Kenyans have always been a music loving people, with decades of music history spanning across generations.
In the country, music has evolved over the years from pre-colonial melodies where each tribe had its own cultural tunes with folk and dance all the way to the current wave of Kenyan tunes that comprises of Gengetone, Kenyan Rnb and rock music.
The gradual evolution of Kenyan music is a testament of the adaptation of Kenyans over the years.
Pre-colonial Music
Before colonialism, Kenyan melodies were primarily vocal and instrumental and was performed during cultural and social events.
These forms of music differed between communities.
For example, the Agikuyu had songs that acted as prayers on various occasions such as during wedding celebrations and funerals.
Such songs can still be listened to today through their various renditions done by Kikuyu Benga musicians.
Moreover, music in the pre-colonial period had many purposes including the preservation of Indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage.
Different communities also used different instruments during the playing of their jingles.
Some of the commonly used instruments included drums, stringed instruments like the lyre and the nyatiti, and wind instruments like the flute.
However, the arrival of Europeans in Kenya in the late 19th century brought about significant changes in the country’s musical landscape.
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Kenyan Jingles During the Colonial Period
For various communities, music during the colonial period reflected what they were going through at the time.
For example, in the Giriama community, Mekatilili wa Menza, had a series of songs generated by her movement which called upon the foreigners to leave Kenya.
These jingles also protested the forced labor and military recruitment under the District Commissioner.
However, these revolutionary songs led to the arrest of many Giriama youths.
Nonetheless, missionaries introduced Western tunes, which led to the creation of choral groups that combined Western and traditional Kenyan music and dances.
Moreover, due to the cultural differences, the British did not understand the musicality of Kenyan cultures.
“There is little to say regarding Turkana dances as they consist almost entirely of a large number of men walking about, stamping their feet,” a report published in 1936 stated.
Therefore, music, dance and the production of art were actively suppressed by the British to impose their colonial rule.
The period from early 1950s to 1960s saw the poets and musicians massively arrested, detained, and jailed. This was when the British rule had declared a state of emergency in Kenya.
However, it was not all doom and gloom.
During the 1950s, musicians like Daudi Kabaka and Fundi Konde popularized the Benga style of music, which became one of Kenya’s most popular genres.
Benga music was characterized by its fast-paced rhythm and the use of the guitar and other instruments like the drums and the keyboard.
Post Colonial Music
In the 1960s, Kenya gained independence leading to the emergence of a new wave of musicians who focused on promoting Kenyan culture and identity as well as patriotism.
One of the pioneers of this movement was Fadhili William, who composed the hit song Malaika, which became popular across Africa.
Also, in the 1970s, musicians like Joseph Kamaru and John Nzenze created a new style of music known as the Mugithi.
However, after independence, Kenya did not become the utopia that most people hoped it would be.
Art mirrors the society and therefore, musicians alongside other artists took up the mantle to talk on behalf of aggrieved Kenyans.
As such, in 1969, in an act of defiance, Abdilatif Abdulla, a poet and member of KPU, wrote a piece dubbed Kenya, Twendapi? This is translated to Kenya, where are we heading?
Consequently, he became Kenya’s first post-independence political prisoner jailed from 1969 to 1972 for sedition.
One of the most notable moments in Kenyan music post-independence was the national choirs.
Choral music was used to create political heroes out of Kenyan leaders and spread the narrative of patriotism.
Unfortunately, in some cases, it was used as a political tool, meant to push certain political agendas.
However, this did not negate the music’s impact, in what most Kenyans believe was Kenyan music’s golden era.
Some favorite hits during this period were “Tawala Kenya”, “Nchi ya Kitu Kidogo”, “Stella Wangu”, and “Sina Makosa”.
Kenyan Music from the 2000s to Date
In the early 2000’s, the most popular tunes played was kapuka, which is a fusion of reggae and hip hop, mostly sung in Kiswahili and Sheng.
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During this period Kenyan artists that made airwaves include Nameless, the late E-sir, Jua Kali, Wyre, and Nazizi among others.
Music made purely for entertainment started to gain more popularity in the country at this time.
Consequently, this trend has continued from the early 2000s to date.
Currently, the bops gaining popularity in the country is gengetone (music sang mostly in sheng) and Kenyan Rnb.
Impressively, most of these tunes are sung by young people and is tailored to the young population of listeners.
Nonetheless, the current wave of music is mostly purely for entertainment with themes spanning from love, life, mental health, and corruption in the country.
