Laura Schuley

The music of Kenya has a very distinct rhythm and sound. Each ethnic group throughout
the country has their own distinct style of music, all focusing around the guitar and distinct
rhythmic patterns. The style of music has changed greatly from the beginning of Kenyan guitar
music to the present. Music has also had a great influence on the political regimes of the country,
as well as the continent. Several artists have changed the face of politics with their music. The
main instruments, different influences on music, influential guitarists, and effects on society are
the main focus of this discussion.
A large component of Kenyan music is the guitar. Nearly every piece of Kenyan music
has the voice accompanied by guitar, or guitar by itself along with other native instruments. The
guitar music has changed throughout the years through different social and political regimes.
Guitar playing really started to emerge in Kenya in approximately 1945. The most famous
guitarists of this time were Paul Machupa, Jumbe, Fundi Konde, and Kataka. The contact with
American and European musicians during and following the World War allowed Kenyans to
learn the acoustic guitar. Therefore, Kenyan acoustic guitar music is heavily influenced by
Western music and vamping is a common style of composition.
Fundi Konde was sent to Burma during World War 2 where he first picked up a guitar. It
took him approximately a week to learn the instrument. When Konde returned home, he took an
electric guitar with him. He claims to be the first Kenyan to ever play electric guitar in his home
country.1 Kondes music was westernized, like the European dance music, but had an extremely
rhythmic beat, with a Latin flare. Konde still has the reputation of the pioneer of Kenyan guitar
music. While Konde was bringing the electric guitar to the areas around Nairobi, acoustic, or dry

guitars, were being brought to the rural areas of Western Kenya, the Luo and Abaluhya people.
In Western Kenya, vamping styles were still being used, but with a much simpler harmonic
background. Most of these rhythms were derived from local and folk music of the cultures. It is
also possible that the people of Western Kenya were trying to recreate the same rhythmic and
harmonic patterns that they played on their litungu lyres, or nayatiti, which have a very different
construction. Figure 1.
The most well-known and distinctive music of Kenya in this period was played on
acoustic guitars, known as dry guitars by natives, using finger-styles. Finger-style is playing the
dry guitar plucking the strings only with the thumb and index finger with very few exceptions.
The other three fingers res on the guitars sound box for support.2 Finger styles were used all
over Africa to accompany singers with a complex background melody as well as providing
instrumental variations between passages. These aforementioned passages are normally very
melodic as well as strongly rhythmic. These melodies would typically be played with one or two
guitars with an accompanying rhythm typically played on a bottle or wooden clappers. There
was also a singing part that could either be a solo singer, or the more popular two-voice singing
which has remained the most popular choice of Kenyan music.
Abaluhya players dominated the genre of finger-style guitar playing. They created their
own styles that were easily distinguishable and recognizable for each of the countries. This genre
of music is a hybrid of several influences. The first of these influences is form George Sibanda
who was a guitarist from Bulawayo Zimbabwe. His music was a combination of finger-styles
and the South African kwela music. The second influence is from the Nyasa sound. Nyasa
refers to what the Kenyan guitarist called the Malawian guitar bands of the 50s. This music was
like the American twist or jive. It also only consisted of guitar and vocals using a lot of vamping

styles. The third influence was from Kenyan traditional music. Many Kenyan artists use the
style of Kikuyu singing which have a distinct quality with very little melodic variance.3 Artists
are influenced by the different modal scales from the different cultures around them. Many
artists are influenced by the distinct rhythms from the litungu lyre and other Luhya instruments.
These influences are more of a repeated rhythmic line more than the melodic line. The rhythms
and meter used by these finger-style artists can also reflect their local influences. The traditional
dances of the different cultures were often reflected in the different rhythms patterns of Kenyan
guitarists.
One of the most interesting influences on Kenyan music is how the Luhyan drum, the
sukuti, influenced rhythmic patterns. These drums of the Abaluhya culture are typically played in
either groups of two or three. There is a distinctive rhythmic pattern in this style of drum playing.
This rhythmic pattern is what transferred into Kenyan finger-style music. The reported inventor
of this style was George Mukabi, a Kissa man. Sukuti guitar groups are not much different from
other guitar groups. There are still two guitar players as well as tow singers, but often there are
also two bottle played for rhythmic support. One of the bottles is struck to create the sound, like
in the other groups. The second bottle is a ribbed bottle, otherwise known as maracas in this
setting that is scraped with a knife to create a different rhythmic sound. The originality of sukuti
guitar styles lies in the rhythmic patterns as well as the modality. Sukuti guitarist vary from the
usual three chord accompaniment of tonic, sub-dominant, and dominant, and use a distinctive
modality that is found in Luhya music. The rhythm is fast and vibrant and the melody is vigorous
in the vocal part. The most interesting part is the syncopated bass guitar part which weaves in
and out with the also very syncopated treble line. Figure 2. Example 1.

The fourth influence on Kenyan finger music is the finger-styling of Shaba. During the
late 40s and early 50s, there was a development of guitar styles in the Shaba, then Katanga, as
well. This style was also rurally-based and had characteristics of the region. The most famous
players in this region were Jean-Bosco Mwenda, Losta Abelo, and Edouard Masengo. Most of
their pieces were in Kiswahili, which made them very popular and accessible. Many guitarists
began to copy this Katangan style from their records. Only rural guitar players remained
untouched from this musical influence. The differences that came about between Kenyan urban
finger-stylists and their Katangan opposites were more subtle than noticeable. The Kenyan
technique was much similar and less rhythmically complex.4 The Kenyan stylings were also
much lighter and more bouncy, not has heavy as the Katangas. The fifth influence on Kenyan
guitar music was Latin American music. Around the 1950s, Latin American records became
available in many parts of Africa. Kenyans were exposed to music from Cuba and other Latin
American countries. Dances like the rumba, cha-cha, and samba became outrageously popular
throughout the country. Many artists were starting to include a Latin flare to all of their music,
especially rhythms. This Latin inspired style was better captured when two guitarists played
together. This style was developed by guitarists from Zaire, like Boukassa. Many Kenyan artists
soon followed this style. There were several variations of this style. Mainly one guitar would
play a bass line or repeated rhythmic line while the second line, normally played high on the
keyboard, would provide a melody or solo. Finger-styles, vamping, and picking were all used in
these two-guitar arrangements. From this point, this was the transition between the finger-styles
of the 1950s and the electric guitar styles of the 1960s. The sixth and final influence on Kenyan
finger-style music was American and European music. Kenyan guitar players tended to imitate
the sounds of American artists and incorporate it into their own style. Although Western music

did have an effect on Kenyan music, Latin American and African music had the most impact on
finger-style guitar music.
With all of these influence melted together, a distinct sound emerged from
Kenyan finger-stylists. In towns and cities, the main influence came from Katangan styles, Latin
America, and Zare. The more rural places influence was less varied and stuck closely to the
Sukuti style. The songs composed by rural artists were usually in the local language, and tended
to be about stores or problems in the surrounding areas. One man, Henry Viduyu, composed a
song about a tribe of women, the Dorika, who were known for urinating in the river,
contaminating the area where people collected their water. Other pieces are full of jokes, or
satirical material to entertain the people. Guitarists from the country began to write about their
time spent in the cities and the things that they had seen along the way.5 They would talk of the
drinks and women they could buy or the advantages of education. They also wrote love songs, or
songs making fun of love to entertain their listeners. During the 1950s, country guitarists were
seen as trouble-makers and rebels by authorities. They were also viewed this way be the church,
tribal chiefs, and administration. The only people who did not look down upon the guitarists
were the people being entertained by the music. With this, the guitarists represented a threatening
change. As previously stated, most of the Kenyan men who brought the guitar back to Kenya
were in World War 2. Meeting men from other countries opened the minds of Kenyan military
men, also making them more politically open minded. Also, many guitarists when into towns to
work as migrant laborers which was also a very political experience. Not only were these
laborers allowed to live a freer lifestyle, they were exposed to a different style of living. They
had access to records, new clothes, education, jobs, radios, and houses. But with all of these
positives came negatives. These workers now knew unemployment, violence, and overcrowding.

This gave the guitarists of this time a completely new area to write about. More and more of the
country Kenyan guitarists were writing about these wonders, as well as defeats of the town life.
All of the contemporary finger-stylists were at the epicenter of the musical revolution in Kenya
as well as the entire span of Africa. These guitarists were not liked by the authorities, but they
could not be more loved by the common people of Africa. Soon enough, electric guitars would
take over and the art finger-style guitar playing would be lost.
The next genre to arise in the guitar styles of Kenya were electric guitar bands. This
guitar style began to develop in the early 1960s. Many finger-style guitarists had a tough time
transitioning to electric style playing, but those who had played with two guitars had virtually no
trouble. There were several advantages to electric style guitar playing. First, they were louder so
it was easier to be heard over the chatting of the audience. Second, the guitar could not be
drowned out by the other instruments. Third, more guitars could play together, as well as adding
in new instruments like trumpets, saxophones, and conga drums. Finally, there could be even
more rhythmic complexity because more and more layers could be added. Electric guitarists
were also exposed to several foreign influences. The first was from the contemporary music of
Zairean bands. Zaire was the leader of modern guitar bands. The Zarien band music was much
more varied than Kenyas music at the time. This music was developed in the night clubs and
recording studios of Zaires large towns. The band music of each region had its own flare and
distinguishable marks, lots of which were influenced by Cuban music. Zarien guitarists often
copied rhythm lines that Cubans played on bass or saxophone.6 More often than not, this rhythm
was on the rhythm guitar of the bands. The bass guitarist would play a similar line with fewer
notes, while the solo guitar would fill in with riffs between vocal lines. Occasionally, solos were
given to trumpet or saxophone rather than the voice.

The second influence on Kenyan electric guitar music was a new wave of kwela music.
This was the South African genre music referred to as the twist by the Kenyan locals. In a
Kenyan kwela style band, the twist would be given to the rhythm guitar, a bass part, and a solo
guitar part would be added. Singing would still be in the normal two part style. The third and
final influence on Kenyan electric music was European and American popular music. The strong
rhythm guitar playing of American rock and roll groups was appealing to Kenyan guitarists.
Some guitarists would exactly imitate the Anglo style of music, but more often they just added
certain aspects of the American music to stay current. The typical band members for a band of
this time would be two or three guitarists, two singers, and a rhythm section consisting of
maracas, clappers, or sometimes drums. The sound of Kenyan bands at this time were harder to
define. It was a clean sound between both the guitarists and dingers. There was a lot of variety
with repeats, improvisation and variations. There was also a much lighter feel to the music than
any other music surrounding Kenya at this time. The national pride, brought upon by Kenya
gaining its Independence was reflected in the contemporary music of this time. Many of the
guitarists and bands of this time started to write music about the pride they had for their country,
and for the respect they had for their leaders. Bands started to write in other languages so they
could reach out to more people rather than just to the people of their culture. This boosted the
national pride of the country even further. During this boost of Kenyan electric music, recording
and the money factor began to come in to play. Several bands were reluctant to record their
music in fear of getting reprimanded by authorities, or that the public would not perceive their
music as uplifting. There was also a shortage in night clubs, so Kenyan electric guitar bands
faced a lot of competition just to be able to play. Recording companies also took out so much in

royalties that the Kenyan bands were barely making any money, so most artists of this time
stayed true to their roots and there were few records produced of these bands.
The fourth and final time period of Kenyan guitar music was Electric bands that
started to write in more local languages instead of Swahili. The biggest change during this time
was mainly in Zaire and Tanzania due to their large majority of guitarists ruling political parties,
not in Kenya. During this period, American soul music and reggae started to absorb into Kenyan
music. There were also new instruments being introduced such as the electric organ. Now in the
bands, vocal solos are much longer and more ornate. It is now common to have three or four
singers who do not play an instrument. There are also new vocal techniques between the singers
such as call and response in three part harmony. These are not entirely new techniques, but they
have become more complex than before. Now, the voice is just as important of a musical
instrument as the guitar. Now instead of the main melody being in the guitar, the vocals have it.
Also, with the growing availability of recording services the length of the pieced become
noticeably longer. One other thing that changed in this time period is that the solo guitars seem to
have a more rhythmic part, especially in Zarien bands. The 3 guitar line up is still common, but
the difference is that the melodic solo line has disappeared and a longer, more rhythmic guitar
section has taken over. Slowly, some of the music of this time start to fade out due to the
political unrest and censorship of their music. There are so many rules placed upon the bands of
this time, that they do not enjoy making music anymore without being able to put their heart into
it. This lead to a recurrence of old styles of music that would keep the peace with certain artists,
others chose to continue on the dangerous path of political music. Also during this time, there
was the rhythmic style of benga circulating through Kenya. In Nairobi, the term was used loosely
as any type of fast rhythmic music with two guitars and certain rhythm patterns. In Luhya benga

music, it was characterized by very bright guitar playing where there are 3 completely different
guitar parts playing. With these light and bouncy rhythms, the sukuti style can clearly be
detected. The most attractive and well known form of this benga music comes from the Luo
people.
As stated before, the music of the country of Kenya is mainly based on rhythm and
distinct rhythmic patterns. Benga music is one of the main influences on the music of Kenya
today. Benga music is defined as a genre of music with guitars and prominent rhythm sections.
The most prominent features of benga music are a weaving melodic pattern between the bass and
the lead guitars, both working together, but being just as important as the other. Also, a group of
background singers backing up the solo singer, imitating the relationship that the guitars have,
one of the most crucial features of benga. The bass guitar offers the benga style and feeling by
giving brief trills throughout the melody. The lead guitar enters at the end of every vocal line
with the riffs that are most memorable of benga. The instrumentation is sparse, but the music of
Shirati jazz has a driving beat. Benga music became most prominent in the 1970 and 1980s. D.O.
Misiani is most well-known for his advances in Benga music, as well as being the most
prominent artist in the genre. He is hailed as the King of benga. Misiani is most well-known
through his band, Shirati Jazz. The band is most well-known for writing satirical lyrics that go
along with what is happening in the country at that time. Shirati Jazz is only one of the three
types of benga music that is recognized today. This section of the genre is known as the dance
benga music. This type of benga is most closely related to nyatiti string playing.
Another subsection of benga music is the music of Luo and gospel benga. In Gregory
Barz study of benga music and its meaning, he travels to a church close to where he saw Shirati
Jazz play. The beginning of the service is performed in the style of mapambio, or call-and-

response chorus. 7 After this style of singing, the benga style gospel music is played. The service
goes from a slower, more prescribed tempo to the distinguishable fast, loud, and driven
characteristics of benga. Not only can benga be performed as a solo, like in D.O. Misiani and
Shirati Jazz, but it is also performed within a chorus. The choral style of benga is a mix between
indigenous and folk piece as well as missed with European, gospel, and improvisatory styles.
With this mix of styles, there is no clear definition between the audience and the chorus. When it
comes to the benga section of the service, both the audience and the chorus take over the singing
portion, there is no longer a call-and-response. Especially during the improvisatory sections of
the music, audience members may overpower the chorus.
The linking factor between the traditional Luo gospel and music is the availability of
technology within the country. The modernization of the country as well as the mass media
across the country allows the church to explore beyond the traditional realm. The development of
recording studios, recording devices, facilities, and affordable records leads to the collaboration
of gospel and benga music. Despite the popularity of benga throughout the country, benga artist
are not prevalent in the recording industry. Benga is not recognized, as one of the leaders in the
modification of African music.8 Gospel music with the influence of benga has been the savior for
Kenyan music. The leaders in the industry are Tanzania and Central Africa, but they do not have
the music of benga and gospel like that of Kenya. The gospel genre provides musicians with the
opportunity to play in a band, which leads them to the top of the charts in Africa. Without this
type of music, many of the musicians in Kenya would be left without a job. This Luo music, the
combination of gospel and benga, has achieved what a lot of the music of the time has been
unable to deliver popularity as well as spreading throughout the country.

The third subsection of benga music is that of a nyatiti performance, or the roots of benga
music. Nyatiti performance traditionally involves a solo male performer who sings while
accompanying himself on the nyatiti, the traditional Kenyan lyre, a gara, and a metal toe ring. A
nyatiti performance can be for praise singing, or just simply for entertainment. The instruments
are traditionally found in marriage, funeral, and cleansing rituals.9 Although the music of nyatiti
players is found in many Luo rituals, its main function is to entertain others. When Barz asked
the similarities between the nyatiti performances, and benga music, it soon became clear how
benga developed out of nyatiti. There is interdependence between the bass and treble lines of the
nyatiti string instrument. This is reflected in the interweaving melody lines of the bass and lead
guitars in the benga music. Also, the use of the gara or the leg rattles, as well as the toe ring
outline the roots of what a typical benga drum pattern represents. Finally, the nyatiti string player
demonstrated the Luo style of gospel singing that laid the foundation for benga singing. Nyatiti
accompaniment still continues today in the church settings of Kenya, alongside with the benga
style of praise singing. The Nyatiti is still an everyday important aspect of the Luo lifestyle.
Figure 2.
Although these three subgenres are different, they are all related to each other in some
way all the way from the roots of benga, up to the popular music of today in Kenya. When trying
to determine what benga music is, it all depends on the person performing and the meaning of
the performance. Where the person comes from, their religious background, and their
opportunities to perform all influence how they perceive benga, and under what subgenre they
place themselves. Therefore, the meaning of benga varies from person to person and with each
experience.

While benga is being maintained as an older guitar and band tradition of Kenya, it is also
helping to form the newer genres of gospel choir traditions. It is also referring to, and bringing
back the roots of the nyatiti string playing and performing, as well as praise singing. There is a
delicate balance of change and preservation in this type of music.10 Benga is not only preserving
the history and roots of Kenya, but bringing it all in to the present and future of the music of
Kenya.
With benga music preserving the history of the Luo culture and Kenyan roots,
there is a recurring theme of satirical lyrics, along with the debate of politics within the music.
With the political divide in Kenya, there were several messages that composers and musicians
wanted to portray through their music, but did not have the opportunity to speak freely and
openly. With this in mind, the artists started to portray their political thoughts in messages that
would not normally be expressed in everyday speech or political language. Artists composed
their lyrics so that the intended message is well portrayed, under the literal meaning of the text.
To decipher these lyrics; it requires a difficult interpretation of both the language and the context
of the piece. Even though the lyrics and speech are dictated, there is room for personal
interpretation from each specific composer. This makes music a symbol of identity. This, along
with language serves as an assertion of ethnic identity. Not only is the music of Kenya used to
distinguish the difference between different ethnic or social groups, but it is also used to create
an emotional response that can be used to negotiate identity.
Performers during this political divide are not only entertainers, but one of their main
aims is to raise social awareness among their audiences. The performers arouse the audience in
imaginative and emotional experience regarding social re-engagement through a collective
identity. The music is meant to connect the audience as a whole, with the same social aims. The

narrative and meaning of this music is understood only through interpretation, and by paying
careful attention to its context, which means it is important for the musicians and performers to
completely understand what they are singing so the audience gets the correct message as a
collective whole.
Music has a high political profile in the modern system of Kenya. Traditionally, music
was used in important ceremonies ranging from marriage ceremonies to rituals to curing a spirit
possession. Now, music is used in both sacred and secular settings. Music is now included in the
school curricula as well as high-level political gatherings, making it extremely important that
performers are portraying the correct meaning through their music. With the importance of music
in these ceremonies and important events, it is almost as if music has a political recognition and
occupies a central position in policies. Within some states, music is even given a state
sponsorship to support the political side of things.
Congolese music has had the greatest influence on the music of Kenya.11 The founding
father of guitar-based music was a resident of the Congo, and brought his styles and influences to
Kenya. He became highly popular in the post war of Nairobi with other Congolese musicians,
which lead to the popularity of their music in Kenya. The Congolese influence on Kenyan music
remained largely non-political before their independence. It was very dangerous to sing political
songs in public under the political act. It was impossible for political songs to be played over the
air, which limited the political status of music even further. After 1960, the censorship of
political material loosened up with the possibility of Independence in the near future.
After the censorship ban was lifted, Kenyan artists began to cross ethnic and political
boundaries with that of Congolese music. Luo musicians used several of the styles from the

Congo genres. Benga music also took some of its traits from the Congolese styles, which
allowed for a large following and acceptance of the new music. Because songs and music play
such a large role in the cultural and ritual practices of the Luo, the influences of Congolese music
was a way to re-invent the Luo people. The Luo are known for always wanting to re-invent
themselves and their world, especially in music. Owino Misiani, also known as D.O. Misiani,
was one of the giants who changed this community with his music. Misiani had such a large
following because he remained faithful to both the local benga style, but also taking some
stylistic changes from the socio-political themes that his audience wanted.
The Luo musicians of the time played the traditional benga beat, but soon began to
incorporate other styles as independence came closer.12 Misiani adapted the traditional benga
and nyatiti beats into a faster beat which took aspects from the rumba style, which was a typical
beat pattern from the Congolese and Swahili. He also alternates between a slower and faster
benga from the 1960s to 1970s.
The Luo music did, however, affect the political scene. Many of the songs were used to
articulate political beliefs. Most composers are composing solely for entertainment, but some of
the pieces serve a dual purpose for spreading the social and political ideals. Songs and music are
often used as a political mobilization tool in all communities across Kenya. Because music plays
such an influential role in the politics of the day, the musicians and government were almost
constantly at a crossroads with each other. In the late 1980s, the Moi regime put a stop to the
musicians and banned certain music and pieces. This regime even went as far as to confiscate
cassettes which they felt were being used to undermine the government of the time. In 1983,
President Moi order the arrest of a famous began musician Ochieng Kabaselleh after accusing
him of giving public performances with guns hidden in drums that were meant to topple the

government. Moi alleged that music was being used as a cover up for political transformations.
The same happened to Misiani in all of the following regimes on the basis that he sings pieces
that not only undermine the government, but he ridicules them in the lyrics. Luo musicians used
this music as a way to look past the oppositions of the time and social problems. Therefore,
Kabaselleh and Misiani were like the speakers of the Luo community through music. Through
their music, they give example of the past, explain what is happening in the present, and give a
warning to the future.
Misianis music has had an impact specifically on the Luo community. He uses the
technique of imagery, mainly with animals, to depict the events of Kenyas political arena. The
animals are meant to portray the important individuals in the political scene. These individuals
can be from specific ethnic groups, fighters, beneficiaries, or even the losers of political debates.
Misiani typically uses lions, buffalos, leopards, snakes, hyenas, and baboons to portray the
different types of people. The majority of these political pieces can be traced back to the postindependence period, which means that Misiani has songs about all three of the presidents that
have served in Kenya. These three presidents, Kenyatta, Moi, and Kibaki have all had a different
impact on Kenya, therefore creating different pieces for Misiani.
One of Misianis most famous pieces Jane Macline was released in the late 1960s, the
prime of the Kenyan political debates. The piece was about the prominent individuals who
dominated the political scene in the 1960s. Such men were Oginga Odinga, Tom Mboya,
Arwings Kodhek, Ronald Ngala, and Oruka. There was a great disagreement between these men
in the debate of Kenyas government. Misiani portrays these men through animals, like his other
pieces. A line from the piece is Simba ruto to Kwach chur achura gi chunye to thuol wacho ni
ter mos waloso. Meaning The lion is growling as the leopard rumbles in his thoughts in silence

while the snake insists on taking things slowly as they were still discussing matters.6 The lion
represents Oginga Odinga, the leopard, Kenyatta, and the snake Mboya. These three men worked
together under the presidency of Kenyatta to form the original government of Kenya, despite
their differences.
There are several stories within the piece Jane Macline. Misiani want to capture the
growing relationship between Kenyatta and Odinga, but he also wants to out Mboya for
betraying his Luo culture. Mboya aligned himself with Kenyatta through an extension of the
Kikuyu culture, Kenyattas traditional culture. In this culture, it is vital that the younger members
respect their elders, which is why the community, and Misiani, feel that Mboya is undermining
Kenyatta by working with him, and giving ideas that go against Kenyattas. Misiani also gives
tribute to the recently passed Ngala and Oruka. He says Jowi mager ema ichogo piene kuot,
meaning, The fierce buffalo is the one whose hide is used to make a shield. Misiani also speaks
of Oruka, who was a liberator and says those who take the bull by the horn, die in mysterious
circumstances. He wonders why heroes who had fought so hard for the independence were being
sacrificed.
Misiani not only sang about the political troubles of Kenya, but he also went on to sing
about the African continent as well as regional political events, giving warning about the future.
In doing all of this, Misiani earned his name as the King of Benga. He sings of the praises of
good leaders, and of the problems that are occurring under the poor leadership of other leaders.
He negatively portrays some leaders as leaders who are full of talk, and not providing for the
people. Not only is Misiani advocating for his home country and people, but also he is
advocating for proper treatment and a fair government across the continent.

The group Ukoo Flani Mau Mau, a Kenyan Hip-Hop group also uses their music to
express their feelings towards the political unrest of Kenya. Most of their music represents the
decolonization of Kenya in the past, while retaining elements of the present. They compare and
contrast the two eras in all of their music. In doing this, they evoke the emotions that the Mau
Mau war has not ended, and the painful experiences for the people of Kenya have still not ended,
despite obtaining their freedom. Ukoo Flani uses their hip-hop music to resist state violence. IN
contrast to Misianis music, Ukoo Flani praises Jomo Kenyatta for all of the work he has done,
while praising the Mau Mau culture.
Ukoo Flani is a much larger group than Shirati Jazz. There are twenty-four members who
represent different ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs. The name, UKOOFLANI, is an
acronym for Upendo Kote Olewenu, Ombeni, Funzo La Aliyetuumba Njia Iwepo, meaning love
everywhere all who seek the Creators teachings; there is a way. 7 These performers from the
lower-class society in Kenya. Ukoo Flani is underground in comparison to the rest of African
hip-hop. Their music picks up on political nuances within the arguments in literature of Kenya.
Their music is very rarely heard on the radio or seen in magazines, but is well known throughout
the country. They use the name Mau Mau in their name to underline their war like tactics in
negotiating the public societal problems. Ukoo Flani produces politically engaged music to
replicate the Mau Maus liberation achievements with the movements followers. The followers
of Ukoo Flani often get lyrics printed on their shirts to show that they too are against Western
domination.
Ukoo Flani uses consumer culture to advertise their war tactics, as well as to engage with
the politics of the time. The use modern writing in most of their pieces, which is a change from
previous composers of political music. In their song, Mashairi, they use dominant writing to

portray their political engagement. They also use other pieces of art such as books and paintings
to portray that other artists feel the same way they do about the political unrest. They put up
pictures of book covers and artists aligned with their text to show this. The song mentions
several of these books that relate to the culture and people of the Mau Mau. The overarching
message of this piece is that everyone is fighting to the death for social justice, but society can be
renewed. This is also the overarching theme of the books and paintings that are aligned with the
piece.13 Several artists took this approach as a way captivate their audience and convince them
to end the political qualms. Bands such as the aforementioned also ran into the same censorship
issues as Misiani. Most of the music of this time was censored because of the war like efforts of
the bands to portray their feelings towards the political problem to their audiences.
In conclusion, the music of Kenya has had several types of effects on the country,
as well as a national effect on the continent of Africa. From the beginning of popular music in
the 1990s, music has become increasingly more important in all events of the Kenyan culture.
Although the instruments, styles, and meaning of Kenyan music has changed throughout the
years, there has always been the sense of pride that remains with Kenyan musicians and their
music.

Word Count: 6000

Example 1. Traditional Sukuti drum rhythm History of Kenyan Guitar Music

Figure 1. Luhya litungu Languages Africa

Figure 2. Picture of sukuti drum Languages Africa

Figure 3. Picture of Nyatiti and other Luo Instruments Anyango

John Low, A History of Kenyan Guitar Music: 1945-1980, African Music 6 (1982) 18.
Low, A History of Kenyan Guitar Music, 19.
3
Low, A History of Kenyan Guitar Music, 20.
4
Low, A History of Kenyan Guitar Music, 21.
5
Low, A History of Kenyan Guitar Music, 24.
6
Low, A History of Kenyan Guitar Music, 27.
7 Gregory
F. Barz, Meaning of benga music of western Kenya, British Journal of Ethnomusicology 10 (2001)
110.
8
Barz, Meaning of benga music in western Kenya, 112.
9
Barz, Meaning of benga music in western Kenya, 112.
10
Barz, Meaning of benga music in western Kenya, 114.
11
Evan Mwangi, The Incomplete Rebellion: Mau Mau Movement in Twenty-First Century Kenyan Popular
Culture, Africa Today 57 (2010) 98.
12
Mwangi, The Incomplete Rebellion, 100.
13 Mwangi
, The Incomplete Rebellion, 101.
2

Bibliography

Barz, Gregory F. Meaning in benga Music of Western Kenya. British Journal of Ethnomusicology 10,
no. 1 (2001): 107-115.

Drewett, Michael. Popular Music Censorsip in Africa. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 1988.

Floyd, Malcom. A Bibliographical Index of Kenyan Musical Instruments The Galpin Society Journal
58 (May 2005): 132-159.

Low, John. A History of Kenyan Guitar Music. African Music 6, no.2 (1982): 17-36.

Myangi, Evan. The Incomplete Rebellion: Mau Mau Movement in Twenty-First-Century Kenyan
Popular Culture. Africa Today 57, no. 2 (Winter 2010): 86-113.

Njogu, Kimani and Herve Maupeu. Songs and Politics in Eastern Africa. Salaam: Mkuki na Nyota
Publishing, 2007.