The St. Kizito Choir Pandipieri, Kenya Click image to enlarge
“H
e who sings prays twice,” St. Augustine is believed to have said. The St. Kizito Choir Pandipieri, Kenya, brings this saying to life every time they sing.
The choir sprang from within the Kisumu Urban Apostolate Programme (KUAP), commonly called Pandipieri, a leading humanitarian organization which addresses community health and the needs of women and children and other vulnerable groups in Kisumu, Kenya. The Pandipieri facility also houses the WiRED International Faye and Sheldon Cohen Community Health Information Center. Kisumu, an underserved port city in Western Kenya, has one of the country’s highest rates of poverty and poorest health conditions.
We invite you to listen to the joyful sounds of the St. Kizito Choir by clicking here!:
Choral music boasts a long tradition in Africa. Before colonization a harmonic music culture existed throughout the continent. Some tribes in Kenya were known for their polyphonic and homophonic choruses. Today as then music plays a happy role in African communities.
The choir, which just released its first CD, comprises local men and women who are living their faith in song. The group, named for Saint Kizito, the youngest of the Ugandan Christian martyrs (1886), is led by choirmaster Collins Ochieng, who says, “We have had exchange programs with other choirs, music extravaganzas, music competitions at different levels and other invitations. We hope our music will help in facilitating the active participation of all in worship and will also enhance the spirit of devotion.”
The St. Kizito Choir Pandipieri, Kenya Click image to enlarge
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” —Plato
Since 2002 WiRED has partnered with Pandipieri to provide health and medical education and a range of outreach programs to schools, churches and communities. Further, WiRED staff at our center — including many choir members — work with local medical schools and universities on public health issues such as HIV/AIDS, maternal and child care, malaria, hypertension, diabetes and many other illnesses.
Music and Health Go Hand in Hand
Music has healing power. According to research, music can ease pain and stress, heighten mood and shorten recovery from stroke. What does music do for you?
