SAMOSA Festival

SAMOSA Festival is billed as a festival of cross cultural interaction in Kenya, which showcases the best in African, Eastern and Western cultures in the region, and at same time celebrating race, cultural and ethnic difference.

Samosa festival is a biannual event and the organisers believe that art, music, dance and poetry are some of the easiest and most expansive ways for humanity to embrace diversity.

Samosa is a name of a Swahili dish that uses many ingredients to prepare and so the name Samosa Festival

The organisers of 2010 SAMOSA Festival were mashing up the nyatiti with the sitar, putting together Rangoli with bottle tops and tile chips; having Zulu and Indian dancers stamp their feet to the same rhythm; and having poets sketch with words, as artists weave with pens; asking

What does it mean to be Kenyan in Kenya?

The tag line for this festival was "Different is Exciting."

The events that I managed to attend we two out a week long of activities. These are the play My Moving Home and A Panel Discussion on Cohesion & Ethnicity

• My Moving Home

My Moving Home is a play by 'T

he Theatre Company' which is a stage performance inspired by Rogers Otieno’s tough past in rural Nyanza, and first love in Nairobi.

Play Info:

My Moving Home by Rogers Otieno
DURATION: 1 hour 10 minutes
CAST: 4 actors, 1 Musician
SYNOPSIS: A story inspired by the upbringing of Rogers Donatus Otieno who moved form his grandparents’ rural home to the urban community of Eastlands, Nairobi. Rogers has to make a choice between protecting his closest friend and his high school love.
LANGUAGE: Swahili/ Sheng/ English.
STYLE: Dramatic Musical & Narration

• A Panel Discussion on Cohesion and Ethnicity

The Organizers of Samosa wanted to know; 

WHO IS A KENYAN?

From Perspectives of Culture and Arts , History, Identity,  Politics and Economics , Values and Socialization.

Panelists: Alice Nderitu, Julie Gichuru, Keith Pearson, Ngunjiri Wambugu, Dr. Rafique Keshavjee and Tazim Elkington 

Alice Nderitu

Alice is a commissioner with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission which was one of the commissions formed as part of Agenda 4 borne out of the negotiations after the 2007/8 post election violence. Alice Nderitu was previosly the Director (ESJ) at Fahamu. She has worked as a journalist, a teacher as well as programme head on education and media programmes at the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the Prisons.

Julie Gichuru (Moderated the debate)

Julie is a renown TV personality and a leading news anchor who is great with TV interviews. Julie is responsible for spearheading the move towards establishing a global presence through the internet and raising revenue through digital platforms. Julie is the first African woman to receive the Martin Luther King Salute to Greatness Award for Advocacy of Active Non-Violence and Peace during the post-election violence in Kenya in 2008.

Keith Pearson

Keith Pearson is The Managing Director of ‘The Theatre Company’. He is a man of many talents. Arriving in Nairobi in 1979 to teach English, Keith made Kenya his home almost at once. He has been at the forefront of some of the most pioneering theatrical productions Nairobi has ever seen. The Theatre Company is performing at SAMOSA 2010. Co

Ngunjiri Wambugu

Ngunjiri is the CEO of Ngunjiri Management Co. (a concepts development consultancy), the Executive Director of Change Associates Trust & Convener of Kikuyusforchange. He is a social justice activist and has been in the forefront of advocating and agitating for national reconciliation and peace.

Dr. Rafiq Keshavjee

The Head of Academic Planning for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in East Africa is responsible to develop the academic vision and framework for the Faculty. The Head leads a team of curriculum designers to develop a detailed curriculum plan and also inform key issues in the design and set-up of the FAS. Dr Rafique holds a PhD in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology.

Tazim Elkington

Tazim Elkington is the embodiment or living example of an inspiring and authentic life being lived. Tazim has a mission to bring about change in society. Her compassion extends from the individual, to groups of people, businesses and KENYA. She strongly believes that progressive change is an integral and essential path in life.

• The  SAMOSA Festival Programme was as follows:-

TRIBANGHI DANCE THEATRE
SAT 18 SEP │7.30PM│ALLIANCE FRANCAISE GARDEN │KSHS 1,000
SAMOSA FILM SCREENINGS
SAT 18 - SUN 25 SEP │MATHARE │FREE
MOVING HOME – A THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION
SUN 19 SEP │7.30PM │ALLIANCE FRANCAISE AUDITORIUM │FREE
KENYAN RANGOLI
MON 20 - SAT 25 SEP │RAMOMA ART GALLERY │FREE
TRIBANGHI DANCE THEATRE
MON 20 SEP │8.30PM│LOUIS LEAKEY AUDITORIUM, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KENYA │ KSHS 1,000
A DISCUSSION PANEL ON COHESION AND ETHNICITY
TUE 21 SEP │ 6.30PM │ ITALIAN INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE │FREE
SAMOSA KIDS
TUE 21 - WED 22 SEP │BROOKHOUSE SCHOOL │INVITE ONLY
SAMOSA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM LAUNCH & COCKTAIL
WED 22 SEP │ 4PM │ HALL OF KENYA, NATIONAL MUSEUM │ INVITE ONLY
PERFORMANCE POETRY
THUR 23 SEP │ 6.30PM │ ALLIANCE FRANCAISE AUDITORIUM │KSHS 200
CONCERT UNDER THE STARS – AN EXPLOSION OF KENYAN FUSION
FRI 24 SEP │ 8PM │ COURTYARD, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KENYA │ KSHS 750
SAMOSA SPORTS
SAT 25 SEP │ 10AM │ NAIROBI GYMKHANA │ FREE