The insider's cultural guide to Nairobi: Tusker beer, urban slang and 'writivism'
From Lupita Nyong’o street art to occupied playgrounds and poking fun at socialites, let Josephine Opar guide you round Kenya’s capital
Nairobi culture in five words
Beeps from security wands and metal detector machines are the norm in Nairobi, because of the compulsory security checks at every major building, mall, event locations and some buses in the city. In short, security checks are everywhere. Individuals are required to put their bags and phones in trays while they walk through the metal detector machine and in some places security guards also frisk people.
Everyone’s tuning into …
The Trend, NTV’s hit show, chats with popular and polarising personalities that people in Kenya are talking about on Twitter: from pop stars to skin-bleaching socialites.
The look on the street
Nairobians are all about mixing local and international trends. Local accessories are popular, while clothes are often sourced from markets (mtumba), or from vendors who select pieces from overseas. Designers and tailors are increasingly becoming a popular choice for producing original attire.
Kuona Trust is a vibrant and accessible arts space in the Hurlingham district of the city. It’s a great place for discovering local painters, glass artists, visual artists, sculptors and photographers, who showcase their work there at regular exhibitions and installations, events, workshops and community outreach programmes.
Kuona markets many Nairobi-based artists. Recently, director Sylvia Gichia spoke out about the Venice Biennale scandal, which sees Chinese and Italian artists representing Kenya instead of local artists, for the second time.
What’s the big talking point?
Digital migration – three leading private TV stations operating on analogue platforms were switched off for three weeks in February for failing to migrate to digital. The conflict caused Kenyans on social media to swap memes making fun of the situation. Now that all the stations are back on air, Kenyans are required to purchase set-top boxes to watch local channels, unless they already have satellite TV.
Fena is a solo singer-songwriter whose take on the urban-soul genre is swaggy and relatable. She is proudly African, from her dreads to her lyrics she stands out as a positive, “fena-menal” woman. The artist recently shared a stage with the legendary South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
What Nairobi does better than anyone else …
Tusker beer is made in Nairobi, and is popular with Kenyans and tourists alike. Locals often drink it with nyama choma (barbecued meat). Now that police are on the look-out for drunk drivers, Kenyans are doing their best to enjoy their alcoholic beverages responsibly and avoid failing the “alco-blow” tests.
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See more here - on The Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/07/nairobi-kenya-insider-cultural-guide-urban-slang-lupita-nyongo
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