Behind Cross Culture Festival Kenya is Arnold Birgen, better known to many people as MC Matataa.
For Matataa, entertainment did not begin with a big festival. His journey has largely been built around being an MC, working with different audiences, entertainers, and events while gradually creating his own name in Eldoret’s entertainment scene.
Today, that experience has grown into something bigger.
Matataa is the man behind Cross Culture Festival, an entertainment and cultural platform based in Eldoret. The festival brings together music, dance, fashion, food, and different forms of creative expression. Its stated goal is to make Eldoret a place where people from different backgrounds can meet and celebrate culture through entertainment. Cross Culture Festival
But the Cross-Culture Festival is not only about one major festival day.
The team is also building an entertainment brand that can work across weddings, private functions, corporate events, and other social gatherings.
How MC Matataa Built His Name in Entertainment
Arnold Birgen has become better known publicly through his stage name, MC Matataa.
Being an MC means much more than simply holding a microphone.
At weddings, concerts, and other events, the MC is responsible for keeping people involved, controlling the program, and making sure there are no long periods where guests are simply sitting and wondering what is happening next.
That experience has become an important part of Matata’s journey.
His online presence has also helped him reach audiences outside physical events. Public social media analytics tracked the MC Matataa account with more than 250,000 followers at different points in 2026, showing that his entertainment work has also built a sizeable digital audience. Chartex
That combination of live entertainment and social media has given him a platform to promote artists, events, and entertainment around Eldoret and beyond.
From MC Work to Cross-Culture Festival
Cross Culture Festival appears to be the next step in that journey.
The official festival page describes its vision as transforming Eldoret into a place where different cultures come together through art.
Its focus includes music, dance, fashion, food, and other creative forms of expression. The festival also says it wants to bring people from different backgrounds together and create stronger cultural connections. Cross Culture Festival
This is what makes the idea different from an ordinary concert.
A normal concert may mainly focus on the musicians performing that evening. Cross Culture Festival is trying to create a wider experience where several parts of culture and entertainment can exist in one place.
For Eldoret, that creates another platform for artists, DJs, performers, and other creatives to meet audiences.
Cross Culture Festival Also Covers Weddings and Private Events
The cross-cultural idea does not stop at festivals.
With MC Matataa’s background as an events MC, the brand also fits naturally into weddings and private celebrations.
Weddings require coordination between many people.
There are the couple, families, DJ, photographer, caterers, bridal team, and guests. Someone still has to keep everything moving.
That is where the MC becomes important.
Matataa’s role allows the entertainment side of the brand to work beyond concerts and cultural festivals. Couples and event organizers can use the team for wedding entertainment, program coordination, and audience engagement.
This also means Cross Culture can serve people who may never attend the main festival but still need an entertainment team for their own event.
Working With DJs, Including DJ Radijah
Music is another important part of the setup.
Matataa has worked alongside DJs such as DJ Radijah, helping create the MC-and-DJ combination needed for weddings, parties and other live events.
The two roles work differently but complement each other.
The DJ controls the music and understands when to change the mood, while the MC works directly with the crowd and program.
When the two work well together, guests rarely feel like an event has gone quiet.
That partnership becomes especially useful at weddings, where the mood may move from the formal ceremony to speeches, meals, dancing, and an evening party.
Giving Artists a Stage
Another major part of the Cross Culture Festival is artists.
The idea of the festival naturally creates a space where established performers can share the same environment with upcoming talent.
That is important in places such as Eldoret because many young artists struggle with one problem: getting a stage.
An artist may have good music online but still need live events where people can discover them.
Festivals can help bridge that gap.
MC Matataa’s position within entertainment also allows him to interact with musicians and other entertainers, giving Cross Culture the potential to bring together artists from different parts of Kenya rather than limiting the event to one local sound.
The official festival vision supports this wider approach by putting music and creative expression at the center of what it wants to build. Cross Culture Festival Events
More Than Just Music
Cross Culture Festival is not designed as a music only event.
Food is part of culture.
Fashion is part of culture.
Traditional dances, modern performances, and different forms of art can also tell people where a community comes from.
This is why bringing them together can give visitors more to experience than simply watching an artist perform and going home.
Someone might attend because of their favorite musician but end up discovering another culture, fashion style, or food they had never tried before.
That is where the name “Cross Culture” begins to make sense.
It is about different cultures meeting each other.
Why Eldoret Matters to the Cross Cultural Story
The festival has made Eldoret central to its vision.
Eldoret already has a strong name internationally because of athletics. However, there is also a growing entertainment and creative community in the city.
Cross Culture Festival wants to become part of that side of Eldoret.
Its official vision specifically talks about turning Eldoret into a vibrant stage where different cultures meet through art. Cross Culture Festival
For local businesses, such events can also create opportunities.
- Photographers get work.
- Food vendors find customers.
- Fashion designers can display their work.
- DJs and artists get audiences.
- Venues receive bookings.
That means a successful entertainment event can create opportunities for people who are not necessarily standing on the main stage.
Building Cross Culture Into a Wider Entertainment Brand
What started around MC Matataa’s work in entertainment now has room to become something much wider.
There is the festival side, which focuses on culture and creative performances.
There is also the events side, where MC services, DJs, and entertainment can be used at weddings and private functions.
Then there is the artist side, where performers can get another platform to reach audiences.
Bringing these areas together gives the Cross Culture Festival room to grow beyond being an event that happens once and disappears until the following year.
The stronger opportunity is building a recognized entertainment brand around Eldoret.
For MC Matataa, that means continuing with the work that first built his name while creating opportunities for other people in the entertainment industry.
People who want to learn more about the organization can visit the official Cross Culture Festival page. Cross Culture Festival official page
As Cross Culture continues to grow, its bigger test will be whether it can turn its cultural festival, weddings, MC services, DJ partnerships, and artist connections into one consistent entertainment brand.
For now, its story shows how an MC’s work on the microphone can grow into something much bigger than hosting an event.
Follow Our WhatsApp Channel for Daily Real-Time News Updates
