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| Musician Daudi Kabaka King of African Twist |
African
twist music was inspired by the American twist. Leading musicians of the time;
John Nzenze and Daudi Kabaka were fascinated by the songs of Chubby Checker and
wanted to create their own African style of the American twist.
Equator Studio’s ‘African Twist’ recordings
created East Africa’s first major commercial music. Equator recordings opened
in Nairobi in the early 1960’s and distributed records all over East Africa.
The
music captures the independence mood of the nation.
This music became
popular in the 1960’s just after Kenya’s independence. When these songs are
sang they capture the independence mood of the nation. Musician John Nzenze
refers to them as ‘Songs of Struggle’ in reference to the struggle for
independence at that time.
Finest lyrics ever:
Some
of the finest lyrics ever played in Africa were of ‘twist composition.’ Played
largely on acoustic guitars, this localized version of American twist was
influenced by Congolese rhumba and traditional singing styles.
Alternative
for jockeying exercise
Given
its vigorous shaking of the hip, legs and abdomen, the dance associated with
African twist is good the body. Furthermore, the dance style is not obscene and
can be watched by everybody, young and old.
A
rallying call for national development
Daudi
Kabaka’s song “Harambee harambee” is known for having captured President Jomo
Kenyatta’s advocacy for rural development. People danced to Kabaka’s twist
zealously. Even today some beats of twist music are head playing on Kenyan
radio and television, during national day celebrations. This underlines the
importance of this music in Kenya’s history.
It
is a national heritage
In
2018 UNESCO recognized reggae music as part of world cultural heritage worth of
protection and promotion. This is because reggae music has continuously been
popularized by the Jamaicans as music that speaks for the underprivileged in
the world. When something is done again and again, it becomes a custom,
acceptable to many in society. Popularizing African twist will preserve this
national heritage for future generations.
Perhaps
it is high time the Kenya government officially declared ‘African twist music’
a national heritage, worth preservation and promotion.
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