Lynnshosaha Foundation stages live music performance to help address mental health issues and improve happiness targeting the vulnerable elderly individuals in the rural communities.
Wickline Obong’o, the founder of Lynnshosaha Foundation, expresses concern that many elderly individuals are being neglected in their homes, often left without adequate care or companionship. This lack of support, she says, is contributing to a rise in depression among this vulnerable population.
“When you visit the elderly at home, you often find them lonely and sad. Even their grandchildren do not frequently come from town to visit them,” Obong’o says.
The Foundation hosted a live and interactive music concert in the Kibigori area of Muhoroni Sub-county, Kisumu County, featuring solo artists who performed iconic classical music hits from the 1950s and 60s. This event transformed the once tranquil village into a vibrant hub of excitement, creating a frenzy of joy and energy among the residents.
In the middle of people going crazy and dancing their hearts out, old dance legends showcased their dance moves during the joyful performance by Simon Krebs – a musician from Germany known for his classic music covers, bringing with it a wave of energy and excitement that awakened the village from its slumber.
The initiative is designed to engage and entertain senior citizens and enhancing their health and wellbeing. “We have come to the remote village so we could sing for our grandparents, lift their spirits, take away some of the sadness they have been carrying and let them know they have family who remember them,” she says.
John Okello Ochola, 81, from the Nyakoko area, Muhoroni Sub-county, who attended the event, was extremely nostalgic about the music he listened to when he was barely a teenager.
“We are grateful for this event because listening to music we cherished during our youth has reawakened our dancing spirits. The joy we have shared today will help us to speedily transition the mourning stage following the death of my sister that occurred a few years ago at this home,” said the octogenarian.
Millions of older adults globally are silently struggling with depression and anxiety, affecting seven and 3.8 percent of individuals aged 60 and above, respectively.
According to a new study – Group arts interventions for depression and anxiety among older adults led by Queen Mary University of London researchers- group arts interventions such as painting, music, or dance can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety among older folks.
In Kenya, the older population, age 60 and above, is facing poverty, limited work opportunities, and healthcare access challenges. The group comprises about six percent of the total population, estimated at 2.7 million people in 2019, according to a report released in 2023 by the National Council for Population and Development.
To address the gap, Krebs and Obong’o through their foundations partnered to provide community fun music sessions for the elderly to promote socialization, mental, physical as well as emotional wellbeing to help combat loneliness.
“For the past five years, I have been doing live music for the elderly in over 500 retirement homes around the world. Now we are singing the old songs that our grandparents cherished in the 50s and 60s here in Kibigori village, Kisumu County,” the artist says.
Armed with his small little speaker set, the solo artist has visited various eldercare homes in Germany, Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Munich, Cologne, the Caribbean, Portugal, USA and Kenya entertaining old audiences, some immobile and tucked in a wheelchair.
“We sang the songs when they were 16, 17, 18, when they were in their prime. Some audiences are sedentary due to aging and cannot even manage to reach the singing venues, so we follow them to their rooms, and we give them two or three songs, a serenade for just one person. There is a lot of emotion involved on both sides,” he notes.
Performing for a Kenyan audience, Krebs explains, has given him the chance to explore and experiment with how musical innovation and Kenya’s rich cultural diversity shape the responses of audiences from varied backgrounds.
He regards the platform as a means for socio-cultural exchange, offering an opportunity for further collaboration with the local artists and to advance his mission across different regions.
“We have so far conducted a similar show in the Mikindani area, in Mombasa County in early April and people were joyfully dancing and laughing. It was lots of fun for everyone, those classic songs bring people together,” Krebs stated.
His music selection spans classic genres such as pop, soft rock, jazz, and country, featuring iconic artists like The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Walt Disney, and Frank Sinatra. These legendary figures have left an enduring legacy, with songs that continue to resonate and influence audiences today.
“I have been listening to this old music all my life, so my performances are authentic. I never sing anything that people want me to sing, but I only sing songs where I’m emotionally involved so I can transfer that emotion to other people.”
By Robert Ojwang’
