When a group of 30 Kenyan youths visited Las Vegas in Nevada, US, recently, they were not on a gambling mission. The youths, who form the famous Boys Choir of Kenya, were at the world's gambling capital to promote Kenya as a prime tourist destination.

The choir members, who are aged between 15 and 24, brought the house down one Saturday afternoon at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino where 3,500 tour operators from the US were gathered for a conference.

And, true to their reputation, they went, they sang and they conquered.

The choir, led by Mr Joseph Muyale, performed the choicest traditional African folk songs and even some American classics. After the concert, which was billed as an absolute charmer, they took time to interact with the tour operators.

Two days later, the boys headlined the conference's closing gala dinner, where they brought an audience of more than 3,000 professionals, including hoteliers, tour operators and airline officials to their feet with scintillating beats and tunes. They displayed unmatched prowess in singing, dancing and drum beating.

"They wanted a taste of Africa, and that is what we gave them," says the choir's founder, Mr Muyale, with a contented smile. The choir had gone to Las Vegas courtesy of Micato Safaris, who have decided to market Kenya as a tour destination by demonstrating to potential tourists that there is more to the country than the Maasai and wildlife.

"Tourists have always said that their favourite memory of Africa was not the scenery or animals but its people, so we could think of no better ambassadors than the Boys Choir of Kenya," says Micato Safaris managing director Dennis Pinto. Mr Pinto says he picked the Boys Choir of Kenya as ambassadors after seeing their impressive performances at the Nairobi residence of the US Ambassador to Kenya, Mr Michael Ranneberger, in July. In them, he says, he saw the essence of having Kenya's folk heritage being displayed on stage.

"I thought they were the best representation of the spirit of Kenya," says Mr Pinto.

During their shows in Nevada, the choir performed Maasai and Samburu dances, and others from the Kenyan coast. They also performed Zulu and Baganda dances. They performed at Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, which are famous tour sites in Nevada.

During the visit, they recorded a DVD featuring seven compositions. The DVD will be released and sent to the 3,500 tour operators who attended the US conference. And they have plans for next year.

"We will be taking the boys to Washington DC in April and to the UK in July," says Mr Muyale. The Washington tour is organised by 10 US universities.

The Boys Choir of Kenya was formed by Mr Muyale in 1998. Since their debut as Aquinas Boys Choir at the national music festival in 1989, the boys have been attracting crowds at every concert.

In 1999, at a concert to commemorate the 1998 bombing of the American Embassy in Nairobi, the boys' emotive performances moved everyone present, including former President Moi.

The choir toured North America in 2004, and got rave reviews in the press, including The Bratteleboro Reformer and the Stanstead Review. The Bratteleboro Reformer wrote: "They came, they sang, they conquered."

Source :- allafrica