Traditional music
As in many parts of Africa, Kenyan musical traditions vary by ethnicity. Among the Bantu peoples, for example, percussion predominates and drums such as the famous ngoma
are widely used. The term "ngoma" refers to the instrument as well as to a rhythm or a dance. Among the Kikuyu, one of the most important Bantu tribes in Kenya, women can be heard interpreting traditional songs and dances, intended for initiations, weddings, hunting or work. Related to the Bantu, the Mijikenda, a people of the Kenyan coast, cultivate a dynamic folk tradition, also mainly based on percussion.Among the Luo people, music is characterized by its syncopation and the importance given to the voice. Rich in vocal ornamentation, the songs are often structured in calls and responses. Also found here is the sigalagala, a type of ululation practiced mainly by women, usually the highlight of the musical performance. The emblematic instrument of Luo music is obviously the nyatiti, a type of lyre with five or eight strings whose sound fascinates the whole world (the American musician Andrew Bird, for example, introduced it in some of his songs). Most often played alone, it is however sometimes accompanied by some other typical instruments of the region such as theoporo, a long horn inserted in a calabash, or theorutu, a one-stringed fiddle. Far from being confined to folklore or tradition, the nyatiti has a few star musicians such as Ayub Ogada, whose songs have been featured in many films (notably The Constant Gardener), Suzanna Owiyo who mixes luo and pop or folk sounds, John "Rapasa" Otieno or Anyango (of Japanese nationality).
Among the Maasai, historically semi-nomadic, the music is traditionally devoid of instruments, purely vocal and polyphonic. The rhythms are generally provided by the body. Among the Turkana and Samburu neighbors, wind instruments such as the kudu
, an antelope horn, and call-and-response songs are used.Finally, among the Swahili people, the most common musical tradition is the taarab
, a fusion of styles combining sung African poetry, percussion, string instruments inherited from Egypt, Western India and Bantu rites. A very nice meeting of traditional music and dances in the country is the Lake Turkana Festival, three days of festivities celebrating the cultural richness of the different communities living around Lake Turkana, nicknamed the "Jade Sea".Popular music
The mainstay of twentieth-century Kenyan popular music is undoubtedly the guitar. The instrument has been a staple in the country since the 1950s, when albums by legendary Congolese guitarists such as Edouard Massengo and Jean-Bosco Mwenda became available in Kenya. Congolese musicians were successful in Kenya early on, as early as the 1970s and 1980s, such as the Virunga Orchestra. It is also a Congolese genre, soukous
, that has historically been a favorite in the country. Otherwise known as "Congolese rumba," this style has had a few star groups in Kenya such as Super Mazembe and Les Mangelepa. The other essential aesthetic in Kenya is benga. A pop music of the Luo people, one of the country's major ethnic groups, benga developed between the late 1940s and 1960s in Nairobi, blending syncopated melodies imitating nyatititi with South African soukous and kwela. George Ramogi and his group CK Jazz are considered the fathers of the genre. The genre was later popularized in the 1970s by Shirati Jazz, an ensemble formed by Daniel Owino Misiani and Migori Super Stars, the first stars of the discipline. A pillar of the Luo identity that makes the whole country dance. If you are looking for the current (self-proclaimed) king of benga, Ken Wa Maria is the one to turn to. A great name of the genre, he performs regularly in the country, and we could for example see him in the past at theAlliance française of Nairobi or at the Koroga Festival. Note also that the famous restaurant Carnivore in Nairobi sometimes offers concerts where it is not rare to hear benga. For the record, the first Kenyan artist to have walked the stage of the above-mentioned restaurant, in the 1980s, was Joseph Kamaru. A benga icon - and renowned activist - Kamaru is a giant influence on younger generations of musicians as well as one of the country's best-selling artists (half a million copies sold over his career).Current music
Nairobi has a very dynamic music scene. While reggae, hip-hop and dancehall have long been the mainstay of the scene, electronic music and more varied aesthetics are increasingly making their mark in the country's clubs. The big star in Afro-pop is Sauti Sol, a group of four Kenyans who have become a musical phenomenon in Kenya in recent years. They were the ones who sang to welcome Barack Obama to his father's land in 2015. Their hits, constantly played in nightclubs, mix pop rhythms and traditional sounds, while relating the life of young people, the party, love ... On the rap side, Henry Ohanga, also known as Octopizzo, is the winner: born in Nairobi's largest slum, Kibera, where he now shoots all his videos, he has become one of the most popular musicians in East Africa. Still in the rap department, it is impossible not to mention Muthoni Drummer Queen, the female incarnation of the Kenyan rap and electro scene. Rapper, percussionist, producer, Muthoni is a committed artist, feminist and anti-system activist. She is also famous for having created two festivals: Kenya's Blankets and Wine Music Festival, renowned for its atmosphere and programming, and theAfrica Nouveau Festival
in 2015, which have become two major events of current African culture where concerts, screenings, performances, and fashion shows take place.Like almost everywhere else in the world, Kenya has seen the development of its own rap scene. Here, artists rap in English, Swahili, or Sheng, the local slang. Apart from the two mentioned above, the few names to remember from the genre are Bamboo and KayCyy, two local MCs who have had successful careers in the US (especially the latter, who is close to Kanye West), Khaligraph Jones, who is known for his flow, or Petra Bockle, Naiboi, Monski and Camp Mulla. The latter group is sometimes considered the Kenyan Black Eyed Peas and has had massive success in the country. After several decades of living in the country, hip-hop has become acculturated and has given birth to typically local cousins such as genge, which mixes rap and dancehall - Jua Cali, Nonini and Jimwat are worthy representatives - or boomba (also called kapuka
), a hybrid of rap, reggae and African musical traditions. Also, electronic music is now not far from being popular in Kenya. The genre attracts hundreds of people to the turntables. The DJ collective EA Wave is one of the most dynamic in the country and organizes many concerts and parties in Nairobi's top venues such as Klub House, a very large complex that is a club, a sports bar (broadcasting matches on a big screen) and a restaurant, or Muze Club, a must-see in Nairobi's trendy nightlife. It is thanks to this effervescence that the Kenyan electronic scene is growing by leaps and bounds, with pioneers like DJ Rachael now joined by young prodigies such as Slikback, noted for his rough and epic electronica, or KMRU, more intrepid and avant-garde, infusing real pieces of Kenya - via field recording - into his deep ambient-drone compositions. More brutal, the duo Duma, signed on the fabulous label Nyege Nyege Tapes, offers productions full of bestiality that have received praise from the press.The dance
Not surprisingly, Kenya is a land particularly rich in traditional ethnic dances. For the most part, they still play a fundamental role in terms of identity and community life. Among the most notable are theadamu, a jumping dance of the Maasai; the mwomboko, a couple dance of the Agikuyu, usually performed by the older members of the community; theisikuti, a Luhya tradition of energetic and rapid movements of the shoulders, waist and feet; and the chakacha, which is very common among the Swahili.
Some ensembles have adapted these ritual dances to Western-style ballet choreography, such as the Nairobi National Dance Ensemble or the Nairobi Dance Company, which can be seen performing at the Kenya National Theatre in the capital. Otherwise, the Lamu Art Festival and the Bomas Of Kenya Cultural Center offer a variety of traditional Kenyan dance performances.
