I love music – I literally need music in my life otherwise I’d
probably have a headache so bad that horns would sprout off the sides of my
head and then I would explode into a bloody mushy mess. Okay, maybe that’s a
stretch but yes, you get my point.
Anyway, I love music, especially hip-hop, neo soul and afrofusion. For
the longest time I was obsessed with alternative rock but my taste in rock
gradually shifted to the classics. I
consider myself an ardent fan of a couple of bands and artistes but with Kenyan
music, I have never been able to really identify with any particular musicians.
I am very picky when it comes to Kenyan music – there are only a handful of
artistes that I would pay to watch perform live. So it took me some time to
really gel with Octopizzo’s music but having interacted with him and having an
understanding of what inspires his music, I was quickly sold.
It was exciting to see how he had such a hold on the youths he was
mentoring – and not the star struck kind of hold. No, they were really tapping
into his street wisdom and gleaning every piece of advice he had to offer.
Often times I would sit in the car long after official work hours (6pm) and
watch glumly as he stood surrounded by youths who still had a million questions
for him. It was a real task dragging him away from the camp so that we could
head back to the compound before it got dark. Four months ago, I would never
have understood this hold he had on them but now I did. It was actually
starting to rub off on me!
He was like a big brother to them. They well and truly believed in his
ability to open doors for them. And open doors he did. Come World Refugee Day
on 20 June 2015, Octopizzo literally gave up his slot to perform before
all the dignitaries and spectators who had assembled in Kakuma to these kids.
This is something he had never done before. And for over half an hour those
kids gave it their all – the performance was a fantastic mash up of cultural
dances and contemporary music. And he didn’t just involve the kids – there were
grown men, probably in their fifties who also took part in the performance.
Those old men brought the house down with their amazing dancing skills! The audience
was thrilled.
Afterwards, he would return to Nairobi to prepare for the launch of
his hugely anticipated album. And this time he had an even bigger surprise for the youth he was
working with. Through UNHCR, he brought 8 kids (including one from the local
Turkana community) to Nairobi for a week to attend his show and curtain raise
for him. This was a HUGE opportunity for them – most of them had never been to
Nairobi before so they were over the moon. I was so excited for them; I thought
my head would explode. (Okay, again with the exploding head – something has to
give).
Octopizzo not only had them come to Nairobi but he also took the time
to organize interviews for them with top national radio and TV stations. And
they were great at the interviews. They had the opportunity to meet media
personalities, watch Octopizzo rehearse with his band and even perform with him
on live TV! And on the D Day, they performed on the biggest stage of their
lives. The crowd showed them love like the superstars that they were.
I was on cloud nine – for me, this gesture was so big it deserved an
accolade. I kept thinking, “Why would this man do this for these kids if he
isn’t truly a bighearted human being?” I had the audacity to ask him the
question out loud and his answer was so bare in its simplicity and honesty.
“Because no one ever did this for me. I want the best for them. I want them to
see what they are working for. I want them to have the opportunities that I
never had when I was a struggling artist.”
I would later ruminate on this and all I could do was smile. Octopizzo
is really just a regular guy with the biggest heart you could ever imagine. And he
truly cares about these kids. He opened up his world – both professional and
personal to them. He brought them into his home and dined with them. He took
them to Kibera where he was born and bred and showed them what it really means
to grow up with nothing but dreams.
 |
| Octopizzo poses with the eight stars in his old neighbourhood (from left)Nyakuma, Denton, Mr.Jay, Mau Mau, King Moses, Queen Lisa, Young Courageous & Spyda. |
“I couldn’t live here,” Queen Lisa, one of the kids from the camp
said as we walked through the slum. “Kakuma isn’t so bad after all. Young
Courageous, the 15 year old Turkana kid with more talent than you could fit
into a stadium nodded solemnly in agreement.
That visit to Kibera really opened their eyes and mine. If at any one
point they never really understood Octopizzo and what he stands for and why he work
so hard, then now they did. And they were grateful for that.
I now understand the true meaning of selflessness. One doesn’t have to
work for an aid agency to be a humanitarian. It is a state of mind - a sense of
awareness that is within oneself. And for Octopizzo, the charming and extremely
enigmatic hip hop star, this is a true calling. And the refugee youth of Kakuma
will always treasure him for that.
I'm loving: Blackstar - Octopizzo
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