A screeching yell ripped by way of the residence that Wednesday evening, “Ahhhhh, we’re being invaded!”. My mother rushed into the living space. I pointed to the flickering tv screen. “Look,” I whispered in disbelief. A few seconds of silence followed. There they were, the words I in no way thought would appear on our 29 inch Sony screen: “Sizzlin’ Hot Country”. The look of American country music on the Kenyan airwaves was the most current sign that American culture had penetrated the borders of my country. The airing of Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton on the neighborhood tv station is not the only evidence of the rapid spread of American culture in Kenya. A single look at a substantial portion of its youth and this cultural invasion will come to be apparent. Baggy pants, Nike, pop music and malls, symbols of American youth culture can now be related with the Kenyan teenagers. The Nike phenomenon hit Kenya quite a few years ago. My classmates in key college were obsessed with the American brand name that had rocked the global shoe market. Their college desks had the Nike name and logo painted on in each and every colour imaginable. Not being capable to afford some of the merchandise, many resorted to drawing the logo on bags, garments, shoes and other visible possessions. Turning up to a class party with the trademark tick appearing on one’s footwear merely produced one particular the center of interest. My favored pair of shoes, I have to admit, were a pair of black Nikes which raised a lot of brows and turned just as quite a few heads.
Secondary college had its fair share of examples of the cultural invasion. In most schools in Kenya, students dress in uniforms. For instance, in my college it was compulsory to wear a white shirt, gray pants, black leather footwear, a green tie and green sweater. The American influence was still evident despite this homogenous look. Pete was an example of a victim of the culture invasion. He would usually be noticed with his pants held precariously at his hips only by a belt. Sagging quickly caught on with a lot of students and yet once again, I admit, with me. Sagging most likely had its origins in the well known American hip hop that seems on quite a few neighborhood channels. Even though walking about in school, I would obtain students mimicking the popular ‘2 Pac’ and ‘Dr. Dre’, with a “Wesssaaid” sounding in the air sometimes. A friend was also nicknamed…