KIHD-KEN Debuts to Rousing Reception at Bonfire Festival
BY LYNNISSHA RUNA – SUNDAY ISLES FREELANCER
KENNEDY Foster, 21, better known by his stage as KIHD-KEN, made history by taking the stage for the first time in front of thousands of music fans who attended the live night performance in Honiara.
At the Bonfire Festival 2024, which took place at the Heritage Park Hotel’s Car Park venue in Honiara on Saturday, October 12, he dazzled the audience with his local hit song Mobaele as a new artist in the domestic scene.
He recounted being in Gizo in the Western province two weeks before the Bonfire Festival 2024 when he received a call from Sharzy informing him that Jaro Local wanted to invite him to play at the Born Fire. He said he was taken aback by the invitation and wasn’t prepared for it.
Kennedy told TOURISM MEDIA how honored and happy he was to be performing his well-known local song, Mobaele, live for the first time.
“It was a wonderful sensation. I immediately said “yes” when Jaro Local himself called me that same week when I returned to Gizo, Western Province if I would be interested in doing a gig bracket during the performance.
“Before I took the stage, I had a slightly odd feeling because I knew it would be my first time proving myself in front of thousands of people and, of course, in such a large concert.
“And it was a lot of fun when I did perform that night. The audience’s encouragement and, of course, Jaro Local’s belief in me gave me the confidence I needed.
“I know this experience is only the beginning, but I think I will improve greatly on stage in the future,” Kennedy added.
Kennedy Foster was the third child in a family of four that lived in Vara Creek, East Honiara, with both of their parents. He hails from North Malaita’s region of Tobaita and Lau. Kennedy, who had his grandfather Siliva’s passion for songwriting, completed his Form Six (6) at Saint John Secondary School last year. From Lau in the Malaita province, Siliva is a vocalist for a string band.
When he recorded “Mobaele” at his K3 Studio Records and released it earlier this year, he recalled that it wasn’t very well-liked until he had the brilliant idea to make a song promo on Facebook and TikTok. After that, it went viral and became a well-liked song that everyone could listen to.
“I made a YouTube channel in 2023, but nobody seemed to be aware of it when I released my song. So, on March 12, 2024, I made a promotional video and shared it on Facebook and TikTok. Following the release of that promotional video, people have been asking for links to my YouTube page, and subscribing, and I currently have 4,46k followers.
Mr. Kennedy went on to say that he wanted to thank his classmate Vicky Sam from Tangarare village in the western region of Guadalcanal province for helping him translate the song and for always supporting him in some way. He also thanked Jaro Local, who founded the Bonfire Festival, for recognizing and showcasing his passion through the Bonfire event.
He also expressed gratitude to the fans, all of the Bonfire Festival 2024 sponsors, and the organizing Team.
Tonnie Nuala, a fan attending the Bonfire event, was impressed by Kennedy’s performance of the song Mobaele, expressing his admiration for his performance.
“Even though I enjoyed Kennedy’s song, I was overjoyed because I had never seen him,” Nuala remarked. “I wish him the best in his music career; his song gives a good vibe when it comes to a local language flavor.”
