Kenyan Music History, Persons/Artists, Influence and Culture.

Image: Sauti Sol 

 Benga Music (1920s - 1990s)

Kenyan music sound is Benga .The Journey started back in the years 1930s when the first recording studios were set up in Nairobi, this brought about benga music with a touch of the Kenyan traditional music and the western music influence brought by the colonists and the missionary's. In the 1950s, musicians like Daudi Kabaka and Fundi Konde popularized the Benga style of music and Fadhili William, who composed the hit song "Malaika," which became popular across Africa. Benga kept evolving with the creation of Mugithi by the Kikuyu community which brought artist like Kamaru and more till to date.

  Image: Artist Joseph Kamaru.

             Genge&Kapuka (1990 - to date)

With the world wide influence of gangster Rap music by the American Rap Group N.W.A and RNB music, Kenya music was not left behind a hip hop culture and Afro pop touch brought about the growt of the Kenyan signature sounds thus the Genge And Kapuka music. 

Image Calif Records & Ogopadeejays logos

Genge been more of a rap touch and Kapuka being more of a RNB touch this music has been the back bone of our music industry and our kenyan identity.

                    Persons

Image: Jimmy Gathu

Genge And Kapuka music started with a hardcore style of rap brought by the likes of the legendary rappers Kalamashaka came Jimmy Gathu who popularized hip hop in Kenya with his hit songs, and radio shows, later came Ukoo Fulani maumau and K-South groups

Image: Ukoo Fulani maumau 

Now that Genge and Kapuka music genres were emerging popular in the year 2000s, bring to be popular record labels that supported the culture notably Ogopa Djs (Kapuka) and Calif Records (genge) with artist of the likes of Jua Kali ,Mejja, Nonini and more for Calif Records and Esir , Nameless, Redsan and more for Ogopa DJs

Image :  Esir 

With the influence of Afro pop, and other western music styles Kenyan music has not been left behind, has evolved with times notably the formation of Grandpa Records in 2010s that brought different sounds to the air waves in Kenya. The music industry is still growing and evolving thou looks clumsy and not organized like in the past notably the rise of Gengetone, Drill and other  forms of music been influenced by the timesounds like Afro Beats , bongo flavor and Amapiano ,this has brought to been artist like Sauti Sol, Ethics, Wakadinali and more... 

                   Influence 

The music industry has most notably influenced the matatu culture

Image : matatu culture.

which we will talk about in a new blog post soon, it is characterized by pictures and graffiti of popular music artists printed on the matatus and playing of loud music in the matatus. With the evolution of technology the music industry has evolved and brought new opportunities in the industry like video vixens due to the video streams, social media influencers and online blogs like our selves all thanks to the music industry that have brought the likes of Vera Sidika who emerged as a video vixen for Music group P-unit and have been a social media influencers after wards 

Image Vera Sidika