EA orchestre crosses border to charm Thorn Tree patrons
By Our Correspondent
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East Africa
Orchestra on stage. |
The Arusha-based East Africa Orchestre has been engaged to
perform for customers at the Stanley
Hotel's Thorn Tree Restaurant, located in Nairobi's Central Business District.
Impressed by the Orchestre's soothing performances of familiar East African and
other worldly sounds, the Hotel has decided to extend the Group's monthly
contract by another month.
However, while the Group has been performing every Saturday evenings since the
8th January 2005, it will now appear every Monday evenings under the renewed
contract, when the Hotel expects more patrons, according to Fred Adira,
Programmes Co-ordinator, The East African Orchestre Ltd.
The Group is led by veteran singer-cum drummer Mike Mhina nicknamed "Onyangobiro"
by his Nairobi fans when he used to perform for the 'Mighty Cavaliers' and 'Hodi
Boys Band' of Slim Ali and Geoffrey Ngao in
the late 1970s, respectively.
It will be remembered that the Hodi Boys Band backed Fadhili William in his 1977
'Malaika' album recorded with EMI Records. The other members include saxophone
maestro Slyvester Budodi, Omar Makuka-the
Group's Lead Guitarist who once played for the famous 'Orchestre Maquis du
Zaire' based in Dar-es-Salaam in the 70s.
As a new comer to the East African music scene, the Orchestre, registered both
in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam as a limited company and whose stated mission is to
become the Region's musical and cultural ambassador, is already viewed with
suspicion by the established Congolese groups which have started
feeling its might as an authentic East African rumba outfit.
Founded by Duncan Mwanyumba,a Lawyer whose Nairobi Law Firm represents the
Estates of both the late Fadhili William and Daudi Kabaka, the Group has been
based at Arusha's Hotel Equator, considered as a 'natural home', for close to
one year.
The Group last performed for the East African Legislative Assembly end-of-year
Dinner last November 30th 2004 and, also for the East African Business Summit
Dinner held at Arusha's magnificent Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge earlier in September
2004.
Some of the Orchestre's pet themes are 'Poverty Eradication' and 'Educating the
Girl-Child'
The Orchestre hopes to play host to "Namanga Festival" scheduled to be held at
Namanga Border Post on Friday, 4th March 2005, whose aim, though purely a
private initiative, is to create public awareness for the Customs Union and to
promote the larger East African Community Spirit.
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