The 2016 Madaraka Festival Electrifies EMP this Month

In 2013, writer and community organizer Simon Okelo had a vision: to start an education, music and arts program – called One Vibe – to benefit youth in Kenya. Since then, he has helped more than 500 youths in Manyatta, which is a slum in Kisumu and the third largest city in the country. It’s also the place where he grew up. 

Through One Vibe, Okelo organizes the Madaraka Festival, a coming together of musicians and community activists to celebrate and help Okelo’s hometown. One Vibe “provides children and youth free classes in dance, guitar and vocals, traditional African music, film, photography, art, music production and entrepreneurship,” he says. And the festival “acts as a community hub for African artists in the diaspora as well as a bridge between Seattle and Kenya.” 

That bridge allows artists from both places to collaborate on creative projects – despite being some 9,000 miles apart – thus teaching artistic folks from the regions about one another. According to Okelo, more than 40 artists from Seattle have visited the One Vibe chapter in Kenya to collaborate on projects, and proceeds from the Madaraka Festival have helped One Vibe to establish the first recording and film production studio in Manyatta. 

Held in the EMP museum each year, the festival has featured Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Owuor Arunga, Gabriel Teodros, Aisha Fukushima and Naomi Wachira, along with many more progressive-minded creators. 

“We mostly work with artists that align with our work and are open to supporting our cause,” Okelo says. 

This year, the all-ages Madaraka Festival–named for the day Kenya attained internal self-rule–will be held on Saturday, May 28. Artists featured include Arunga, Choklate, poet D’bi Young Anitafrika, Nik West and producer and singer-songwriter Runka. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the festival will run until midnight. You can purchase tickets for the fesitval here. 

Watch videos from past and current performers here: