Sarabi band lets fans glimpse into their lives in documentary
Members of the Nairobi-based Afro-fusion boy band Sarabi. PHOTO|PHILIP MWANIKI
What you need to know:
This is a film portraying the philosophy, history and fight-for-justice of band considered to be one of the most enthralling in Kenya, and which continues to build a bridge between all different social classes with their music thus inspiring a population living in abject poverty.
If you are a staunch fan of Kenya’s famous Afro fusion, African rock and reggae band, Sarabi then you have every reason to be happy, as now you have a chance to view the real life of every musician in the group.
Through a documentary film Music is Our Weapon, the lives of the artistes Bella, Mbau, Haron, Mandela, Tony, John, Kidum and Adam, are showcased to the world as they speak of their lives as young people born and bred in various slums in Nairobi like Kawangware, Mathare and Kayole.
This is a film portraying the philosophy, history and fight-for-justice of band considered to be one of the most enthralling in Kenya, and which continues to build a bridge between all different social classes with their music thus inspiring a population living in
abject poverty.
The film also captures voices of various professionals, apart from showcasing the band’s various successful tours overseas, a fact that has seen the group perform in Sauti Za Busara Annual Music festival in Zanzibar, as well as their last year’s performance at
the Africa Oye Festival in Liverpool, England, Roskilde Festival in Denmark and the WOMEX (World Music Expo) in Hungary.
Even without a trailer, the movie has already been accepted by Documentary Film Festivals all over the world in 2016, and the band is expected to travel to Vancouver (Canada), New York, Austin, WOMEX (Spain), Munich, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Oslo, Stockholm, London, Edinburgh.
The Director/Producer of this feature film is Nigerian born Taye Balogun with the Premiere scheduled to take place at 5pm on Friday, February 26, 2016 at the Century Cinemax at The Junction Mall, in Nairobi.
