The Film
Three musicians travel to Kenya in search of music and peace.
Where they find one, they find the other.
The Film
Three musicians travel to Kenya in search of music and peace.
Where they find one, they find the other.
Poster art by Diana Benocilla
AVOICE4PEACE
AVOICE4PEACE offers a rare glimpse at the vibrant and expressive musical culture of Kenya and illustrates the meaningful contribution of three musicians who are using music - humanity’s universal language - to bring about peace in Kenya and around the world.
The film explores concepts of international musical collaboration, the global refugee crisis, socio-economic challenges and cultural differences that can trigger conflict, and the idea that peace begins and ends with the individual. It teaches us that violence does not occur in a vacuum; that it’s the thousand little decisions we make every day that lead to an act of violence.
This timely and unforgettable documentary plants the idea in our minds that if we would just stop what we are doing and sing together -- this most companionable of arts -- we could bring peace and harmony between ourselves and others.
Released by Bud Simpson and Co.
Meet Okello
"When I heard it [Ukuthula] for the first time - I just look at the writing and I hear the sound - I said I’ll do it. Because I want the whole world to hear me, to hear me speak of peace.
-Okello (South Sudanese refugee)
Meet Okello
"When I heard it [Ukuthula] for the first time - I just look at the writing and I hear the sound - I said I’ll do it. Because I want the whole world to hear me, to hear me speak of peace.
-Okello (South Sudanese refugee)
A Musical Journey Through Kenya
The film begins just days before an international peace concert, and Ken Wakia, Kevin Fenton, and Maureen Obadha travel across Kenya in search of music and peace; where they find one, they find the other.
In the Mara, they discover the colorful and vibrant musical culture of the Maasai and learn that in Africa, music is life. Traveling on to Nairobi, a trip to Kibera demonstrates that where there is music, there is joy, despite the challenges and barriers of poverty and the realities of the day-to-day in one of Africa’s largest urban slums.
As the concert date steadily approaches, Ken and Maureen travel to Kakuma Refugee Camp and teach Ukuthula to a refugee choir of four hundred young people, who despite their situation are some of the world’s most devoted peacemakers.
Orphaned children at Magoso Primary School sing each day as part of their instruction. The school is located in the heart of Kibera, Africa's largest urban slum.
Dr. Kevin Fenton, an American choral conductor, watches a Maasai tribe perform a dance in a manyatta village in the Mara.