Page 71 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 4
P. 71
ART PERSONALITY ART PERSONALITY
Quentin (22), Moses (24), Mark word? to talk about the things that are
(21) and their manager Warris Quentin: When we were danc- happening.
(22) from the group ‘Affiliat- ing, I was doing spoken word Mark: Love. I love what I do, I
ed’ gave us insights into their part-time, though I wasn’t sure love poetry and I love stories.
journey and passion for spoken about it, but then, slowly after
word poetry. Their instrumen- the dance started fading away, What do you talk about?
talist, Dougie, joined us at the the spoken word started coming Moses: Generally, we talk about
very end but his value to the out. Then everybody came on politics, corruption and the way
board, until where we are today.
people mis-run institutions. For
group was very evident. Affili- It’s been a journey. 3 years. example we have a piece about
ated are students of journalism, sports and how there is misman-
broadcast journalism (Quentin) So you haven’t given up, agement in Kenya.
and pharmaceutical technology which means you’re either Mark: I write on three bases. I
(Moses) at the Technical Uni- winning competitions or write on what I believe in, what I
versity of Mombasa, they have you’ve found something in see and what I hear. If I see peo-
literally pulled themselves up this? ple like probably in Mombasa
by sheer determination. Their Moses: Yes, there is something getting killed, I write about that,
talent, dedication and message in this. A person like me, I come that’s a story I tell people about
have earned them respect in from somewhere remote and that. I can tell people about reli-
their circles and they have a I really wanted to change what gion, somebody can get a story
out of that.
debut album, ‘Doh ya fare na I see around there, but I didn’t Quentin: Sounds of revolution.
ndoto’ (money for busfare and know how to exactly. But when How would you summarize your
dreams) in the works. They live I started venturing into word, it message?
in Mombasa. opens up your mind to all this. Quentin: One thing we always
Quentin: What spoken word
have as the main message is
gave me is freedom, because
Interview by Msingi Afrika Team that love will rescue us. We sim-
personally I have been weak
ply tell people to love one anoth-
in speech but through spoken
er. We want to reawaken their
word I can speak in front of
mental senses, because right
masses without shaking but ini-
now we live in a society where
tially I couldn’t.
rules are there but nobody is fol-
Mark: I joined this group later. I
lowing them. It’s like a vehicle
was a friend to Quentin and Mo-
and potholes, we’re shaking. So
ses and Warris. I could write but
Tell us about ‘Affiliated’. not perform, so these guys moti- we’re trying to tell people to take
How did it start? Why is it vated me a lot. I said this is what it easy.
called ‘Affiliated’? I want to do. It boosted my con- Mark: Our message hits every-
Quentin: Affiliated means we fidence, even my writing. That’s one in the society.
are linked to whatever we are how MarkMyWords came about. How is the message being re-
doing and we are also linked ceived?
Moses: I think the message is
together as brothers. Affiliated What drives you?
started way back in 2016 when driving home, because if I create
Quentin: There is a saying,
we joined the university. We “Discipline keeps you where an event and people turn up that
started as a dance crew! talent takes you” and so what means that they really want to
Moses: We had dope moves hear my piece of mind.
keeps us going is the discipline.
but then there was a competition Quentin: I could also say that
When we ventured into spoken
held here at school, and we lost, the message has been received
word and saw the opportunities
and we don’t really like losing, it had, we decided to venture in equal measures. When some-
so we decided to venture into into it professionally. We are body tells me I was inspired by
another field where we can win. your piece then it really bless-
brothers; we work by the code
es me as a writer because
of brotherhood. We keep each
How did it lead to spoken other on track and the things what I wanted to achieve I have
we see daily inspire us to do it, achieved it.
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