Sililday Nationj Ocfober 31, 2004 • Lifestyle • on the Stage Against

Sililday NationJ Ocfober 31, 2004 • LifeSTYLE •

On the stage against HIV scourge

By ANTHONY NJAGI good, the scripts were wanting. They said Ben Ngugi. The play, The Runaway, is about there was room for improvement before next a murder suspect who organises the elimina- s the HIV/Aids scourge wreaks hav- year's event. tion of witnesses. However, as with all the A oc, theatre is increasingly becoming In Nyandarua District, a school with no best-laid plans, something gives way. one of the most effective weapons history of successs in the Kenya National Script writer Sarah Achieng, acted as the against this fatal threat to mankind. This is Drama Festival, is determined to put the dis- murderer. Mary Maina was the prosecution what must have inspired Kiambu District trict back on the national map. It is Karima witness who gets murdered, while Christine

Cultural Officer Cecily Githinji to mobilise Girls School, deep in the Aberdare ranges. Muckemi played the witness's daughter, who

18 theatre groups to hold an HIV/Aids Last weekend, the school hosted its first will go to any lengths to unveil the murderer.

Awareness Drama Festival at Kiambu Social drama day, staging plays, verses, dances, and The students also presented a thrilling

Hall last weekend. oral narratives. The Karima emergence is the dance on corruption titled, Ungumania. Also brainchild of the Principal, Mrs Catherine thrown in was a Luo cultural dance, Akinyi.

The festival couldn't have come at a better time, as the district ranks second in Central Irungu, a former award-winning producer All in all, it was an educative and entertain-

Province in HIV prevalence. The participants with Tumutumu Girls School. She and her ing day for the guests. Veteran writer and included Ting'ang'a Artisans Group, Banana husband, veteran producer Irungu Kibiru, director Joseph Murungu adjudicated, and won the national finals eight years ago assisted by Munene wa Mumbi.

Cultural Group, Ndumberi Drama Group and KAA Africa. They presented plays, with their play, The Heir. "This is an early start in preparations for poems, oral narratives and dances, all on The students did the work with a little next year's festivals," said Mrs Irungu. Photo/AnthonyNjagi HIV/Aids. Adjudicators Nelson Mbugua and guidance from Mrs Irungu and drama teach- ers Gichuru Ng'ang'a, Elizabeth Manu and [email protected] Christine Muchemi and Mary Maina act in a play on corrup- Abby Warui said that though the acting was tion during the Karima ~irlsDrama Day last week. Usher tops awards with 5 nominations ew York: American musician Usher Raymonds is feeling dancing heels is Alicia Keys, with four nominations. Keys N the vibe. The Rhythm & Blues singer leads the second . annual Vibe Awards with five nominations. Right on his also will perform at the November lS show. Other performers include Nelly, Snoop Dogg with Pharrell, Ashanti, Jadakiss and Beenie Man. The awards show will take place at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport in California. Nominations were determined by Vibe's editorial staff. Winners in each category are decided by votes from music journalists and "regional tastemakers." Usher and Keys are both up for Artiste of the Year, as well as Jay-Z, Kanye West and Twista. Some of the other award categories are less traditional, including hottest hook, reelest video and street anthem. Queen Latifah is the executive producer and will appear on the show. The host and other presenters will be announced at a later date. Usher's sale of more than 1.5 million units of his album, Confessions, is the highest-ever chart debut for a R&B artiste. Since he made his debut at 16, in 1994, he remains solid. Two of Usher's hits, U Remind Me and U Don't Have To Call, won Grammys for Best .) Male R&B in 2001 and 2002, \.J respectively. Thanks to the pre- release of the club hit, Yeah! (featuring Lil Jon and Ludac- ris), Confessions sold 1.1 million copies in its first week, making it the highest-selling album debut since 2001. When the singles Burn and Confessions Pt 2 joined Yeah! in .the Billboard Top 10, Usher matched the Beatles in 1964 Usher Raymonds and the Bee Gees in 1978, as the most recent artiste to have th'ree hits in the Top 10 at the same time. Backed by producers P. Diddy and Jermaine Dupri, Usher made a name with his self-titled debut album and the gold hit, Think of You. Released in 1997, My Way featured the platinum hits, You Make Me Wanna... and Nice & Slow. Usher, who also acts, first appeared in Brandy's corned.. Usher, who also acts, first appeared in Brandy's comedy series, Moesha, and then hit the big screen with the films, The Faculty, She's All That, Light It Up, and Texas Rangers. In 1999 he put together his best live tracks and released Usher Live. He recently played Jackie r "Wilson in 2004's Ray, a biopic of music legend Ray Charles. ,Usher is also a dancer often compared to Michael Jackson in the fancy footwork department. Fancy footwork Usher Raymond IV was born on October 14, 1978. His mother, Jonnetta Patton, enrolled him in a church choir when he was six. When he was 12, the family moved to Atlanta, Georgia. In New York, 27 emerging American artistes in theatre, dance and As a medical insurance provider, we believe we should have a healthy relationship film will share a total of $400,000in grants awarded on Wednesday to winners of the 2004 Princess Grace Awards. Prince Albert of with our doctors. In most instances, our clients get to see the doctor of their choice and we Monaco, son of the late princess and former actress Grace Kelly, will allow for independent evaluation and have minimal exclusions, so as you can imagine, preside over the awards gala in midtown New York sponsored by the we have dealings with lots and lots of-doctors. Princess Grace Foundation-USA and hosted by actress Sharon Stone. Over the last year, our diagnosis from them has been excellent. But don't take our In London, British singer Marc Almond, who was badly injured in word for it, ask the doctors who see us every day.You'll find we come highly recommended. a motorcycle crash last month, is recovering in hospital and has been moved out of intensive care. RESOLUTION Almond, who had a worldwide hit in 1981 with' Tainted Love as HEALTH part of duo Soft Cell, was the passenger on a bike that collided with a car near St Paul's Cathedral in central London. He suffered severe Medical Insurance For East Africa. Resolution Health East Africa Limited Roshanmaer Place. Lenana Road injuries after he was thrown into the road. The rider of the motorcy- p.o. Box 4469 00100 GPO Nairobi Kenya. Phone 254020 2894000.Fax 254020 576082.E mail [email protected] cle was also hospitalised.(Agencies) Page ------Trial Version------

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