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In 2019, I went to the Nyege Nyege festival. It was held in and around the Nile Discovery Beach in Njeru, Jinja. As the Content Editor & Events Manager of KQ Africa, I moderated the creative talk sessions at the Festival.
The talks involved some of the most influential Arts and cultural professionals Nyege Nyege could offer.
Meeting Influential Figures at Nyege Nyege
I met a myriad of people, including Machail Stangl of the famous Boiler Room, Marie Daipony, an editor of a renowned Music & Art Magazine called Mixmag, Washington DC-based artist Suzie Analog, Ethiopian-born musician Rophnan, who headlined at the Festival, Rasheeda, the then Arts Manager at British Council, among others.
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Typically, our talk session would run from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Our tent was always full. The only time that I did not moderate was when the talks swung to a discussion about the nonbinary and genderqueer. I kept mixing up my pronouns.
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A Childhood Memory: Facing the Playground Giant
As I relaxed, my mind travelled back to simpler times. I started to daydream about the time I was beaten up by a girl...
Don’t be surprised. I was only 13, and she was twice my age. Anyway, it all started on the playground. I was playing football with my friends when a girl the size of my future fat lip (after it was acquainted with her fist) showed up.
Regardless, I refused. There was no way I was allowing a girl on our side or any side, for that matter. The silence from my peers and the sight of her rage was a warning, but I stood my ground. What followed was a one-sided battle I could never forget.
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A Full-Circle Moment
“Philip,” said the British Journalist who had taken over my moderating role at the Creative Talks. “You may have your microphone back, and thanks for understanding.”
Sure I understood. I understood that this journalist must have been that life-sized woman-child who delivered an ass whipping to me as a 13-year-old. If she did it again, I could save face when reporting her to the cops for assault.
As an adult, she was non-binary. So if I told the police that ‘they’ beat me up, I would look a lot tougher for taking on a group instead of a girl so big she deserved a group discount at every store.