There are messages that are every advert portrays. The obvious, immediately noticeable ones, which are usually whatever the advert is advertising; the product. Then there are subliminal messages. A case in point is the Airtel TV commercial Shikisha Story.
The main point of the advert is that the more you talk the more free airtime points you get. The script goes, a young man calls his mother and tells her that he wants to be a rapper. This is how he knows to get free talk time, because as soon as he says that, his mother goes into a frenzy. He later says that he is quitting his job to egg her on. The parents are in such a panic and even show up to his house in the middle of the night.
This commercial brings out issues on how Kenyan parents view The Arts; the arts being Art Craft and Music - yes I hail from that glorious era. I did all these 3 subjects in primary school and even then, they did not take them seriously - so much so that they were eliminated from the syllabus.
In the TV commercial the boy mentions that he wants to be a rapper. His mother immediately flips out; she says there is no way he can do that after they took him to school, what is he doing, etc. So basically, the advertisement is telling kids to yes, get more talk time for talking longer, but also - if you go to school, please don't waste your parents' money and become a rapper.
This is only one example - but we all know Kenyan parents think like this. Art is a failure, not a failsafe, to that generation. Forget about the fact that art just gave Okwiri Oduor, winner of the Caine Prize, 1.5 MILLION shillings. Forget that off the top of anyone's head, people can name artists IN KENYA who are LIVING off their art- whether musicians or rappers or poets or writers or photographers (Aaron Rimbui. Eric Wainaina. Kato Change. Victor Peace. Mark Kiarie. Owuor Arunga. Juliani. Nonini. DNG. DJ Stylz. DJ Pinye. Ian Mbugua...)
Speaking of Lupita Nyong'o, her win of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress was a turning point for how Kenyan parents view the Arts. Suddenly there was a perfect poster child for every Kenyan child! A KENYAN actress. On an INTERNATIONAL stage. Winning an Oscar. That meant it could be done! Granted, people may say, oh, she was an MP's daughter etc. But not all successful artists in our country are MP's children. The point is not where she came from; the point is that it was done. And that there is a way to do it - and she showed it to us.
The mentality is slowly changing. In time we will fully embrace art as a profession, and a logical career, and something to be respected and aspire to. One day we will have art and music school all over Kenya.
I believe Airtel should sponsor more Art Programs, for the simple reason that the sciences are not everything. Not everyone is going to be a doctor - and YES. Some people want to be rappers. AND THAT IS OK.
Life is painful. It has thorns, like the stem of a rose. Culture and art are the roses that bloom on the stem. The flower is yourself, your humanity. Art is the liberation of the humanity inside yourself.”
― Daisaku Ikeda
The main point of the advert is that the more you talk the more free airtime points you get. The script goes, a young man calls his mother and tells her that he wants to be a rapper. This is how he knows to get free talk time, because as soon as he says that, his mother goes into a frenzy. He later says that he is quitting his job to egg her on. The parents are in such a panic and even show up to his house in the middle of the night.
This commercial brings out issues on how Kenyan parents view The Arts; the arts being Art Craft and Music - yes I hail from that glorious era. I did all these 3 subjects in primary school and even then, they did not take them seriously - so much so that they were eliminated from the syllabus.
In the TV commercial the boy mentions that he wants to be a rapper. His mother immediately flips out; she says there is no way he can do that after they took him to school, what is he doing, etc. So basically, the advertisement is telling kids to yes, get more talk time for talking longer, but also - if you go to school, please don't waste your parents' money and become a rapper.
This is only one example - but we all know Kenyan parents think like this. Art is a failure, not a failsafe, to that generation. Forget about the fact that art just gave Okwiri Oduor, winner of the Caine Prize, 1.5 MILLION shillings. Forget that off the top of anyone's head, people can name artists IN KENYA who are LIVING off their art- whether musicians or rappers or poets or writers or photographers (Aaron Rimbui. Eric Wainaina. Kato Change. Victor Peace. Mark Kiarie. Owuor Arunga. Juliani. Nonini. DNG. DJ Stylz. DJ Pinye. Ian Mbugua...)
Speaking of Lupita Nyong'o, her win of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress was a turning point for how Kenyan parents view the Arts. Suddenly there was a perfect poster child for every Kenyan child! A KENYAN actress. On an INTERNATIONAL stage. Winning an Oscar. That meant it could be done! Granted, people may say, oh, she was an MP's daughter etc. But not all successful artists in our country are MP's children. The point is not where she came from; the point is that it was done. And that there is a way to do it - and she showed it to us.
The mentality is slowly changing. In time we will fully embrace art as a profession, and a logical career, and something to be respected and aspire to. One day we will have art and music school all over Kenya.
I believe Airtel should sponsor more Art Programs, for the simple reason that the sciences are not everything. Not everyone is going to be a doctor - and YES. Some people want to be rappers. AND THAT IS OK.
Life is painful. It has thorns, like the stem of a rose. Culture and art are the roses that bloom on the stem. The flower is yourself, your humanity. Art is the liberation of the humanity inside yourself.”
― Daisaku Ikeda
