Kenyan choir Taifa Mziki connects with IU students

Eight days, 8030 miles and an experience of a lifetime. That’s what the 16 members of Taifa Mziki, an all-male a capella choir from Kenya, said they experienced during their first trip to the United States.

The group, comprised of students from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, traveled to Bloomington to perform with students from the Jacobs School of Music. The trip was part of an international program called Tunaweza Kimuziki, Swahili for “through music, all is possible.” 

The group was able to perform Saturday in partnership with the Jacobs School of Music’s “Building Cultural Bridges through Music and Art,” emphasizing the theme of international connection through music.

For sophomore Halle Shine, attending the performance at the First Presbyterian Church was a way for her to connect with the group on multiple levels as a student in IU’s Swahili Flagship program, an experience that allows students to study abroad in Africa and learn Swahili.

“I love a capella music,” Shine said. “The music is just so happy, and I love the dancing and the way they harmonize without using any instruments.”

The group is called Taifa Mziki, which is Swahili for “music which brings people together to make one nation.”

It performs a range of songs from traditional religious hymns to modern Kenyan pop hits, incorporating singing with dancing to create a multi-sensory performance.

Shine said she was one of many students in attendance of the event, representing a large variety of students, both inside and outside the field of music, that expressed interest in Taifa Mziki.

The singers have performed at state functions and on “The Kwaya,” East Africa’s first televised choir competition.

The group, founded in 2010, is conducted and choreographed by members Austin Muhati and Emmanuel Langat, teaching students leadership and teamwork skills as well as building musical talent.

Singing in both Swahili and English, the group emphasizes anti-violence and sings of peace and the power of connecting with others across the world through music.
Through Tunaweza Kimuziki, in partnership with Wooster University in Ohio, IU has hosted numerous workshops and lectures.

This included a free performance by IU’s International Vocal Ensemble during the group’s week-long visit to campus.

During his lecture on Friday, “Art as a Tool for Social Change: Transforming Lives through Music in Kenya,” Dr. Wilson Shitandi, the a capella group’s director, discussed the importance of educating students about the power of music.

“As professors, we need to teach students to develop their abilities and expose them to other cultures,” Shitandi said. “I am a testament to what music can do in
transforming lives, and I have seen lives change all around me through music.”

When they aren’t performing, members of the a capella group work with students throughout Nairobi in programs that encourage students to participate in musical events.

Singing in multiple languages, Taifa Mziki and the International Vocal Ensemble performed a multitude of songs arranged by Dr. Shitandi and IU’s director, Katherine Strand.

The group’s fusion of European and African music, along with traditional dancing and drumming, was met with cheering and applause from the overfilled church.

During his lecture 7 p.m. Friday at Ford-Crawford Hall, Shitandi focused on building a relationship between the two nations. Shitandi teaches ethnomusicology at Kenyatta
University.

Shitandi said his teachings have had a lifelong impact on his students, many of whom have graduated and started their own a capella choirs across the country based on his teachings and emphasis on the impact of music.

“Music isn’t only for studying,” Shitandi said. “It is also meant to be shared with others across the community and the world.”

Through his teaching and work with Taifa Mziki, Shitandi said when music is not about an individual being the best.

“I encourage everyone to use their talents to connect with others around the world through music,” Shitandi said.

“We must fulfill our internal duties to make the world a better place.”