As I reflect on the last two weeks in my room in Nairobi, Kenya, I am filled with nostalgia. These last two weeks have been nothing short of amazing. Saying goodbye to my Indian and Scottish friends on Sunday morning was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. The thought on everyone’s mind was, undoubtedly, “Do we really have to go back home this quickly? Can’t we have an extra week?”
Nevertheless, I am very grateful to have been part of the Scokendia Ensemble. For me, travelling overseas to perform with musicians from other parts of the world, on such a platform as the Commonwealth Games, is without a doubt, my greatest musical highlight so far.
I will never forget how utterly shocked I was at the very first rehearsal when we played ‘Karibu Yangu’, a popular Kenyan tune. It sounded so good that I almost put my trombone down to listen! From then on, I knew that as an ensemble, it was only a matter of time before we sounded awesome. And boy, didn’t we! Every audience we played to was very appreciative. And I could tell that the thunderous applause we got was not them just being polite!
Every single day was memorable. From taking a 20-minute power walk to the Conservatoire everyday for a good number of days; to dragging percussion on the streets of Glasgow amidst stares from people; to ceilidh dancing (which, in all honesty, was more of a workout than a dance! Hehe!); to trying to tune my ears to the ubiquitous Scottish accent (which, by the way, is a delight to listen to!); to the ever temperamental Glasgow weather; to seeing men dressed in kilts; to the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond; the list is endless. Many unforgettable things have been forever etched in my mind.
What can I say? It was an amazing two weeks. I have learnt a lot, my mind has been awakened to new possibilities, I have improved musically and I have made friends for life. What more can one ask for?
Scokendia 