THESE ARE OUR HEROES

Story by Chris Prodigy
Photos: Courtesy

October   is here with us once again, with it comes a great significance to us as a Kenyan people. Even of greater significance is its 20^th day, a day that has been set aside to accord our heroes the respect they deserve. when I  talk  about  our heroes I’m referring  to  Dedan Kimathi, Tom Mboya  and other heroes on the same spectrum. I consent  the above mentioned  played an imperative  role in liberating  Kenya, but  I also think  iconz like  K-shaka  also deserve to   be accorded the same respect   as our heroes.  I also think they (Kalamashaka) deserve more than footnote coverage in the history book.  I am not being disrespectful  to our founding fathers, but ask  a  person who has grown up in the 80’s  and 90’s , who he can identify more easily with; K-shaka  or our founding father? Don’t get me wrong I’m not undermining  what our heroes  did, some went to the extent of sacrificing their lives , in order for our country to be liberated and I  applaud them  for that- no sarcasm or pan intended, seriously I applaud them straight from the heart.

After gaining independence  we thought  that  our country will be the land of milk and honey,  bt the harsh reality begun to seep in,  the justice system became  the mockery of freedom, poverty begun to bite, people were judged according to class, being a youth was a crime, if you were from the ghetto that made it worse, you were eligible to catch a bullet, We lacked the medium to express ourselves, being poor was seen as a kind of  Nemesis and we were contended  with that state,  mental liberation was a mirage.  

However, in 1995 something happened; a Swahili rap trio was formed consisting of Johny Vigeti, Kama and Roba Oteraw. This marked an era, an era of revolution. The group boldly addressed police brutality, the issue of poverty , and classism; Before Kalamashaka  mere mentioning of the  poor man’s  pain and  fighting for justice was synonymous to  welcoming the grim reaper, being in the ghetto was like serving  a life sentence behind mental bars , hope  never existed in our dictionary, but thanks to K-shaka  for substituting the word despair with hope. There lyrics were not only captivating, but  the lyrics were also enlightening , impossible was substituted  with we can, breaking free from the mental bondage  was  likened to wishful thinking  , but through their lyrics they made it a tangible reality, their lyrics were beyond mundane, the knowledge they kicked  could be equated to the mind behind the pyramids. They moved the crowd not with the “kapuka” oriented themes, but with kinetic wisdom, everything they kicked was bereft of ignorance. I can safely say that K-shaka paved way for other hiphop artists  and I find it preposterous when some rappers who are lyrically breathing, because of K-shaka  acting rather impertinent, it’s like trying to bite the hand that feeds you. Yep, I agree that K-shaka should be the epitome of morality that the youth should adhere to, but it should also be noted that nobody is perfect, everyone has his flaws.

Jay-z once said, “How does it feel assessing something from the outside looking in, most of the times you might be wrong”.  I know it’s debatable if Kalamashaka have lived up to the legendary status, bt someone once said, “Before you judge, walk a mile in my shoes and you will get the clear view”.

Next time the nation will be glued on TV immortalizing our founding fathers, I will be bumping Ni wakati, Nairrobery, Dandora Burning and other legends who befit the honors. Before I sign out   I would like to big up the meager section of the media, true hiphop fans and other like-minded individuals for showing love to the legends.