04/19/2007
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Inspirational!
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Jakochogo
"All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing"
Edmund Burke.
"We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what
we give." Vernon Jordan
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.-Philo
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. - Frank Outlaw
Galileo Galilei: "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has
endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their
use."
*She came, she learnt and she conquered
*Story by DAVE OPIYO
Publication Date: 2007/02/10
Ms Eriko Mokoyama plays nyatiti,
a Luo traditional music instrument.
Her mastery of the music has baffled many
She wore a kikoi (loin cloth) round her waist, as shakers jingled on her
feet when she strode to the rostrum, the determined expression on her face
partly concealed by the turban on her head
Gently, she removed her instrument, the 8-stringed nyatiti (lyre) from a bag, before sinking into a low seat and strumming gently, humming as she did so:
*
Mama janeko riemba x2
En kanye to opondo e tok ot
Anyango, kara mago chuogi
En kanye, opondo e tok ot
(Mother, a mad man is
chasing after me
he is hiding behind our house?)
*
The singing and the nyatiti strums are greeted with an enthusiastic roar, and the young woman simply smiles and keeps strumming.
This was the memorable performance staged recently at the Homa Bay district
stadium by a young woman who, in spite of her mastery of the nyatiti and singing in fluent Dholuo, traces her roots to another continent, another country and another tongue.
Eriko Mokoyama is a Japanese, fondly known in Siaya as Anyango, and who is becoming a legend in her own lifetime.
Not only has she mastered another language and immersed herself in its culture, she is possibly the first woman in that part of the world to play the nyatiti, long considered a male preserve.
Mokoyama's artistic exploits have endeared the 26-year-old woman to her
growing base of fans, most of who come from Nyanza Province.
Equally surprising is Mokoyama's mastery of Dholuo and Kiswahili languages,
through her constant practice in her three years in the country.
When the Saturday Nation recently caught up with her in Siaya District, Mokoyama was bursting with joy as she had finally realised her life-long dream of living among the community.
And wherever she went, mostly in the company of her manager, Aduol Omondi, curious villagers gathered around to hear "Anyango" sing, as she does most of the time on local radio stations.
"This is the first time I'm seeing her. I've only heard her sing on the radio and she's good," says resident Omondi Okello.
It was in Siaya District, where Mokoyama learnt to play the nyatiti with the
guidance of Mr Okumu Orengo, and also learnt her first few words of Dholuo.
"I love the culture. I swore that I would learn the language no matter what
it took," Mokoyama said in fluent Kiswahili.
She says that she came into the country as a tourist and was fascinated enough by the African way of living and decided to stay on.
"When I came to the country, I was introduced to fellow Japanese Tawara
Takami, who apparently had some interest in the Giriama culture, especially
their musical instruments," Mokoyama says, adding: "We travelled all the way
to the Coast and was introduced to most of the musical instruments.
"But I was particularly fascinated by the nyatiti. I was then told that the instrument was basically played by the Luo community, and then I got even
more curious."
The nyatiti is associated with Benga music, and is played by plucking the eight strings, with the player holding the instrument close to the chest, seating on a low stool with the base firmly to the ground.
The strums of the nyatiti are usually spiced with the sounds of the oporo (curved horn), which amplifies the mood and heightens the tempo of the music.
It was Nyamunga Odhiambo, Mokoyama's first teacher who nicknamed her
Anyango, when she arrived early for the first meeting.
Anyango is a derivative of Dholuo word nyango which means "early in the
morning."
"He (Odhiambo) taught me a lot about the instrument and the language and later took me to Siaya to learn more about the Luo culture. I now speak the language like the locals, although I'm still learning more," she says.
During her time in Siaya, Mokoyama has made a point to meet and share her
experiences with other nyatiti players, who have also been assisting her hone her skills as a musician.
*Immortalising her tutors*
Her toils have paid off, having released a CD titled Nyatiti Luo – in which she also features music by two of her music tutors. The CD was ironically recorded in one of her live shows in Uranga Division of Siaya District.
Apart from her song known as Anyango, other songs in the compilation include Okumu Orengo Live, and Nyamunga Odhiambo Live, immortalising her tutors.
The songs are also reported to be doing well in Japan, where Mokoyama holds concerts.
In fact, when not in Kenya learning more about the Luo culture, she teaches her Japanese music enthusiasts how to play the nyatiti.
"This is a new form of music that is gaining popularity in Japan. People were so surprised at how I managed to learn quickly how to play the instrument. Many ask me to teach them how to play," says Mokoyama.
But learning to play this instrument did not come easy for her. She had to contend with a lot of tongue-lashing from her first teacher who had his misgivings about why she wanted know how to play the instrument
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