Artists

'Kidum' is the name given to a 20-litre jerry can in Kirundi, the official language spoken in Burundi. His mother gave him that nickname due to his chubbiness as a child. Ironically, Kidum (whose ‘real’ name is Jean-Pierre Nimbona) taught himself to play the drums by practicing on read more

Mombasa based taarab group Lelelele Africa, formerly known as Diamond Star, formed in 1995.[[[ Over the years the band felt they needed a more original title, primarily one which was not in English, so in 2006 band leader Mbaraka Haji and new producer Elchie conceived the band read more

Lulu Abdalla is a musician and music teacher from Kenya. He started his career in 2006, playing ngoma drums for traditional dancers before switching to guitar and singing.

His debut album ‘Thembassa’ was released in 2014. This included two songs that were nominated for the All African Music read more

Maia & The Big Sky experiment with coastal polyrhythms, mixing these with funk, reggae, jazz and folk, creating a familiarity and warmth that transcends continents. Maia von Lekow’s lyrics in both English and Kiswahili touch on power, love, politics and the strength of women.

Maia has shared stages read more

Makadem, aka the Ohangla Man is one of Kenya’s most talented performing artists. He has successfully fused different genres of music from Kenya, Africa and the world with his native Luo benga music.

Makadem’s humorous and witty lyrics address deep socio-economic struggles in modern day Kenya. His command read more

Utilising traditional rhythms and instruments, Mapacha Africa has brought forth another dimension to popular Kenyan music. The septet traces its beginnings to western Kenya in 1989 when these seven friends were in primary school. Inspired by the sounds they heard from street musicians in their small Kenyan village, Mapacha Africa read more