Mwenda Wa Micheni
1 April 2008
Nairobi — The bard, Shakespeare, said the world was a stage. Later, there appeared another one with an anonymous wish. "If the world is stage, I want better lighting."
In some countries where showbiz has taken root, this wish has been fulfilled, but in Kenya, event organisers still imagine that talent alone can do the magic.
Stage lighting is a remarkable part of modern live performance-- you can artistically dim lights to depict dusk,or use a cleverly angled spotlight to have imaginary moonlight or even a bright sun.
In contemporary dance and other more eccentric arts, lighting designers use it to manipulate movement in dance or even exaggerate poses.Initially, candles were used to light up the stage. Then came the oil lamps and gas light. When electric light finally arrived, a storytelling revolution took over.
As the local showbiz shapes up, audiences are getting increasingly sophisticated. Soon, they will ask for nothing less than refined stage lighting and sound effects. They have appreciated the show as dull as it has been but now want it presented differently.
"If we are going to remain relevant as players in the entertainment industry, we must, besides growing musicians and actors, nurture technicians to support the industry," says Mr Asad Rajput who is a pioneer lights and sound engineer in Kenya.
Rajput, who is the Events Sound n Lights Company director, had just completed his work providing sound and lighting support at the Earth Festival.
We had chants by Afrizo led by the evocative Hellen Mtawali besides a performance by The Arab Orchestra of Nazareth from Galilee.
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