Make Way For The Flickest Grandpas In Nairobi, Kenya

Make Way For The Flickest Grandpas In Nairobi, Kenya 

These funky old men are known as Kabangu, and they're a group of hip hop grandpas who've been around since the sometime in the 1980s. This ultimate band of "true hip hop heads" allegedly double as security guards by night in Kariobangi - one of Nairobi's informal settlements.



By day, the four men are said to educate and mentor up and coming talents within the hip hop avenue. The lyrical champions remained in obscurity until recently, when they joined forces with Kenya's "League of extraordinary grannies" who are high class ladies and have been corporate and government leaders in the 70s.



These women travel to exotic and remote areas in Africa to have fun. Somehow, there is a twist to the whole story. These beautiful women and hip hop grandpas, the whole story is fictional.

They were created by Kenyan digital photographer Osborne Macharia and stylist Kevin Abraham. The pair's editorials which are often shared on Instagram and creative networks have become so popular that many believe Kabangu actually does exist. The series has had over half a million views across the internet.

"The majority of our audience and the people who come across the images and read the stories believe that it's actually true, or that it is something that's about to happen" says Macharia. The duo met in 2014 during an artists showcase and have been working together ever since.

 Research carried out by Macharia and Abraham revealed a special unit of five opticians who hand crafted spectacles that would reveal or spot  enemies at night. Again, because the Mau Mau existed, online, some believed the story was true.




The purpose was to "change up how Mau Mau fighters were portrayed" explains Macharia, adding they were seen by colonials as savages and barbarians with "perverted tribalism". "This was just a project that glorified them [Mau Mau] and what they did for us", "The outfits worn in the editorials are from recycled waste." Abbra explains: "during that time I used to collect garbage and my idea was to turn something that is ugly into something that is positive and that's how we came up with those costumes and the spectacles".

                     

Source: CNN