The evolution of music in Kenya is a rich and vibrant story that spans several decades. Indeed, traditional Kenyan music is deeply rooted in the diverse indigenous cultures of the country. Each ...

When Mbilia Bel released ‘Nakei Nairobi,' meaning “I have gone to Nairobi," the song became a major hit across East Africa, particularly in Kenya, where Congolese rumba dominated dance floors and ...

Choral music – patriotic choral music in particular – is a significant genre in Kenya’s political history. Patriotic music is defined by how it engages citizen to praise and express sentiments of ...

A section of Kenyan musicians say they are not getting enough support from their fans, in terms of streaming and buying music. Some fans opine, however, that a lot of Kenyan musicians don’t churn out ...

On a Tuesday night in May, I braved Nairobi’s grinding traffic to make my way downtown to a venue called the Igiza Lounge. Perched on the second-floor balcony of the stone-clad Kenya National Theater, ...

On 31 May, 2018, a group of relatively young Kenyan boys dropped a peculiar-sounding song on YouTube, and with it, a new genre of music was birthed. The song was titled ‘Lamba Lolo,’ and those boys – ...

In 1950, Hugh Tracey, a British-born ethnomusicologist, travelled to Kapkatet, Kenya, to record the native songs of the Kipsigis, a pastoral tribe based in the western highlands of the Rift Valley.

Just a Band, Kenya's top house/funk/disco/alternative music band, and the makers of Africa’s first viral video announced their comeback on May 16, following a six ...

Afro Simba is a 10-year old band that explores the music of 9 indigenous coastal communities of Kenya, collectively called the Mijikenda. Now based in the capital Nairobi, the group’s Kombo Chokwe ...

The battle for supremacy among Kenya’s universities has intensified at the 98th Kenya National Music Festival, with institutions showcasing musical excellence, cultural heritage and artistic ...