For many people, the word Samosa brings to mind the spiced delicacy. But food aside, Samosa stands for South Asian Mosaic of Society and the Arts, a festival that fuses different aspects of the Asian and African cultures from music, art, performance and theatre to create a platform where matters of national cohesion and integration can be promoted and discussed.
“Samosa provides a unique platform to bring the community together and the theme this year is 'Mitazamo Yetu: Kenyan Perspectives,'” says Zahid Rajan, one of the founders of the festival.
The festival takes place biennially, and this year's event comes with a series of events from August 13 to August 31. In line with the previous editions of the festival, this year's festival will focus on target audiences and the events are as diverse, thus everyone has a way to engage with others in different capacities. The content is also very relevant and timely as they stem from the variety of issues taking place in the country at the moment. According to Rajan, all activities are highlights of the festival.
“We have been working with many communities on different programmes, including in campuses and informal settlements where we will screen films and have panel discussions on issues of national cohesion and unity,” Rajan says, adding that these films will be screened all through the festival.
With issues of ethnicity and class discussed in the public arena resulting from the events in Mpeketoni, Wajir and Baringo as well as conflicts in Northern Uganda and Zanzibar, the festival will feature a forum where such issues will be discussed. It will not only focus on the Kenyan perspective of race, ethnicity and class but also within East Africa.
The festival will also feature an exhibition to commemorate the death of elephants and fallen rangers, as well as a panel discussion on the effect of poaching on the communities living within parks and conservations. There will also be the “Who Am I, Who We Are” project by Xavier Verhoest and Wambui Kamiru on the idea of Kenyan nationhood and how it shapes the sense of identity and interactions of Kenyans.
There will also be art performances, including Hadithi, which will blend music and spoken word to tell ordinary Kenyans' stories as they commemorate the country's 50th anniversary, with its triumphs and challenges. The concert night will feature three musical performances including Daraja, which uses traditional and contemporary musical instruments; Boneless and the Band, which will showcase performance that blends history and contemporary themes from South Asian and African culture; and Koogu in Kenya by Sandbox Collective combining spoken word and contemporary dance.
For lovers of theatre, Kuldip Sondhi's play Beach Access will be showcased at the Louis Leakey Auditorium. The play highlights the life of boys at a Kenyan beach to regain access to their beach after illegal developers blocked the road.
Samosa 2014, just like the previous festivals, will be a blend of entertainment and information as well as a platform to interact with Kenyans of all shades.