The America government has trained and partnered with local artists to propel positive changes in their communities and neighborhoods by speaking-up against ills ravaging their areas such as drug abuse, rape and increased homicides.
Hip-hop artists, Henry Ohanga alias Octapizzo said it was the duty of every artist in the country to use their widened platform to bring positive transformation among their supporters because art has a capacity of changing a people’s mindset.
Speaking during the training of aspiring performing artists at the American Corner inside the Nakuru National Library on Wednesday, Octapizzo said the famous clarion call among Kenyans of ‘Serikali Saidia’’ should come to an end since all democratic governments are formed by and for the people.
“We are now a mature democracy of over 60 years and its time we purposely participate in changing our communities instead of just watching and crying to the government, which we are part of, without doing anything to stop simmering evils,’’ he stated.
Octapizzo said the Y-generation understands each other better, more than even the way their parents comprehend them and they are the only ones who can instill positive changes among themselves.
“We are the first ones to know when our friends start taking drugs, stealing, fighting their spouses and participating in all manners of negative behaviors, and if we take upon ourselves to prevent such evils, we will have saved our country,’’ he opined.
However, he said the current artists unlike the older generation, have not conceptualized the huge role their career has bestowed on their shoulders as guardians of community morals.
He commended the American Embassy for training of popular artists on how to create and bring positive change to society, and assured them that as the trainer-of-trainers, they have endeavoured to reach as many aspiring artists as possible.
He added that leaving the obligation of building a moral society in the hands of politicians was a huge mistake many African nations have made and there was an urgent need for artists to change that mind-set since every citizen was a leader in their own right.
By Veronica Bosibori
