the season of Big rain – by Nyokabi Kariuki
for Marimba Trio

I never hesitate to look for guidance and inspiration for my pieces in home, Kenya. My ethnic group, the Kikuyu, are farmers, and seasons are based on planting and harvest. The season of ‘big rain’ is known as Mbura ya Njahĩ, which refers to the rain that comes that allows the beans to grow (usually from April to July). When writing the piece, I found myself thinking of the sound of the tapping of rain on the roof of our home in Kĩrĩnyaga, where my father and his sisters grew up. It is one of my most favourite, most peaceful places to be.

The piece therefore follows the journey of a gentle rainstorm, featuring sounds of the glimmer of lightning, the low rumble of thunder, and the quiet taps of raindrops – on a leaf, on the ground, and on a rooftop in Kĩrĩnyaga.

The piece will be premiered by members of the Heartland Marimba Quartet in January, 2021.
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Copyright © 2020 Nyokabi Kariuki. All Rights Reserved.

the season of Big rain (Mbura ya Njahĩ) | for Marimba Trio (MIDI recording) | by Nyokabi Kariuki

Kenyan composer/performer, currently based in the USA.
piano, vocals, mbira.

Nyokabi (Profile 2)