Daily Nation – Friday, September 1 – 2006
Interview: Elly Wamari (ewamari@nation.co.ke)

MY TAKE Odak Onyango
Founder of Kenya Performing Arts Group, which leaves the country at the end of September for a two month tour of the Netherlands.
An Actor and dancer, Odak also recently founded the Nairobi International Festival of the Arts (NIFTA), which is a five-day carnival of performances by local and foreign performing arts groups in selected parts of Nairobi. The inaugural NIFTA ended on August 26.
Odak is also a founder of the Factory Club where individuals and groups to present their acts to an audience every Friday at the Kenya Cultural Centre to gauge responses.
Would you panic if your pants dropped on stage?
Well, I would improvise something quickly and make it part of the act. It’s often advisable to be prepared for such odds. The “what if?” question is very important. Odd happenings do occur on stage sometimes. Even big actors drop in unexpected lines by mistake. The bottom-line is to make it appear very normal if that happens on stage.
What one thing would you change in the performing arts scene?
The high financial expectations that people often have. When I took the NIFTA idea around, I noted that people, though receptive of the concept, expected a lot of money in return. I understand that there is need to put bread on the table, but I also wish that in this field, people focus first on the long-term impact of their productions rather than what will be given to them.
How would you depict the present parliament in an act?
As a king in a big castle, who needs to come out to the masses in December and give out Christmas gifts. I have come to realise after NIFTA 2006, that to represent the majority is not the easiest thing, especially where there is a lot of expectations. But that does not mean that our parliaments should barricade themselves and then dish out little amounts of cash to their constituencies instead of coming up with long-term policies to address their problems.
Would you recommend dance as therapy to the heartbroken?
Yes. Go out and just dance. Even you, when you feel tired, just try dancing for a little while and you will realise how fresh you feel. By the way, dance is a universal communication media with which you can reach anybody. I think that within dance, there is so much dialogue.
The most outrageous role you’ve ever played is…
That of a henchman who would agree with whatever the boss said, and even add salt to statements made by the boss. People booed me for that. I look back and say I will never play such a role. I mean, I will never be a henchman in real life.
Your free time is taken up by…
My baby. I am a father of a little girl. She is four months now. She takes all my free time, and I love it!
What is least known about you?
Most of my peers don’t know my background. They don’t know that I was born in Mathare. Many people don’t know too, that I often expect to fail rather than succeed.
What urban dream will NIFTA achieve?
NIFTA’s theme (“Bridging the urban dream”) is actually about the millennium development goals. Placing the festival in slum areas and involving people there has the effect of drawing international attention to what goes on in those areas. After three NIFTA’s, I see a situation in which big talent from these poverty-stricken areas will eventually find beneficial international exposure as issues afflicting them get highlighted and possibly addressed. Don’t you think that, in itself, will bridge something?