PIC: Trombonists in Kenya!

Today has been a crazy day, so instead of a post I'm going to give you some visual music. Last Saturday was Hero's Day in Kenya, where they celebrated those who struggled against colonial rule. Below is a wonderful picture, courtesy of BBC (Don't Hurt Me Copyright, Here is the link) of a Scout band playing in the celebration.

Luckily for this band, they are eschewing colonialism with their wonderful headdresses in true "native" style.

Random Kate Thoughts: Trombones and baritones! I find it truly fascinating how African "national" bands so often use western instruments. This brass band is very much in the style of marching and uniform like those in Britain, their former colonial rulers. You see this also with African national anthems, which more often than not sound like something John Phillips Sousa, American march-writer most famous for "Stars & Stripes Forever", wrote in his sleep, with some exceptions (Botswana has a great national anthem that is much more "African" for instance).

Africa has such great music! Why don't its national anthems take advantage of the diverse and un-European choral styles, percussive rhythms, and instruments of this fascinating and extremely musical continent?