Ndovu Zetu Music Concert : In Praise of our Elephants

Juliani Joins in a peaceful Protest during the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos on October 4, 2014. Sauti Sol, Sarabi band, Juliani, Emmanuel Jal are among the top artists slated to perform at the Ndovu Zetu concert on February 28, at the United Nations Recreational Grounds. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • Tusimame is produced courtesy of We Want Peace/ Stand For Elephants, was written by various artists including Emmanuel Jal, Juliani, Syssi Mananga from Congo-Brazzaville and Vanessa Mdee from Tanzania.
  • Save the Elephants operates on Northern Kenyan where they have been on the frontline to take poaching down and create awareness about elephants conservation.
  • To have every Kenyan loathing poaching and trafficking and become our brothers keepers to watch that no one is poaching our elephants or trafficking ivory to satisfy their greed.

Sauti Sol, Sarabi band, Juliani, Emmanuel Jal are among the top artists slated to perform at the Ndovu Zetu concert on February 28, at the United Nations Recreational Grounds.

This will be the first time that a concert is held in Kenya just for elephants.

It will also be the first time that Tusimame —an elephant anthem song will be performed live for the very first time.

Tusimame is produced courtesy of We Want Peace/ Stand For Elephants, was written by various artists including Emmanuel Jal, Juliani, Syssi Mananga from Congo-Brazzaville and Vanessa Mdee from Tanzania.

“We are happy that different African artists have come together to sing for elephants. The poaching of elephants is a continental problem that;s ravaging all of Africa’s elephants. Africa needs to stand for her elephants!” says Dr Paula Kahumbu, the CEO of WildlifeDirect.

WildlifeDirect, whose patron is the First Lady Her Excellency  Margaret Kenyatta, is the main sponsor of the concert, working in conjunction with the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

ELEPHANT RESCUE

This concert is the kick-off event of the Kenya Wildlife Festival. The  festival is an initiative of the Kenya Wildlife Service and the ministry of Environment Water and Natural Resources and several conservation organisations to create awareness among the public and celebrate Kenya’s wealth and natural heritage in wildlife.

“I am glad to be associated with Kenya’s great elephants,” said Juliani earlier. “Kenya is the land of greatness. It’s where Obama comes from, it’s where Lupita comes from. But it’s also where Grandis, the great elephant from Amboseli comes from. I am glad I come from this land of greatness. I am related to these elephants”

And the reasons to celebrate our elephants are many!

Kenya hosts the world’s most famous elephant research project ; the Save The Elephants and the Amboseli Trust for Elephants. The latter has been running for 40 years. All the elephants at the Amboseli eco system are known by names and their families.

Save the Elephants operates on Northern Kenyan where they have been on the frontline to take poaching down and create awareness about elephants conservation.

Kenya is also home to the David Sheldrick Elephant Wildlife Trust which hosts the world’s most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre.

But the truth remains that African elephants face imminent extinction if nothing is done to save them.

Approximately 33,000 elephants are killed every year across Africa to supply the ivory market especially in Asia.

Dr Kahumbu explains that in Kenya, we have made huge strides in the last couple of years in efforts to protect our elephants. But a lot still needs to be done.

GREEDY TRAFFICKERS

“The public is better informed and engaged now, a suspected ivory kingpin, Feisal Mohamed Ali, is behind bars and the poaching level is down.

But we still need to win the hearts and minds of Kenyans of all walks of life; we hope that every Kenyan will know of the benefits of elephants not only to our ecosystems but to our economy as well.

At WildlifeDirect, our goal is to get all Kenyans and Africans to love our elephants so much that extinction is no longer a threat”

The Ndovu Zetu concert and the Kenya Wildlife Festival is an attempt to win the hearts and minds of everyone, big and small, young and old.

To have every Kenyan loathing poaching and trafficking and become our brothers keepers to watch that no one is poaching our elephants or trafficking ivory to satisfy their greed.

The festival is organised by Blankets and Wine. The show will start at 1pm and end at *pm. Tickets are available at ticketsasa.com for Sh1,500.