Giriama artists and musicians during a cleansing visit to Kaya elders at Kaya Fungo Giriama sacred forest in Kaloleni, Kilifi County. Photo by Ben Okweingoti. 
By Ben Okweingoti.
Giriama traditional artists and musicians from Kenya’s Coast have turned to Kaya elders for cleansing and blessings, saying years of performing at hotels, airports and major events have failed to translate into financial prosperity.
The artists, who mainly entertain tourists and dignitaries in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties, visited the sacred Kaya Fungo forest in Kaloleni Sub-County, Kilifi County, where they offered sacrifices and underwent traditional cleansing conducted by Kaya elders.
Led by traditional performers Fatuma Nyamawi and Katana Gona, the artists said they had been compelled to seek the intervention of their ancestors after years of struggling financially despite participating in numerous performances.
Nyamawi said she had never experienced a significant financial breakthrough since venturing into hotel entertainment, prompting her to believe that a curse or bad omen could be responsible for her struggles.
“We’ve come here today to appease our ancestors and pray to them to release the bad omen that has prevented us from succeeding financially from our trade the way other artists from other tribes do,” she said.
Nyamawi said Giriama artists often performed alongside artists from other communities but appeared to lag behind economically.
“We see our colleagues from other tribes living well and large financially, but for us, we are always poor, yet we perform in the same entertainment environment like them,” she added.
Gona, a performer of the traditional Mkonyonyo dance and music, said the artists had received assurances from the elders that their fortunes would change following the cleansing.
He said the artists would continue visiting the Kaya to seek guidance and blessings as they pursue their careers.
“Most of us perform traditional music and dances in airports, to dignitaries and tourist hotels, but we don’t know where the money goes. We have resorted to coming to the elders so that they can intervene and open our ways,” Gona said.
Kaya Elders Youth Leader Nguma Charo expressed concern over the plight of Giriama traditional artists, saying some had died in poverty despite gaining recognition beyond the Coast region.
Charo cited the late traditional entertainers Bini Hare and Konjo Kulia as examples of artists who, despite making a name for themselves in the entertainment industry, did not enjoy the financial rewards associated with their careers.
“We’ve had their predecessors who died very poor despite having big names in the entertainment industry, such as Bini Hare, Konjo Kulia and others. We think they lacked elders’ wisdom, which is why these ones have come to seek blessings,” he said.
The artists now hope that the traditional cleansing and blessings will mark a turning point in their careers and help them achieve the financial success they say has eluded them for years.
