Stephen Osieyo
LOKASSA RHYTHM: THE CULTURED GUITAR
While still under the tutelage of the legendry rhythmist Dechaud Mwamba with the great African Jazz of Grand Kalle, Nico and Tabu ley,...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Mar 8
- 11 min
1,000 YEARS OF CULTURAL FARE EATING
AND WE ARE JUST GETTING WARMED UP TO THIS CULTURAL PRACTICE Luo funerals bring people together. And like the founding president Jomo...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Feb 10
- 12 min
OCHIENG’ KABASELLEH: THE LUO ST VALENTINE
TRIBUTE TO PROF MAGOHA: THE LAST LUNNA KIDDI I remember this conversation about a soul singer with some female colleagues. I was...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Jan 21
- 10 min
LUO SIDE CHIC: THE XYZ OF "LEP YUACH"
THE RISE AND THE RISE AND STILL THE RISE OF "LEP YUACH" Lately it is like I am writing memoirs of my mother. But so be it, I went missing...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Jan 2
- 10 min
PELE: hono (Incomparable)
The perfect graphic description of this soul is unfortunately in a scoff by a Brazilian world cup winning coach fondly nicknamed Big...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Dec 24, 2022
- 10 min
NAMLOLWE CHRISTMAS RUSH
YESTERYEARS LUO CHRISTMAS SEASON I was born in the 1950s and my early childhood covered much of 1960 and 1970. The Christmas I grew up...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Dec 17, 2022
- 7 min
TSHALA MUANA: IT'S MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR
It is the football world cup season. So let us begin from football. And in matters world cup football Brazil comes first. Why? Because...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Dec 4, 2022
- 9 min
HOW LUO CULTURE MANAGED CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT
I have a sweet tooth. One of the memories of my mother, Awino NyaBoro Bade Dongo is her observing me putting three spoonful of sugar in...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Nov 10, 2022
- 3 min
FROM UGENYA WITH LOVE IV
There was a reputation that used to precede ladies from Ugenya in the not so distant past. That Ugenya women are wife material because...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Oct 30, 2022
- 3 min
FROM UGENYA WITH LOVE III
Benga Musician Owino Misiani sang, Nyakack un lang’o (the people of Nyakach you are martial). But he did not say Nyakach you are the only...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Oct 15, 2022
- 10 min
VERCKYS KIAMANGWANA MATETA
THE STAR WHO FOUGHT FOR THE LIKES OF KIAMBUSTA, MESSIAH ONDETO, JOHANNA OWALO AND APOSTLE ALPHAYO ODONGO MANGO The whispers of a lone...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Oct 11, 2022
- 1 min
FROM UGENYA WITH LOVE II
Just another true story from Ugenya with Love I met this former INGO expert at communal work place cafe. And one day when taking tea, he...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Oct 6, 2022
- 10 min
OJWANG’ HATARI: A DANGER TO LUO FAMILY UNIT
There is a very pedestrian social media attempt at redirecting the community towards wealth creation with the mantra of “Buy Onagi; Build...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Sep 24, 2022
- 5 min
NYADANDE: The last authentic Waya and Migogo
MARGARET NYADANDE 1935-2021 There is this chapter in the bible where a disciple faces the grilling from Jesus Christ the son of God in...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Sep 17, 2022
- 9 min
SHOULD LUOS CELEBRATE THE QUEEN?
A RESOUNDING 'YES' A QUALIFIED 'MAYBE' AN ADAMANT 'NO' The passing on of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has raised a furore of debate as...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Sep 10, 2022
- 14 min
THE WONDERMENT OF BEING A CLEAN "LUO LOSER"
In the five elections where Sakwa man Raila has lost, it is self-evident that he has been edged out of routine win just for failing to...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Sep 6, 2022
- 3 min
HOW THE LAKE BASIN WAS WON
STRATEGIC THINKING OF ANCIENT RIVER/ LAKE NILOTES Yesterday, a regular reader of my blog wanted to know in Luo genealogy if we are...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Sep 2, 2022
- 1 min
BAABAAAA!
Just when you think he is down and out; When people of little faith start to run away and spite him; When his enemies think it is safe to...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Aug 29, 2022
- 2 min
FROM UGENYA WITH LOVE I
Little is told of spying network by ladies of Ugenya into the Kingdom of Mumia of Wanga. Its Mumia who lent his name to the town of...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Jul 24, 2022
- 7 min
THE PRE-REQUISITE LUO INTERNSHIP: PIDI
When I was seventeen years of age I flirted with thoughts of joining the US Armed forces so that I can sail all over the world as a...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Jul 2, 2022
- 19 min
THE UNORTHODOX NYOMBO (LUO WEDDING).
Culture is very powerful and at full throttle will destroy any resistance in its path. At its friendly best, culture will easily...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Jun 17, 2022
- 9 min
ANATOMY OF DHOLUO LYRICS
DICTIONARY OF DHOLUO LYRICS High riding Ohangla artist Odongo Swagg gives some rap about Chwade ginyundo on a building site. As he...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Jun 3, 2022
- 7 min
THE NEW LUO BACHELORETTES
“Don’t call me a single woman or single mother? Don’t call me a widow? Don’t call me a divorcee. Such names are not culturally available...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Apr 24, 2022
- 3 min
WHO IS WHO IN KANYAMKAGO
I. THE GENESIS OF KANYAMKAGO. Verse 1: And so it came to pass that in about 1250 years ago, Sin Kuru also known as Kuku Lubanga and his...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Apr 10, 2022
- 5 min
KISSING: CONSPICOUSLY ABSENT IN DHOLUO
What happened here? How could such a word go missing in dholuo? Muma maler uses a word that means to suck. Much later I bumped into a...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Apr 2, 2022
- 9 min
THE RELUCTANT ENFORCER OF CIRCUMCISION
The Luo woman has never been thoroughly examined on the issue of male genital circumcision. I mean her role. And her role should be...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Mar 21, 2022
- 2 min
WHO IS WHO IN KADHOLA
I. APELO SONGS Verse 1: And so it came to pass that in about 1250 years ago, Sin Kuru also known as Kuku Lubanga and his 12 wives begot...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Mar 21, 2022
- 2 min
WHO IS WHO IN KWABWAYI
I. KWABWAYI SONGS Verse 1: And so it came to pass that in about 1250 years ago, Sin Kuru also known as Kuku Lubanga and his 12 wives...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Mar 13, 2022
- 3 min
WHO IS WHO IN KOCHIA
I. KOCHIA SONGS Verse 1: And so it came to pass that in about 1250 years ago, Sin Kuru also known as Kuku Lubanga and his 12 wives begot...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Mar 6, 2022
- 7 min
THE UNIVERSALITY OF LUO SNAKE ORGY
About a month ago I tried to share with my daughter a picture of a heap of snakes in a ritual and what it means in Luo culture. She asked...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Feb 17, 2022
- 9 min
ODINGA VERSUS ODINGA IV
This is the last of the series comparing the track record of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and his youngest son Raila Amolo Odinga. We are into...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Feb 6, 2022
- 12 min
DHO-KENDO FOLKLORE: THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM
As the cinders increase the glow of fire slows down. Someone stokes the log to rekindle the intensity. The folklorist notices some of the...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Jan 23, 2022
- 9 min
FLIRTING: THE SERENDIPITY OF LUO CUSTOMS
Workplace Diversity is an interesting subject. I received a practical illustration of what diversity is when I applied for a job just...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Jan 9, 2022
- 8 min
HYPERGAMOUS: THE ANATOMY OF ODONGO SWAGG MUSIC
Forget about Odongo Swagg’s salacious dance hall craze chant of Igoyo gi Nyundo. Young Odongo is jathum. And jathum is jadhum so we...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Dec 30, 2021
- 15 min
WHEN NOTORIETY IS MISTAKEN FOR FAME
Lupita Nyong’o the Kenyan Hollywood actress and model and star of blockbusters 12 Years A Slave and Black Panther may never take part in...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Dec 17, 2021
- 4 min
WHO IS WHO IN SUNA-GIRANGO
I. ABAGIRANGO OGANDA-WA SONGS Verse 1: And Sin Kuru begot Dhiang’, Odongo and Podho I Verse 2: And Podho I begot Ringruok Verse 3: And...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Dec 4, 2021
- 8 min
FACES OF LUO LIBERALISM
Celebrity tv man Trevor Ombija’s choice of vernacular tv station shocked many Luos, liberalised and conservative who felt they knew the...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Nov 21, 2021
- 7 min
THE MISUNDERSTOOD PHASE, PLACE AND FACE OF "UNRULY" LUOS.
When the colonialists arrived in Eastern Africa, they were surprised to find a vibrant strong willed but very civil and governable...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Nov 6, 2021
- 7 min
OTIENO KAJWANG: WHAT MANNER OF MAN
I don’t think you can term the meteoric rise of Homa Bay School as an abuse of power by the late Minster Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya but...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Oct 23, 2021
- 4 min
12600 DHOLUO LETTERS
This is not like Rumba God Franco Luambo Makiadi’s 12600 letters from all over the world castigating family jealousy. This is the story...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Oct 17, 2021
- 7 min
JA-SEM: The Good King Bad.
Sem in dholuo means to bad mouth or to malign someone or something. Even if it is the truth, still to say it in a very inappropriate...
169 views2 comments
Stephen Osieyo
- Oct 9, 2021
- 10 min
SIMBA WANYIKA: AFRICA WITHOUT BORDERS
Ohh Masikini Ohh Poor me, Mimi nina balaa sana I have so much misfortune Nitafanya nini oo, ulimwengu huu What am to do in this life time...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Oct 1, 2021
- 3 min
WHO IS WHO IN KAMAGAMBO
I. KOMBE KOMBE RETREAT CHANTS Verse 1: And Sin Kuru begot Dhiang’, Odongo and Podho I Verse 2: And Podho I begot Ringruok Verse 3: And...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Sep 26, 2021
- 7 min
CULTURE AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AMONG THE LUO.
What is a gynaecologist in dholuo? Or even what is reproductive health in dholuo. I have been trying to find out the direct translation...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Sep 19, 2021
- 12 min
WHY LUO WOMEN ARE BECOMING MILLIONAIRES
Puonj re uru mana (Get well versed with) kwand go yo ndalo (algebraic maths) kod kwand medo ( and arithmetic) Mago ye kwano maber. (those...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Sep 12, 2021
- 9 min
ORIE ROGO: LARGER THAN LIFE
The falcon cannot bear the falconer- Yeats. When the sad news of the passing on of the flamboyant Orie Rogo was scuttling all over the...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Sep 5, 2021
- 9 min
COLLELA MAZEE IS IMMORTALISED
COLLELA'S "HOT GUITAR" WORKS THAT WELDED THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. Is there such a thing as immortalising such a person? Some will...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Aug 28, 2021
- 14 min
WHO IS WHO IN ALEGO
I. ALEGO SYMPHONY Verse 1: And so it came to pass that at Got Ramogi, a younger Imbo son of Jok was born. And Imbo begot Mumbo and Mumbo...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Aug 21, 2021
- 7 min
HOW DID LUOS SPELL DEPRESSION
HOW DO LUOS SPELL DEPRESSION How do Luo people spell depression? And don’t say D… I… P… R… E… S… O… N. First and foremost, what is...
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Stephen Osieyo
- Aug 14, 2021
- 8 min
MARTIN SHIKUKU: WHAT MANNER OF MAN
The Luo Nation all over Eastern Africa had the easiest tribal marks to identify them with. In a recent debate generated by one of my...
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