Music and cultural festivals throughout history have been known to be key ingredients of promoting socio-cultural integration among various communities.
Through the language of music, the festivals foster a sense of collective joy, providing an escape from the rigors of everyday life and reminding us of our shared humanity.
At the same time Cultural festivals offer an opportunity for people to celebrate and preserve traditional art and craft and practices that might otherwise be forgotten from time to time.
As the 96th Kenya Music and Cultural Festivals 2023 continue in Eldoret, the County Administration of Uasin Gishu has lauded the event which has brought forth more than 40 groups from across various communities in the county.
Speaking during the launch of the festivals which run from 25th to 28th of October at the county level, the County Chief Officer for Culture, Gender and Social Protection Mrs. Eunice Suter pointed out that the event helps bring people from different communities together and help them to discover their various talents in terms of cultural arts and music.
“The Uasin Gishu music festival brings people together, unites them and helps in promoting socio-cultural interaction as the county is endowed with a diversity of people from different cultural backgrounds,” she said.
“As we have different tribes, through music festival they will interact, meet with each other, share on one or two things and hence will live in peace and unity at their various places of residence in the community,” added Mrs. Suter.
She noted that the county government of Uasin Gishu organized the event so that people may get a chance to display their various music talents from different ethnic backgrounds.
Suter added that enabling communities to participate in such event is a key way of promoting social cultural identity.
The Chief Officer mentioned that the winners in the festival will be rewarded with various trophies like cups, medals and others as a way to recognize and promote their talents. At the same time, they will be supported to participate at the national festival which will take place at Makueni County in December 2023.
She hinted that the county also will organize a cultural week where people will come to exhibit their various cultural items, what they produce like foods, ornaments among other things as a way to show their common way of life.
Mrs. Suter lauded the majority of youth who have participated in event and said they encourage them to do so as a way to enhance they various talents in terms of music and cultural arts.
“The culture should be passed from one generation to the other from time to time. As the county, we encourage the youth to participate in this kind of event to help propagate and preserve culture to the next generations,” she said.
She hinted that the county has put proper plans in place to construct a museum which will help in preservation of cultural arts for future generations.
“We are looking forward to acquiring land where we will construct a museum to preserve our culture for future generations,” added Mrs. Suter.
She further alluded that, the event will help so much in terms of promoting peace among warring communities.
The Chief Officer explained that through interaction in music, it will help one realize that his neighbour is their brother and sister hence a spirit of brotherhood and peaceful coexistence.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
