Uganda’s dancehall queen, Cindy Sanyu has been lined up among a long list of artistes from over 10 countries that are set to perform this weekend in Kenya at a festival that has been dubbed ‘People of the Nile’.
Other musicians expected to perform at the event include Kenya’s award-winning group Sauti Sol, Hitmaker Timmy Tdat, Octopizzo, Benga star Makadem and Kidum among others. The Bongo Flava star Ommy Dimpoz from Tanzania and Baby One from Sudan will hit the stage as well.
Set to be hosted in Kisumu, the festival is a three-day event kicking off today till Sunday, with artistes from more than 100 cultures meeting for a mind boggling music, art, dance, culture and food extravaganza.
The participating artistes are from Uganda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Burundi, Congo and the melting point of all these rich cultures is Kisumu, Kenya.
The festival, as the name suggests, aims at bringing the various cultures that enjoy the benefits of the Nile River as a ‘timeless lifeline’ and issues like managing the ecosystems and creating harmony among citizens that benefit from River Nile will be discussed at the cocktail session.
“Issues of climate change will be tabled such as prolonged drought and floods which pose a threat to human life. Four of the Nile basin countries are facing severe water scarcity yet populations projections hint to double up in the next thirty or so years,” one of the organisers said.
He added: “The acts involved will leverage each other’s musical and arts strengths while unearthing the unique sounds so diverse. The food will vary from roast meat, smoked beef and fish, matooke, groundnut sauce and all types of culturally prepped meat will be on the menu.”
