Charles and I checked out the nearby Fairview Hotel, directly across from the Israeli Embassy. A couple from Oklahoma staying at Flora suggested that this was a good place for tea. The Fairview is truly a paradise, obviously catering to the tourist trade. It has fairly intense security, but once you are inside the compound, it is an astounding contrast from the busy, dusty street outside. We had tea and chocolate cake, which, with tip, cost KSh 700 (about $9.50). The hotel, at least judging from the lobby and grounds, looks wonderful. It is, however, very expensive by Kenyan standards. Singles start at KSh 6,200 ($86.00), including taxes. This isn’t much for a Western city, but here it is quite high.

It was odd sitting there, sipping tea, enjoying the beautiful grounds, and yet feeling guilty about indulging in such relative opulence. On some level, my Western self needed this brief respite from the onslaught of Kenyan reality, and yet Charles and I wondered if we would be scolded if the instructors knew that we were avoiding our “immersion” in this way, if only for a short while. There was also a gift shop, with books, maps, carvings, textiles and other items. A hippo similar to the one I bought in the downtown Nairobi market for KSh 600 was closer to KSh 1,800 ($25.00). I think I will eventually work up the courage to return to the market with the help of Maurice to search for other bargains.

A few more Westerners joined the group here at Flora Hostel, including young Australian man and woman, and another American young man, all of whom appear to be doing volunteer work. Following dinner, they wondered aloud if there was anything to do here at night. I told them I was grateful that I was required to do so much reading. Tomorrow, however, I might attempt to socialize a bit with them after dinner if my homework load is not too extreme. They are expecting 10 hours of study a day from us, including reading and writing on class days, and fieldwork and reports on other days. I think that is probably a pretty accurate estimate, particularly if one includes things like this diary, which is definitely helping me to organize my thoughts and process this very intense experience.

Tonight I have only two worksheets to complete and no major reading. I’m hoping to get through a monograph that Prof. Kirwen suggested: “Culture and the Two Interfaces of the Brain” by Harland Padfield (UC-Davis, 1992). It apparently has some relevant insights on how human beings are ‘hard wired’ to develop culturally. So, more reading, and then to sleep. Hopefully there will be no power outages this evening.

(9:12 p.m.)


Thursday, June 1, 2006

Classes were short today, owing to the fact that it was Madaraka Day, the day that commemorates self-rule in Kenya. Generally, things are closed on this national holiday, but the pace of the MIASMU program required that we meet today. Traffic, as one might expect, was much lighter, and we actually arrived early, allowing me to take some photos of the Tangaza College campus. Unfortunately, the holiday also seemed to mean that both the cybercafe at Tangaza College and the one at the ACK Guesthouse were closed, so another day passes without Internet access.

After returning to Flora Hostel about 2pm, I gathered some things, dropped off my books, and headed down to the ACK Guesthouse to try the cybercafe. Finding it closed, I rang Charles and we decided to walk into downtown. This was the first time either of us attempted it without a local escort, and Madaraka Day turned out to be a good day to do it, because traffic was unusually light and the streets were not crowded with people. Not all shops were open, but the large Nakumatt (Kenya’s major Western-style grocery store plus many other goods) was open, and I was able to purchase some cards to recharge my mobile phone credit, and Charles was able to get money from an ATM. We walked back proud of ourselves for taking the initiative, and for fending off the cab drivers looking for a fare on a slow day, and the men trying to get you to arrange a safari or go to a particular market. They apparently do not take Madaraka Day off, and are rather insistent about promoting their services.

I may have gotten a bit too much sun overall today, because I am trying to recover from a headache, and in spite of sunscreen and a long-sleeved shirt, my arms are quite pink. The intensity of the equatorial sun cannot be overstated. It seems that far less exposure here burns you than in northern latitudes. I wouldn’t say I’m burned to a crisp, but the effects are cumulative, and I’ll have to be careful in the future.

Today’s class discussion focused on the problem of the priorities of the many Western missionaries that have come to Africa in the 19th century and later. It seems obvious to me that you cannot convert people before you first help them to improve their lives. If they are starving, they must eat and then learn to feed themselves. If they are ill, they must be nursed to health and then taught how to avoid disease in their communities. Only then will there be a chance of spreading any Christian message. Meanwhile, by helping people who need help, a Christian provides an example by living the message, not simply preaching it. Unfortunately, it seems that so many of the evangelical preachers in Africa are unconcerned with concrete strategies to improve the daily lives of people. At best, the type of Christianity they will spread is nominal, because it has no relevance to the basic priorities of living.

I’m reading the first three chapters of Bible and Theology in African Christianity by John S. Mbiti for the course now. It should provide a good overview of the historical background in general, the history of biblical translation into African languages, and an examination of how the Bible has been used in African theology. As I am not that well grounded in theology, I will have to read carefully. On the other hand, perhaps this “blind spot” in my academic background will prove a blessing, as I will not bring too many preconceived theological notions to the reading.

Sr. Loretta Brennan sent me a memo today with the details of the concert I am to attend on Saturday at 3pm. It will be held at the East African Women’s League Hall, which is very near here (on the way, in fact, to the ACK Guesthouse). The cost is KSh 500, which is fairly steep for a concert, but it is a fundraiser. Afterward, I will be introduced to Ken Wakia, the director of the ensemble. It should be very helpful to have his perspective on what he is doing to adapt traditional music to a more Western performance format. Maurice will meet me here at Flora at 2:30, and we’ll walk together.

Maurice has also planned that on Sunday, after Mass at the Cathedral in Nairobi, we will go to Bomas, to observe traditional dances and songs. On Monday, he has set up an interview with a traditional musician and teacher. Things are really moving quickly!

Back to reading – something that this program certainly emphasizes!

(8:01 p.m.)


Thursday, June 2, 2006

The first week of classes is over (hard to believe). I have a pretty intense weekend ahead of me, considering the reading assignments plus the fieldwork that is scheduled, but I’m feeling fully engaged in the process now. The only significant disappointment today (apart from waking up to a power outage) was that the cybercafe at the Anglican Guesthouse was still closed (and will be until Monday), but the woman at the reception desk there suggested that Charles and I try the cybercafe in the government building across the street. It is a massive complex of two high-rise buildings, and in one of them there are actually two cybercafes (a misnomer, actually, since there is no “café,” just computers with Internet access. Anyway, there turned out to be two such operations, on two different floors, and while access was painfully slow (imagine 8 machines all using the same DSL connection split between them), I was able to get some important items answered and clear out my inbox, plus send some longer messages to friends at home. Unfortunately, I don’t think these will be open over the weekend, and I might venture up to the Youth Hostel tomorrow to give that another try.

The foray into the Social Security Fund Building was actually more productive than I had expected, since the building we were in included a bank with ATM, a grocery store, a small pharmacy, a grocery store, and even a dry cleaner! Having all of this within a 10 min. walk is very helpful, as it is a further 20 to 25 min. from there into central Nairobi.

Following this exploration, Charles and I had a cup of tea at the canteen outside the Anglican Guesthouse and processed our day. He is a very pleasant companion, and it is extremely helpful to be able to talk to somebody who is also experiencing Africa for the first time and also studying in the MIASMU program. We are finding that we have much in common with respect to our outlook and what we hope to absorb from studying here.

Just before dinner, I encountered a man in the courtyard of the Flora Hostel named Joseph, who was packing up for the day, but had been selling carvings, paintings and other souvenir items. His prices were as good or better than the open-air market I had visited on Tuesday during our tour of Nairobi, so I purchased from him a carved rhino and an elephant, each for KSh 500 ($7.00). The elephant has holes for carved tusks (traditionally, these would have been ivory, but are now usually a substitute), which Joseph said he would bring tomorrow morning. That will work well, as I’ll be around the hostel tomorrow reading and washing some clothes (though I might splurge on the dry cleaner for my shirts on Monday).

Having heard American English being spoken by a group at Flora, I walked over and introduced myself. They were part of a fairly large group (perhaps 10 students plus a professor and his entire family) from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA on a five-week cultural anthropology experience all over Kenya. They are at Flora tonight before heading out to Amboseli, in the south near the Tanzanian border and Mt. Kilimanjaro. They have been here for three weeks, most recently in Nairobi in homestays with families for five days. That is true immersion! I believe that these students will benefit greatly from this experience.

In current events: I learned this morning that in spite of the confidence Charles and I drew from going into central Nairobi yesterday, we had actually just missed a significant clash between police and some of the street hawkers (as well as some other protestors) not very far from where we were. Apparently, things got violent and four people were killed. I do think that Charles and I would have had the sense to avoid anything that looked even remotely like a riot, and by the time we had gotten there, things were pretty sedate, as described in my last entry. This just reinforces the fact that one needs to maintain a good sense of situational awareness when on the streets here. One humorous note to this is the fact that it took us several hearings of the word before we understood the African student at Tangaza who was relating the story to us. With the African accented British English, the word “hawkers” sounded clearly to us Americans as “hookers.” I explained the confusion and the meaning of that term in American English, and the group erupted in laughter.

I’ve also successfully washed underwear and socks with bar soap in a plastic basin in my shower twice now, and actually I think I’m doing a pretty thorough job (perhaps this is too much information to post on the Internet…). I will need to wash at least a couple of shirts tomorrow morning, but now I’m ahead of the game by not needing to do all of my laundry in the morning, leaving more time for reading.

I’ve been discovering things that one should bring when traveling in the third world:

twine or thin rope (for drying clothes, tying bundles, etc.)
small flashlight (I remembered this!)
toilet paper (rarer than you might think)
bar soap
extra toothbrush (if you forget to use bottled water just once…)
handkerchiefs
washcloth
hand towel
hand sanitizer (I bought the large bottle)
water purification tablets
1 liter bottle for above tablets
eyeglass repair kit (unless you have 20/20 vision)
small box of wooden matches
shortwave radio (if you are a news junky like me)

This is in addition to a medical kit that should include benadryl, loperamide, NSAID (like Tylenol), hydrocortisone cream, antibiotic ointment, bandages, antacid tablets, a thermometer, Q-tips, and multi-vitamins. If you are in a tropical environment with mosquitos (like Kenya), you’ll need insect repellant (I didn’t mess around and got 100% DEET), sunblock (SPF 30 at least), and a hat with a good brim (do not bow to fashion).

Of course, there are things I wish I hadn’t brought:

extra notebook (just more weight)
camera bag (bulky – just bring the camera in the backpack inside a sock)
body wash (bar soap would have been fine)

I can’t imagine anybody contending with contact lenses in this environment, so just don’t bother. An expensive watch will just mark you as a tourist (or a target), so that’s best left at home as well. My $9.00 Wal-Mart special is doing just fine, but even with a cheap watch, you are best to wear long sleeves and cover it when in town, or else put it in your pocket. There are also a few rules to live by in Nairobi:

1. Be home by 6:00 p.m. It gets dark VERY quickly after that, and you DO NOT want to be wandering around after dark.

2. Failing #1, take a taxi home.

3. Never look at a map while walking.

4. Don’t take out your nice digital camera when standing on the street.

5. If the electricity is working, make sure you are charging an electronic device (if you have any with you).

6. USE the mosquito net that came with your room.

7. If you find a safe source of water, keep old plastic water bottles and refill them.

8. Carry only what you absolutely need.

I’m sure there are more rules. Hopefully my ignorance of them will not be dangerous but merely inconvenient.

Finally, on Bishop’s Road, which intersects the road where Flora is Located (5th Ngong Avenue), there is a delightful little item called a “friendly checkpoint.” This entails large cement barriers that force cars to zig-zag from lane to lane and slow down radically – no doubt to keep traffic in check as it approaches the government buildings in the vicinity. They have even put up a sign with a little, round cartoon character that looks a bit like a peanut M&M candy with a smiley face (and eyes too close together). The irony is that the “friendly checkpoint” also includes a man with an AK-47 in camouflage and a beret, who did not look particularly friendly to me. The weapon was well worn, but I’m sure it was in working condition. This would certainly make me drive cautiously.

(8:31 p.m.)


Saturday, June 3, 2006

This morning I slept through breakfast, but it was a trade I was very willing to make. After a week of adjusting to Kenya, and the brisk pace of the MIASMU program, I was very tired indeed. I awoke at about 8:00 a.m. feeling well rested, and set about washing some of my shirts, and reading from Theology in Africa by Kwesi Dickson (specifically, Chapter 3: The Colonial Factor – And Now, as well as Chapter 6: Cultural Continuity with the Bible).

Joseph, the seller of souvenirs, returned about 10:40 a.m., and as promised, brought the tusks for the carved elephant I bought from him yesterday. There was also another souvenir salesman, Thomas, with him today. I bought a few more items from each of them, and I think I pretty well done with souvenir shopping now, except for perhaps the purchase of some traditional instruments.

I then ventured back to the Youth Hostel, and the Internet connection was working. It was about as slow as the cybercafe at the Social Security Ministry building, but at least it was a connection. I’m finding that I really am addicted to e-mail (well, to the Internet in general, but I’m relying on e-mail for my “fix” because loading web pages is so incredibly frustrating at these speeds).

Maurice came by at about 2:15, and I showed him around Flora, as he had not seen much of it before. We then walked down to the East African Women’s League Hall on Bishop’s Road, arriving really too early to go in, so I treated Maurice to a glass of passion fruit juice at the Fairview Hotel. We then went to the EAWL Hall to await the arrival of Sr. Loretta Brennan, who had told me about the concert. After waiting until 2:57, we decided to go ahead in and got seated. Sr. Loretta joined us just before the start of the concert. I think it will be helpful here to quote from my field notes, as the concert and subsequent interview of the conductor was part of my research for MIASMU:

Field Notes

Attended a concert of the Nairobi Chamber Chorus under the direction of Ken Wakia at the East Africa Women’s League Hall on Bishop’s Road, Nairobi. The concert consisted half of songs by Kenyan arrangers, and half of African-American spiritual arrangements by New Orleans arranger Moses Hogan (1957-2003). Wakia earned a M.Mus. from Miami, studying on a scholarship, but is from South Nyanza in the Luo area of Kenya.

The concert was of high quality, and was generally Western in its presentation and performance etiquette. There was emphasis on the use of blended voices, and it was clear that many of the singers had Western-style vocal training. Musically, the performance was engaging, and while there was some movement with a few of the pieces on the first half, it could not be said that dancing accompanied any of the songs. One of the pieces, “No Musalaba Gogenda,” arranged by Dr. Arthur Kemoli (Nairobi University) was quite complex, with a difficult section of contrapuntal entrances and very challenging rhythms. It had an almost hypnotizing effect in the contrapuntal section, balanced by more homorhythmic passages.

It was extremely interesting to hear Kenyans (and a few Zambians) interpret the music of the African-American arranger Moses Hogan. As an American choral director, I am very familiar with Hogan’s arrangements (in fact, two of the arrangements on this concert were performed only this past academic year by my Chamber Singers), so I was in a good position to compare and contrast. The approach to the English was more enunciated, with some vowel differences that are common between American and African English. The choir did have some trouble with one of the arrangements, owing to its difficulty level, but overall the concert was most enjoyable. In a way, to hear Africans sing this music completes a cycle that spans the entire slave experience, from Africa to the New World and back again. This dimension of the performance was very moving for me.

Following the concert, I interviewed Ken Wakia to learn more about his goals for this newly-founded (November 2005) group. Africans, he said, are not generally “trained” in singing, in the Western sense, which is a problem in light of his goal: to combine Western training and traditional source materials in a “fusion” style that may be appreciated by both African and Western audiences. Ultimately, his vision, which is both grand and necessary in our time, is to use this blending of traditions “to preach peace in the world.”

Wakia maintains that force alone cannot bring peace. Cultural exchange, including musical exchange, is a way of bridging the gap between peoples. It is also a means to effect social change at home through the raising of funds with benefit concerts and other charitable appearances.

Beyond the present Nairobi Chamber Chorus, Wakia wishes to establish a larger African Youth Choir that could tour in Kenya, around Africa, and ultimately throughout the world, sharing this “fusion” style of African music with audiences around the globe. In some ways, this would be modeled on other large youth choirs that have sprung up in other countries and regions.

According to Wakia, the presentation of traditional music in its original, “unwesternized” form is not desirable in his specific situation for several reasons. First, many of the singers who participate in the Nairobi Chamber Chorus have some degree of vocal or musical training (i.e., Western musical training), and to ask them to ‘erase’ this in approaching traditional music “would be a disservice to them.” Further, he asserts that there are already enough groups of this nature, presenting authentic traditional music very well (albeit in a slightly artificial forum).

I brought up one example from South Africa, Ladysmith Black Mombazo and asked for Wakia’s reaction. He feels that they are doing an excellent job, and that the group’s success has been encouraging to him. However, they have taken traditional music and, in the case of several of their recordings, have simply ‘layered’ Western popular music on top of it. There is no real fusion of elements, as both could be separated and continue to exist independently. Wakia’s goal is a true interweaving of the African and Western strands.

The audience at the EAWL was generally white, female and elderly. They were uniformly appreciative, so it seems that acceptance by a Western audience has been achieved. Very shortly, the NCC will present the same concert to a more typical Kenyan audience, and it will be interesting to see their reaction. Wakia maintains that Kenyans “know good singing,” and whether or not it blends Western influences or not, he believes that they will appreciate the skill demonstrated, as well as the opportunity to hear concert music in native languages.

I also asked about movement in the concert presentation. Only a few pieces had anything like a coordinated movement, and these were fairly simple swaying and hand movement. There was no clapping or anything that might be described as choreography. Wakia stated, “I’m not a big fan of unified movement.” Rather, he believes that movement in each singer should come from an individual understanding of the music, which should naturally lead to appropriate movement. Some coordinated movement may be introduced “where it is necessary or possible,” but choreographing music simply because it is in an African language is affectation in Wakia’s ideal fusion style.

I am very encouraged that this encounter is likely to lead to meeting with a number of other Kenyan musicians who are similarly interested in the notion of African-Western fusion in the choral idiom. In particular, I hope to meet Dr. Arthur Kemoni of Nairobi University, whose daughter, Debula, sings alto in the Nairobi Chamber Chorus. Since all of the music on today’s concert was sacred, and since the arrangers have all worked almost exclusively with sacred texts and songs, this fusion movement has important implications for liturgical music in Kenya specifically, and more generally in East Africa. I am also very eager to obtain copies of the scores of the works I heard today, as well as others, so that I might bring this music back to share with my choirs at home.

(End of Quote)

Following this, Maurice and I walked back to Flora, and I played for him (on headphones via my computer) one of the performances of a Moses Hogan arrangement that my Chamber Singers performed this year. It was interesting to have his reaction – that it was a very refined sound. As I listen to it now, I too agree that it is refined, but there is a depth in the tone of the African choir I heard today that I would like to find in approaching African-American spirituals in the future. The African sound is very immediate and alive, regardless of whether they are singing arrangements of traditional songs or spirituals. Such a sound engages the listener from the first note.

And now for some spoiled American whining: I miss television. This is odd, since I don’t watch nearly as much as the average American, and what I do watch is confined mostly to CNN, Discovery, The National Geographic Channel, and Comedy Central. Even so, the evenings are SO very quiet here. It is good to be able to read and study, of course, but I find myself craving just a little distraction to let my mind rest a bit. I did watch a bit of local news in the lounge last night, but it was difficult to make sense of it, as it switched so readily between English and Kiswahili.

As a result of being TV-less, I am essentially out of the loop entirely on world news, which does enhance the sense of isolation. I also realize that I am very use to both CNN and NPR as a part of my morning routine, while here there is only silence (well, the sound of traffic). I am kicking myself for not purchasing a small shortwave radio. It would be very soothing indeed to pick up the BBC World Service. Perhaps when I’m in town tomorrow I might purchase one if a good price can be found.

And, tomorrow I can sleep later and not miss breakfast, which is served at 8am on Sundays!

(8:09 p.m.)


Sunday, June 4, 2006

What an exhausting day! I met Maurice at 9:20 a.m. to walk into the city to attend Mass at the Basilica of the Holy Family, the seat of the Archdiocese of Nairobi. As in the previous entry, providing my field notes probably is the best way to give the outline of the day (though some additional thoughts and observations will be added in brackets):

Field Notes

This morning I attended Mass at the Basilica of the Holy Family in Nairobi. It was the 10:00 a.m. Mass (which actually began closer to 10:20), and the Mass was in Kiswahili. Today was the feast of Pentecost. The church was very full, and one of the reasons that the Mass began late was that the prior Mass was also very full, and it was difficult for people to both exit and enter at the same time. We encountered the same problem following the Kiswahili Mass.

Since my principal goal was to observe the choir, we sat on the side of the altar dais where they were seated, basically in pews right next to the choir. I had a very good view of the directors (there were two who alternated) and could hear the choir very clearly. They were dressed in tan robes, including the directors.

The opening hymn (as with many of the hymns) was in call, response format, with the leader (or leading section – often the sopranos or all women) singing a short phrase, and the choir responding in four-part harmony. With some of the hymns, and with all of the Mass parts (Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei), there was clapping and some swaying movement, some sections with hands moving together with palms outward. About 75% of the music was accompanied with percussion, including conga drums, shakers of some sort and other idiophones. The choir took pitches from an electronic keyboard off to the side, but it was never used for accompaniment.

One of the things that surprised me was that during the Gloria and the Sanctus, there was one woman who was designated to ululate in a very high voice – sustained for quite a long time. I imagine that this is meant to underline the joyous nature of these texts, but as Westerner, I was certainly not expecting it! The psalm was presented by a solo psalmist with choral response, which certainly was familiar from Masses in America, and which seemed to fit very well with the call/response format of many of the hymns.

Generally, the choir was well prepared, although at a few points there seemed to be some missed signals on repeats or other structural things. Overall, it was a very lively and exciting musical amplification of the liturgy.

As I consider this Mass, and as I discussed it afterward with my field assistant, Maurice, I realized that although the form of the Mass was clearly Latin (I always knew what was happening and never felt lost in the service), the soul of it was African. There was clearly a sense of ownership, perhaps all the more because it was the Kiswahili Mass and not English. In any case, it seemed that the music flowed from the spirit of the singers – they were almost always moving, swaying gently while they sang, and I noted that they looked genuinely like they were celebrating.

That is, perhaps, one of the things severely lacking in Masses from my own tradition. There is very little sense of celebration – more a sense of duty. It is not wrong to year for some more contemplative music in worship, of course, but the sense of celebration, I believe, should not be entirely lost.

Following Mass, I bought a few items while in the city center, and then walked back to Flora Hostel by way of the ACK Guesthouse, where Charles joined us for the trip out to Bomas of Kenya.

Bomas of Kenya

This park is essentially an attempt to provide “one-stop shopping” for those wishing to experience music and see traditional homesteads of several of the major Kenyan ethnic communities. There is also a restaurant, and the auditorium can seat at least two thousand people, perhaps more.

[Before attending the performance, we had a late lunch at the relatively expensive restaurant. We all ordered what might be considered the Kenyan national dish: nyama choma (roasted meat). This can be pretty much anything, but in this case it was beef – a somewhat tougher variety than one might expect, using the local Maasai cattle. It is tough and comes with bones, fat, and pretty much everything. At the risk of upsetting the reader, Charles got a very small piece of hide in his, identifiable from the tiny tuft of hair. I also tried Tusker beer, a lager that is really rather good. For a side dish, I had ugali, which is a thick cornmeal paste that can be eaten easily with the fingers. It does not, however, have much in the way of taste, which is unfortunate, since I expect to be eating a fair amount if it when I visit Migori District in Nyanza. Charles had chapati, which is a type of fried, unleavened bread – almost like a tortilla. I think I’ll go with that next time.]

We saw traditional dances and songs from the Kikuyu, Luyha, Maasai, and at least one coastal tribe. There was also a drumming ensemble (also in a coastal tradition), and a group of acrobats for variety, as well as some very modern choreography to a South African popular song.

[I remembered the South African pop music from the performance of Ladysmith Black Mombazo at Saint Mary’s University this past March, when they did an arrangement of this same popular tune. I was rather puzzled by the inclusion of a South African pop tune with modern choreography.]

Of course, the research interest was not in seeing the acrobats or modern dance to South African popular music, but it was interesting to note the presence of these interspersed with more traditional offerings. It was also necessary to ignore the fact that this was being presented indoors, devoid of any particular ethnic celebration or festival, and with the aid of microphones for the drummers and some of the singers. Even so, there were some very helpful elements.

Apart from drumming, the only traditional melodic instrument (I shall ignore the accordion used for the “traditional” Kikuyu dance – more about that later) was a flute, which played a pentatonic scale. This was from a coastal tribe, but Maurice told me that many ethnic communities have their own version of the flute, and this makes sense as it is a popular instrument with many variations all over the world. This particular song/dance (it is difficult to separate the two in African performance) employed the drum ensemble with the flute.

Perhaps the most interesting song/dance was the one presented to represent the Maasai community. The women entered from one side, and the men from the other in this courtship dance, and each group sang its own very distinct melody. There were no instruments except for a large cow’s horn, but the men would occasionally click their staffs in one hand against the shaft of their spears in the other hand. What was so interesting is that the song of the women and the song of the men were totally different, and there was no attempt to reconcile them. It was as if the two songs were remaining defiant and stubbornly different. At several points in this presentation, men, individually or perhaps two at a time, would jump straight up in the air, demonstrating their worthiness as a mate by the height they attained in jumping.

Maurice was rather critical of the Luyha dance, saying that it was not performed especially well. As the Luyha are a tribe neighboring his own Luo people in western Kenya, I imagine he has seen more authentic Luyha dances.

Most of the singing was rather bright and nasal in quality – particularly the song of the northeastern group (this could have been Rendille or Gabbra – the announcement was not clear). The women’s voices especially were almost piercing in intensity, and while this would not be good for “choral” singing, it does have the advantage of carrying a long distance. There was a fair amount of call and response singing, with a leader or leaders set off against the rest of the group. None of the music included singing in parts (except for the Maasai example, which really consisted of two separate, even competing, songs.

A word about the Kikuyu “traditional” dance: It was accompanied by accordion (!) and a percussion instrument that was fashioned out of a heavy metal ring, the effect of which was like a large “dinner triangle” from the American Old West. The player of this metal circle (90% circle is more accurate, as there was a break to allow vibration), alternately struck it with a metal or wooden stick (difficult to see) and bounced it off a short wooden stool placed in front of his seat. The dance itself was more like an English country dance than what one would expect to find in Africa. The dancers even held each other like you would expect a European couple to do 100 years ago, with one hand out to the side holding the partner’s hand and the other hand in contact with the partner’s body (at the hip or shoulder). I cannot help but suspect that this is somehow a relic of colonial rule, and perhaps even a satirical adaptation of an English dance.

[It was difficult to know whether the Kikuyu dance was meant to be a mockery of English couples dancing, or whether this had actually been absorbed by the tribal culture and was being presented as Kikuyu. I suppose that it is possible that this dance style also somehow evolved independently among the Kikuyu, but I sincerely doubt it. In any case, the accordion certainly did not suddenly appear in Kikuyu culture without some external influence.]

Just this limited exposure to some of the traditional music of Kenya illustrates the challenges posed by attempting to harness it for liturgical music. However, as was seen in Mass this morning, the incorporation of drumming, the prevalence of motion while singing, and the format of call and response appear to be deeply rooted in the traditional music of many peoples of Kenya. I come away from this day with a deeper realization that at least in some African churches, the synthesis of musical materials from traditional culture with the format imposed by Christian liturgy is very well established. To be sure, this is not the case in all African churches (especially based on Charles’ report from the Anglican Cathedral this morning), but it is happening, especially as evidenced by Mass at the seat of the Archdiocese of Nairobi.

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Getting back from Bomas of Kenya was more of a challenge than we had anticipated. The bus (Citi Hoppa) that goes by Flora Hostel from that location is number 126. It is good that we had Maurice with us, because, inexplicably, the matatus sporting number 126 go to town, but do not go by Flora Hostel. There was no way at all to know that. At any rate, we waited and waited, and when number 126 came, the driver didn’t stop, indicating by hand signal that he was full. A number 24 came by (if you got on this on the other side of the road, you could make a rather long loop but get to the right place), but we were well out of position to catch it. Then, frustratingly, both a 126 and a 24 arrived at the same time. We took our chances with the 126, letting 24 go, and after a few locals rushed on, there was exactly one place left. Charles and I, not wanting to violate the buddy system, decided to stick together so we let it go as well.

It was by then about 6:30. At 6:45 it is nearly dark, and by 7:00 it is night – entirely. The guidelines for the MIAS program tell us that we should be in our residences by 6:00 p.m., so we were already “living on the edge.” We decided to walk to a corner nearby where a car was parked that seemed to be a taxi. It was. As Maurice was negotiating a price to get us back, two small children leapt into the front seat of the taxi, and a woman came up and was about to get in the back when she realized that we were attempting to hire the taxi. Fortunately, she was only going back down the road a short way, so we were able to wait for the taxi to return. The driver turned out to be very good at avoiding traffic, and after dropping Charles off first at the ACK Guesthouse, I was let off at Flora Hostel at almost exactly 6:45 p.m. (the dinner bell rang as I got out of the taxi, so I headed straight to dinner). This cost us KSh 600, instead of the combined KSh 60 that the Citi Hoppa would have cost, but Charles and I were all to happy to pay it as night settled in.

Tomorrow I will brave the transit system on my own for the first time, as I am to interview an elderly musician in the suburb of Rongai, about 10 km past where we were today (and using the same bus route of 126). This should be somewhat easier than today’s attempted return, since the busses out of town at mid morning should not be full. I’m supposed to meet Maurice in Rongai by 11:00 a.m., so I’ll need to be waiting for the bus by 10:00. That will give me the time to get some credit added to my phone (which is out), and perhaps a quick check of e-mail at the ACK Guesthouse. Brace for total immersion…

(10:13 p.m.)