Iddi Achieng,Afro fusion singer and Peace Ambassador tells us on her culture,heritage and her pride

Iddi Achieng,Afro fusion singer and Peace Ambassador tells us on her culture,heritage and her pride

First things first. Is your dress your choice and what’s your take on the latest stripping incidents in Nairobi and Mombasa?

Stripping a woman in public is barbaric, primitive and the worst crime ever in this century. Women from all over the world should raise their voices in condemning this. I’ts sad not many of our female leaders have been vocal in condemning this. In one of the incidents, it went beyond stripping as you could see some men wanted to rape the victim.

You sing in Luo...don’t you think this works against you at times?

Local dialects capture the message beautifully. There is nothing as sweet as to sing ‘Aheri’ in Luo than its English version ‘I love you’. Luo is my first language. I express myself deeper and better in Luo, and also for the advancement of my rich cultural heritage. I am inclined to sing in Luo but focused locally and internationally. In fact, it works for me.

What do you mean by ‘it works for you’?

Because everyone listens to my music. I sing in my mother tongue.  I keep it in my Luo culture, my culture, my heritage, my pride. The audience does not have to comprehend the words to enjoy the song. It is the passion and energy of an artiste that connects him or her to the listener. I also encompass traditional instruments in my music too.

We live in what I want to call a ‘modern world’ who still cares about culture...

The more a world is modernised, the more I want to continue to preserve our culture through music. We have people who cannot speak their languages, and this is very needful. Language is what makes a person unique. Other than singing in Luo, I have also sang in Luo, Dinka, Xhosa, Luganda, Swahili, English and Norwegian.

So where do we stand ‘culturally speaking’? If there’s anything like that.

Kenya has come a long way in appreciating the arts and I must commend the Government of the day for the recognition it gives arts and culture. But we need a stronger and effective cultural policy to cushion Kenya’s cultural past, present and future. I hope the government is reading this.

I read somewhere about Iddi Achieng’ Trust...what inspired you to set up the trust?

I have an academic background in social work and social development. Empowered to empower is my overall theme. I cannot claim to be successful and be on such high podiums with the high and mighty locally and internationally, and fail to help and empower a fellow girl. Today’s girls are tomorrow’s mothers. I have a duty to play my part.

You are a Head of State Commendation (HSC) Award holder for your work in music for development.. Tell us about that.

I believe in using arts for development. All art projects I do serve are informed projects. I am a Fourth Year Gender and Development student at University of Nairobi. This course will give me an informed entry point to tackle the social issues. I plan to plant the knowledge into the trust.

How do you spend your me time?

I am a very social person. I spend time with family and friends. I dance, I laugh loud, I unwind big time. I eat life with a big spoon. A woman has got to live her life or regret the rest of her life never having lived it.

What have you had to learn in life on your own?

I had to learn that I am my first best friend before I let people in. I also have to be my own critique to be true to myself. I learnt that God is love, without Him, I am nothing.

So any plans for a gig to close the year 2014?

I have a concert at The Elephant in Lavington on November 28. But my ultimate plan for closing the year is to spend my entire December with orphans and the needy, so I will be visiting a couple of such homes.