We should be listening to Zaituni by the beachside, looking at the waves. As many as are of that opinion say, “aye,”
The ayes have it, and as a reward, Zaituni will be gracing the stage of Braeburn Gitanga Road, singing to us tales of loss and heartbreak in a Labor of love. Labour of Love, the musical, is a contemporary musical theatre production inspired by her album of the same name. The production follows a woman’s journey through love, heartbreak and self-discovery, while also combining live music, theatre, movement and immersive sound.
The first time I heard Zaituni sing, my mind thought it was the wind. With a whisper so sultry, breaking your heart singing ..inakuuma na sishughuliki. Then cautioning, ..nilikuambia malipo ni hapa duniani hukuskiza. Even in its most angry state …because the glass slipper doesn’t fit anymore… the lash feels like a caress rather than a scolding. The one thing constant in all these states is that you are swaying. You have to sway! The wind is strong, and it is whispering beautiful tunes. That is Zaituni.
Labour of Love is brought to you by Creative’s Garage Initiative, developed in collaboration with UK creatives.
Who are creatives at Garage, you ask?
Creatives Garage started the way all great things start. Creative Garage’s founder, Thayu, all bright-eyed with her background in film, wanted to create films, but alas! (Factors affecting bado ni zile zile). So, with this problem in mind, they set out to find, among other things, like-minded people who would be part of a community where creatives could, and in Thayu’s words, “share knowledge, create dope stuff and eventually take our products to market, and that is what we have done all these years”.
Mine is just to echo what Thayu said because Sondeka festival (2026) felt like a community. Like an afternoon hang on the block, but it’s just creatives showcase their work. The name means exactly what you think it means.
First of all, 90’s sheng came through with this one. I can’t believe when I was a kid saying ‘tunasondeka’ it would translate to a whole festival years later”.
–Thayu remarks tongue-in-cheek.
And Sondeka, they have been doing.
A festival should be a place where you get a bit of everything, nikama buffet, you know rice, soup na Ki-melon to top it up. I enjoyed curating a space that anyone could find their tribe and then in finding their tribe discovered other cool stuff and people they could interact with,”
–Thayu says, in their defense.
Imagine barter trade for art. You bring your clothes; I will bring my models. You bring your kikapus, I bring my jewelry. I bring my movies; you bring your music. I bring my tattoos, you bring your painted art. I bring my food and drinks; you bring your games. Ukitoka hapo uskie miguu imechoka, you can stretch them, on the rooftop as you watch other artists skate, all while still listening to a DJ who was dropping bangers after bangers.
This must have been what Sauti Sol were envisioning when they sang “tonight we are young, high and in love.” High and in love with the art, of course.
As someone who had experienced other facets of Creatives Garage and was now experiencing Sondeka for the first time, I was simply a Wairimu in a Waru farm.
After this experience, Creatives Garage went back to the garage and is now promising more dopeness on October 17th at Braeburn Gitanga Road through a literal Labour of love. Even Thayu lacks words “…. wah! This will be fire!’
To book exclusive events with a TICKETING PARTNER visit tickets.sanaapost.com 😎👊🏿
