Blankets and Wine April Edition 2023-A Powerful Kenyan Experience

By Wanjiku Thuku

Kasarani Grounds was ablaze on Sunday afternoon as people from all social classes thronged the venueLaureate Gardens to witness the first ever all Kenyan Musical experience of this generation. The setup this time had fewer vendors who were all selling so many thrift market merchandise like hair and beauty products ,skincare and body artwork, oil paintings,jewelry,clothes,food and drinks of all kinds including some of the best wines which people could sample from Dompo Wine Company, Mikado ,Khor, Saint Mary, For You Rose amongst many other from Tanzania like Altar Wine. There was also a huge stage setup for all live performances in the main field then a smaller stage at the food and drinks village.

The artist lineup included the ever so lovely Lisa Oduor with her angelic voice, Xenia Mannaseh,a young sensational artist who has just released her new album, is a grammy award nominee and a ghost writer for Tems and a few other big artists locally and internationally. The legendary Les Wanyika Live Band performed all their golden hits like ‘Sina Makosa’,Boutross of the popular hit song ‘Angie’ who brought so many surprise artists from Kenya and Nigeria to perform with him onstage as they belted tunes while giving roses to their female superfans.Nviiri the Storyteller was also quite unique and electrifying with his soothing rnb tunes and amapiano hit songs accompanied by an elctic all female live band that were absolutely phenomenal.

Nyashinski needed no introduction, for he owned the stage, gave his heart ,mind and soul into his whole live performance which was quite mind boggling as it was so well executed, with the help of his live to him since band ,his team members served the revelers in the front row a surprise chocolate cake, Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky as the patrons sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to him since his actual birthday is on Friday April 7th.He performed for two hours straight with songs from the 20 or so years of pure solid authentically Kenyan music mostly singing and dancing to the ‘Lucky You’ Album tracks like ‘Malaika’,’Mungu Pekee’,’Haiyawani’,’Bebi Bebi’,’Aminia’ and ‘Sweet Aroma’ just to name a few.

The Level Up Tent managed by the Velo Team had really nice adult games like TIC-TAC-TOE with tumbler cups in the new flavor colors, a dancing digital VTR game, a photobooth with an actual lens protruding from the front of the desk, a nice setup of colored lounge seats,swings,a well-lit up tunnel walkway with fibre glass floors, samples of velo in each corner for revelers to try. Beefeater London also had an exquisite and unique setup of various swings, a red tunnel walkway, a caravan for the cockteliers to serve the revelers with various beefeater cocktails, a London phone booth, a lounge of African seats with a YouTube sports tube round cubicle seat and a 360-revolver booth with fake speakers as props and table tennis for kids and adults to enjoy the ambience. Iko Toilet company provided the mobile toilets for both ladies and gentlemen, there was a cute flower arrangement stand by Mesmerize Kenya Company and Malfy who setup a vvip tent with African lounge seats.