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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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Artists are priests and prophets of our time.

Artists are priests and prophets of our time. In their temerity to speak Truth, they have been used by both the good and the bad gods. And in doing so, pain has always been thrown on their paths- both because they are artists and need some super experiences or because they kiss the bad apples. Endowed with an extra sense that functions equally to the five senses combined, their stroke and smash on papers and canvasses have brought the naïve and ignorant to some kind of knowing- shame.



In what class can one go to and be taught how to see what is not seen, to feel what is not felt, touch what isn’t there and taste a colour? It should be the ghosts of artists and dreams of the psychos. Which teacher can aid the hand of a child to sketch something above a flower, sunsets, rainstorms and war? Why are the best of the artists children of ‘strayed’ parents? Intrigue. Your mind sets to mock the injustice you have been through. When you draw or write, in originality, a guru you are.

Gaddo hasn’t come out of his skeptic sabbatical leave. Sometimes before, there had been a grapevine of him being at par with authority over his cartoons in the Daily Nation newspaper. It is understandable from various reads that the Press is a pet to the government. To enroll Munene and crew for cartoons in whatever aims is a mock. The power of Gaddo to let the white paper have a stroke of black went deep into the hearts of the victims and the guilty. His use of crocodile and vultures to represent goons, politicians and undercover institutions merged well with reality- of course he didn’t write their names though they knew as we knew they were they.

To read a good book like The Artist by Norman Garbo, listen to the African drums or classical lounge, to hang souvenir in one’s room and office, to visit a workshop of art and have a chat with the workmen, and to observe the fashion trend among other life celebrating activities highly exposes one to a world of extra thought. For politics, economy, news, health, music and lifestyle among other things are without gossiping or show of promiscuity if expressed intelligently in a style- art. It sets a similar view to all eyes that the insightful may see an extra detail.

What can we say then? The eyes that can’t differentiate between the mask of a spirit and an oracle are left to spectate. Not all of us can be one thing at a time. As there are religious, there are least of others too. Handle art carefully no matter your liking for the least of what existed long in the age of man is presently a souvenir in the museum. As writers write, musicians sing and sculptors curve, let there be a showcase of great originality and master of work for the world of our times is more of a comedy than tragedy.

 Picasso did it and we celebrate him.

Courtesy of Web. 




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