The Suk Day and Night: We Came, We Danced, We Partied Like No Other

If I were God and I was standing somewhere on a skyscraper and I looked at the roads below on the cool day of 2nd October and I looked closer at Royalton Hotel, I would be surprised at the number of vehicles and people headed towards that place.

It seemed like every other status update was about the Suk Day and Night or Eldy or Royalton Hotel as place to be. The excitement had built up, celebration was in the air, and no one would let it go.

My crew checks at Royalton at 7.20 P.m. I have never seen so many people, such wild excitement, such a congregation of the Suk and others in one single place. I sweep my eyes across and it is like three or more huge buses from Kacheliba brought the Kachelibians: Lokadio is in the ‘house’, Renson is in the place, Loch is on the podium driving the audience crazy with Tene Muyee, Kasauria. Even Lochapale is there.

And while dancing on that night of 2nd of October, I don’t remember the last time I had been so happy. Loch sang as if he had licked some honey straight from the beehive and had been inspired by ‘Prince Marshall Tuturiamoi. He did his thing like no other peeling off one song after another. Tene Muye…Korenyo Kassauria…Chepoloima. Wow, Loch, we demand an Album!

Resplendent in Pokot beauty, they beamed to the world

I had never heard of Chelchel. That diva has talent. Everytime she sang it reminded me of those songs of ‘tongowo’ of the likes of Mafura. And boy, that daughter of a woman has energy! She released one hit after another driving the whole audience crazy. She could gyrate her hips and go this way, that way, this way, that way. Chelchel, no wonder in every Mat in Eldy your song hits!

Then there was Lilian Cheptoo. I never knew you could sing that well! For us, we have been singing in bathrooms, in our bedrooms and deserted corridors but seeing one of our own on the podium singing like no other left us wondering: Where were you all this time? This is the talent we all had been waiting for!

And man, there were plenty of pure and not-so-pure liquids flowing like River Suam. You see, in that moment of happiness you are thinking: Am a Suk, this is Suk Night, there is love all around me, now who can be against me? And you can even scream: Korenjaa Royalton!

For those who were adorned in the traditional regalia. In particular, one man ( I didn’t capture his name, clan name and his geographical locations) who braved the cold Eldy coldness and wore just a vest, a headgear, a shuka and Pokot love around him. And to the bevy of beauties who coloured the Royalton Hotel you graced the occasion and some momentarily forgot if they had problems where they came from.

In my moment of reflection of the Linyo Asil event, I told myself: Lorot Son of the Hills, this is one step in the right direction. We the Suk people have been called bandits, cattle rustlers and legion names. The Suk Day and Night was a letter addressed to all people of goodwill that the Suk have melodies in their hearts and have rhythms in their souls. That we held the event at Royalton was a powerful message that inside us we are humans, that we share in happiness that overflows from the ethnic diversity that is in Kenya.

Loch, of the Teno Muyee fame a.k.a.  rocked the night

Lorot Son of the Hills would wish to say ‘soro nyo wow’ to the think-tanks of Linyo Asil, the Sponsors and those who made it possible. And in a special way, I wish to thank those Eldy guys who were in the dance floor the whole night. You danced as if you were getting paid and Royalton’s dust confirmed that you had checked in town. In particular, I have to thank one individual who called his bull for more than 20 times. Even those who slept near the bonfires and blacked out, we thank you for coming.