Italy has brought something extraordinary and unique to the archaeological site of the Gede Ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site between Malindi and Watamu and one of the most visited places on the Kenyan coast by tourists from all over the world.
In fact, until Saturday evening, no one had ever had the audacity to organise a musical event, a show in the middle of the remains of the ancient Arab settlement in the middle of the forest, where the national museum that protects the ancient buildings stands among ficus and centuries-old baobabs.
It was organised by the Italian Embassy in Kenya, through its cultural office, the Italian Cultural Institute of Nairobi, and thanks to the happy intuition and will of our ambassador, Roberto Natali.
On Saturday evening, ‘Italian Classical Music, Live concert under the light of Gede Ruin’ was performed, a classical music concert with a repertoire of compositions by famous Italian composers, played by the strings of the Enkare String Quartet, one of the best Kenyan classical music ensembles.
But it wasn't only the music that fascinated the more than 300 people present: from the gate of the ancient town, in front of which the musicians performed, to the baobabs and other evocative views, the extraordinary setting magically captured those present and transported them to a timeless dimension where Nature enveloped sounds and colours, giving sensations of true beauty.
After all, we Italians are used to celebrating our historical wonders, often combining them with music, whether sacred or ‘profane’. Just think of Pink Floyd's famous ‘Live at Pompeii’, or the great pop concerts at the Circus Maximus in Rome and in the Greek and Roman amphitheatres throughout Italy.
But in Africa, in Kenya, in places often defined as ‘inhospitable’ or in any case where it is difficult to organise events that have the trappings of a proper happening, nothing like this had ever been seen before.
It's no coincidence that, together with the Italian ambassador and the director of the Institute of Culture, Elena Gallenca, the event was also attended by the governor of Kilifi County, Gideon Mungaro, and a truly diverse audience that included not only fellow countrymen from Malindi, Watamu and Kilifi, but also many Kenyans, Britons and Europeans in general. A great evening that we hope has opened a door to promote, through special events, one of the tourist attractions of the Kenyan coast.