Muthoni Garland - Millie Jackson in Nairobi

 

 

Hi. Wow. I want to tell you about a story that happened where I grew up in Nairobi, which is a fair distance from here. I'm going to take you back almost 40 years ago. It's always shocking to me when I realize how old I really am. But anyway. [audience laughter] 

 

I was a teenager, 1977. I was crazy about an American musician, and her name was Millie Jackson. I don't know if any of you know Millie Jackson, but she's the one who sang, (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right. I mean, I can't sing it, but I adored that song. I don't know why, because I was a very sweet, well brought up Catholic girl and all that. [audience laughter] But there was something about that song that just spoke to something in me.

 

Anyway, 1977, and I hear in the news that Millie Jackson is coming to Kenya to perform. We'd never heard of such a thing. We didn't even know it is real or it's one of those con people doing some show, doing something. But we decided, and this was a whole neighborhood community where we lived [audience laughter] that we're going to sneak out. It was the first time we'd ever done such a thing, but we were going to sneak out. 

 

I was 16, and we were going to sneak out and go and see the show. So, lots of plans afoot. [chuckles] I tell you it was serious planning, okay? Because where we lived, it was like a row-- I don't know how to describe it in English terms, but anyway, it was like a row of mezzanine. Does that make sense? Anyways, double-story height, but they're all connected to each other? Yeah? We were about six different houses on the road that we were all going to break out that night, okay? [audience laughter] [chuckles] We all had plans, because I don't know if you know this, but Nairobi used to have a reputation. Thank God, it's died away, but it used to be called Nairobbery. It was very unsafe. [audience laughter] 

 

So, all the houses, there were very high walls. Very, very high walls. When I say high, 10 feet high, at least. And so, sneaking out involved removing the glass from the louvres on the second floor, which I never know, because in the UK, I think second floor is first floor. It's mezzanine. I don't know, the floor above this one. [audience laughter] So, anyway, so [laughs] we had to remove the louvers in the afternoon, very gently, so that we don't break any of them, and then tie these sheets from our bed. All this was planned anyway. So, tie these sheets from our bed and somehow propel ourselves, which now I understand is called abseiling. [audience laughter] But anyway, propel ourselves through these louvers and onto this wall that dissected up the houses. So, onto this wall and then lowered the sheet such that we would be able to reach it when we come back. 

 

Anyways, [chuckles] so get onto this wall and somehow-- I can't remember now. There was a guy who lived next door, his foot was six inches shorter, one foot. One leg was so shorter [chuckles] and I can't remember why it was him who was responsible for lowering us once we got onto the wall. [audience laughter] He had to hold us up. Anyway, cut a long story short, [audience laughter] we all made it. That says something about the power of neighborhoods that work together, okay? We all made it. There was a few little risky ones. We had to go help a bit more, but we made it. 

 

Anyway, so we go off to this concert and it was in the new Kenya International Conference Center. It was this huge ball. And the turnout, I think the Americans overestimated the ability of Kenyans to sneak out. [audience laughter] Our parents were not the type to say yes to this foreign disruption of our culture, okay? [audience laughter] So, we got what people pay a lot of money for, and we were right at the front and we danced all night. It was fantastic. 

 

I'll just say this, we made it back. It was long, it was hard, it was arduous. We made it back. At least, in my family, we did. One did get caught. [audience laughter] But in my family, we did. The only thing is, the following morning, my father's reading a newspaper at the breakfast table. And on the cover is this Millie Jackson, and she's wearing a white suit and big sweat stains. [audience laughter] My father is just saying, “How terrible these people come, look at the culture they bring. It's this disgusting, look at this.” [blabbers] We're just fascinated at the photograph, because right there in the front, all of us, all of us. I recognize every single person on that road cheering on Millie Jackson. And that's my story. Thanks for sharing.