There are a few Kenyans who are glorified as celebrities. The definition of a celebrity is “They that the people promote to ‘glory’”. We can therefore say that celebrities are man made objects of worship and praise. Hollywood coined the term to separate those who are best ‘actors’ from those who live a real life. Real life because those who we classify as celebrities, in Hollywood terms, are those who act.
In other words, these characters are not real; rather, they are figments of our imagination. How persons can be worshiped and praised because they pretend to be thieves, hooligans, presidents, families, brothers, and sisters is beyond my Christian philosophical mind. Good to note that I love watching movies. The series ‘Band of Brothers’ by Steven Spielberg was properly acted. Those who are in the series were acting out the lives of those soldiers who fought during the 11 world War. But to celebrate the actors does injustice to the pain and the suffering of the real soldiers of Easy Company (506, 101 Airborne). It is these men who should be celebrated. Albeit, the intention was to celebrate them through memory.
The Kenyan celebrity circle is however much to do about nothing. Nothing because these characters, especially the musicians do nothing but mime! I attended one of Kenya’s celebrities’ concerts to see whether the character was worth the hype. I was pleasantly disappointed! These characters they call musicians just stand in front of the crowed, put on a CD and do what anybody can do, Karaoke. It is insulting for my musical self to watch someone pretend to sing. My definition of a musician is Michael W. Smith, Elton John, Billy Joe, and Maroon Commandos! These MUSICIANS play piano, guitars, and are accompanied by actual bands, which play, drums, sax, flute, strings, mixed on real consoles.
Whatever happened to the likes of Daudi Kabaka? Real musicians with actual talents. Who said that wearing a NY cap backward and wearing tight jeans, dark glasses, and dancing with half naked girls is celebrity? Give me a brick please to stop them!
Those who Kenya should celebrate are the groups like pitch a Dream. A group of young lawyers, engineers, artists, doctors and other qualified young people who do not pretend to hold degrees. Rather, they hold degrees! Then they use their qualified status, going back to high schools, and instead of pretending to sing (mime) with a CD of loud incomprehensible BSs, they use their real BAs and BSs to help guide young high school students to not act in life, rather, to be real and live true dreams.
At Makongi primary school, somewhere out there between Eldoret and Kitale, and joined by the Reuben and Alice Chesire (RAC) Foundation, they, in true demonstration of their actual characters, challenged the children to study! That is something, which should be celebrated! That is real life drama and it is GOOD! I was privileged to play a real role at the event!
Teddy Njoroge Kamau (PhD) HTBluff Associates. An EMG Consortium @HTBluff. Diaspora Messenger Columnist.
