The inaugural Nomadic Arts Festival has announced that the event will take place on December 6th at the Oshwal Center in Westlands, Nairobi. The festival will bring together talent from Northern Kenya and artists from Nairobi in a celebration of music, culture, and collaboration.
Attendees can look forward to electrifying performances, blending traditional rhythms with contemporary beats from Turkana Sessions and the Turkana Sessions Orchestra. Tickets to the festival are currently available to purchase via Kenya Buzz or Mookh. Early bird tickets are selling for Ksh. 2,000, regular tickets at Ksh. 3,000, and regular tickets at Ksh. 4,000.
Conceptualized in 2022 by Content House Kenya, Turkana Sessions brought together Turkana artists Jackson Nakuwa, Mourine Apuu, Jackson Ekori, and Elizabeth Korikel. This is in collaboration with Nairobi’s Eddie Grey in an exploration of the region’s musical heritage. All 10 songs on the project were performed and recorded live on location at the shores of Lake Turkana, in the pyramid hills at Eliye and the grass flats of Kerio, in Turkana County, and later performed at a Nairobi concert that took place at the Alliance Française in the same year.
Inspired by the success of the Turkana Artists Xchange project, The Nomadic Arts Festival takes this vision to new heights by offering a dynamic platform for artists from Northern Kenya to showcase their work to new audiences in Nairobi. With the aim to foster economic opportunities through art, this year’s edition of the festival will also have a small marketplace supporting the local artisans and businesses while highlighting the positive attributes of Northern Kenya.
The Nomadic Arts Festival will be an annual event that will continue to invite artists from other areas in Northern Kenya in collaboration with acts from Nairobi and beyond.
Speaking ahead of the Festival, Jackie Lebo, the CEO of Content House Kenya said, “We’re excited to announce the inaugural Nomadic Arts Festival which is the culmination of 10 years of work in Northern Kenya. Right now we’re booking artists, rehearsing with the orchestra and working through technical specifications in order to create an unforgettable experience for audiences.”