Korean musician Don Spike (center) and band mates perform on Aug. 29 at a shopping mall in Nairobi. The Africa Sings Korean Soul concerts were held from Aug. 29 to Sept. 5 in four cities across Kenya and Uganda.
Musicians from Korea, Kenya and Uganda have enjoyed a series of collaborative performances on the streets and stages of East Africa. They also heated up the local music scene and joined many of their African and European counterparts onstage.
The second season of the Africa Sings Korean Soul concerts was held in Kisumu and Nairobi, in Kenya, and in Jinja and Kampala, in Uganda, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 5. Korean pop music composer and producer Don Spike and singer Farigi Napa, winner of a 2013 Africa-wide K-pop audition, performed at shopping malls and plazas alongside local musicians.
An Africa Sings Korean Soul concert is held at a shopping mall in Nairobi on Aug. 29, a collaboration between musicians from Korea, Kenya and Uganda.
In the joint street concerts, the musicians played Korean pop songs like “Gangnam Style” and ” Oh, Pil Seung Korea,” as well as local songs like “Malaika” and “Jambo.” Napa’s audition-winning piece, “Kenya Arirang,” was also played.
The street concerts were organized by the non-governmental group Africa Sings Korean (ASK), whose members include NGO members, a photographer and others. The group, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been organizing such musical events since 2013 so as to foster better musical and cultural exchanges between Asian and African countries.
“I could feel all the emotion in the Korean songs, even though I didn’t understand the lyrics entirely, and was very happy to prepare for this concert series,” said singer Farigi Napa, expressing his affection for Korean music. “I want to sing and record more Korean songs in the future,” said the singer, a former refugee from Congo.
Korean musician Don Spike plays some K-pop songs as disc jockey at the Nyege Nyege Music Festival on Sept. 2 in Jinja, Uganda.
Performer Don Spike was able to join a music festival on Sept. 1 and 2 in Jinja, Uganda. During the Nyege Nyege Music Festival that brought together more than 100 bands and musicians from across Africa and Europe, Spike was on stage as a DJ, mixing K-pop songs like “Gangnam Style” by Psy, “Electric Shock” by f(x) and “Up and Down” by Exid. Alongside his performance, musicians from 18 different countries presented an impromptu jam session, giving festival-goers a chance to dance until dawn.
By Chang Iou-chung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
icchang@korea.kr
