To mark the upcoming occasion of my 4 month anniversary (as it were) in Kenya here are some of the songs that have represented the past few months of experiences for me. I really hope these links work! And I hope also it gives you a good flavour as to the soundtrack of my life recently.
Where Can You See Lions?
This song has been on my radar for quite a few years (ever since my first trip to Kenya back in 2009) but this year I had the pleasure of introducing it to a whole new group of people - my fellow VSO volunteers - both during pre-departure and once I'd arrived here. If this is not stuck in your head for weeks, you are made of stone!
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Spending my first Christmas away from home was a little strange, and even a wee bit sad at times but thanks to Christmas FM and lots of Christmas tunes donated to me by my housemate Nicole I was able to get into the Christmas spirit, even if it was 28 degrees outside.
Sawa Sawa
This song is played everywhere I go. It is played repeatedly at any of the sporting events I attend with UNICEF. It's a jingle on some of the radio stations here. It even turns up in the TV version of MTV's Shuga. And it's ridiculously catchy. Which is grand. Except for the fact that everytime I sing it people tell me it's a bit of a rude song, that it's about Nigerian prostitutues or something along those lines. But that might just be their way of getting me to stop singing it.
Today is my Wedding Day
Another classic 'ear worm' tune, this song was played multiple times at the wedding I attended last month, both during the ceremony and after the reception. My continuous singing of it for weeks after the wedding elicited strange looks from my housemates, colleagues, fellow matatu passengers.... I really hope Gillian McNally considers including this in her wedding playlist!
Walking in Memphis
This song is played about 3 times a week on Classic 105 and the first time I heard it I was delighted. I texted my Dad straightaway to inform him that a song that we played over and over again on car journeys when I was about 6 was playing in Kenya. A few days later when it came on again I texted him again to tell him it was on again and that it was obviously a popular Kenya. After hearing this song approximiately 39 times in the past 4 months I have now stopped texting my Dad and have slowly begun to loathe the song. Thanks Classic 105, thanks a lot.
Lookie Lookie
Mostly the matatus here play cheese-tastic music from Classic 105 (see the above entry for evidence) or hardcore Swahili/Kenyan gangsta music, neither of which are exactly to my taste. But sometimes, just sometimes, they put on proper cool Kenyan music that the young people listen to. This song is pure class, part Swahili, part European dance tune, Stella Mwangi is a bit of a ledge-bag! For another example see this gem.
Where Can You See Lions?
This song has been on my radar for quite a few years (ever since my first trip to Kenya back in 2009) but this year I had the pleasure of introducing it to a whole new group of people - my fellow VSO volunteers - both during pre-departure and once I'd arrived here. If this is not stuck in your head for weeks, you are made of stone!
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Spending my first Christmas away from home was a little strange, and even a wee bit sad at times but thanks to Christmas FM and lots of Christmas tunes donated to me by my housemate Nicole I was able to get into the Christmas spirit, even if it was 28 degrees outside.
Sawa Sawa
This song is played everywhere I go. It is played repeatedly at any of the sporting events I attend with UNICEF. It's a jingle on some of the radio stations here. It even turns up in the TV version of MTV's Shuga. And it's ridiculously catchy. Which is grand. Except for the fact that everytime I sing it people tell me it's a bit of a rude song, that it's about Nigerian prostitutues or something along those lines. But that might just be their way of getting me to stop singing it.
Today is my Wedding Day
Another classic 'ear worm' tune, this song was played multiple times at the wedding I attended last month, both during the ceremony and after the reception. My continuous singing of it for weeks after the wedding elicited strange looks from my housemates, colleagues, fellow matatu passengers.... I really hope Gillian McNally considers including this in her wedding playlist!
Walking in Memphis
This song is played about 3 times a week on Classic 105 and the first time I heard it I was delighted. I texted my Dad straightaway to inform him that a song that we played over and over again on car journeys when I was about 6 was playing in Kenya. A few days later when it came on again I texted him again to tell him it was on again and that it was obviously a popular Kenya. After hearing this song approximiately 39 times in the past 4 months I have now stopped texting my Dad and have slowly begun to loathe the song. Thanks Classic 105, thanks a lot.
Lookie Lookie
Mostly the matatus here play cheese-tastic music from Classic 105 (see the above entry for evidence) or hardcore Swahili/Kenyan gangsta music, neither of which are exactly to my taste. But sometimes, just sometimes, they put on proper cool Kenyan music that the young people listen to. This song is pure class, part Swahili, part European dance tune, Stella Mwangi is a bit of a ledge-bag! For another example see this gem.
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