KENYA: MUSIC AND DANCE

The music scene in Kenya spans many different genres, including various styles from across other areas of Africa as well as influences from the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, India, and the Americas. 

Taarab music from Zanzibar is quite popular in Kenya. This is a style of music that is influenced by various styles from northern and eastern Africa, the Middle East, and India. However, the city of Mombasa has produced a few famous taarab musicians. Kenya also listens to a lot of the music coming out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially styles like soukous and zouk. Guitars were brought into the country early on, and playing styles have been adapted to incorporate the local and native rhythms. They even developed their own ways of playing the guitar in order to create different effects and sounds. As Congolese, American, Caribbean, and British music began to infiltrate their sounds, their playing styles incorporated all of these elements. 

Starting in the 1970s-1990s, various types of pop began to emerge. Many of these pop musicians infused traditional and other pan-African styles into their American/British-style pop music.  

Kenya also has a keen love for reggae music. Influenced by other African reggae styles as well as Caribbean reggae, there have been many DJs breaking into the music industry here promoting reggae music on the radio. Many radio stations often have specific programs just for reggae music. Kenya has also produced a number of hip-hop artists and rock bands, many which have seen some success in Europe and the Americas. They also have a few successful DJs specializing in house music, drum and bass, and other similar genres. 

Because Kenya has a large number of ethnic groups living here, there are a variety of dances that are particular to a specific group of people. The Maasai are known for a type of circle dance that involves jumping up high in the air while dressed with a ton of beads. The Isukuti are known for dancing at every ceremony and special occasion. The Agikuyu are known for their dance, the mwomboko, which is characterized by slow, decisive steps similar to a waltz. The Chakasha is danced in the coastal regions and often to taarab music. The Akamba usually dance to drums and flutes while stamping their feet and shaking their shoulders. 

While Spotify didn’t have several of the bands and musicians I tried looking for, they did have quite a few. The first group I listened to, which was filed under the genre called “hotel pop” is called Them Mushrooms. The name alone cracks me up. Their music, however, is a kind of a cross between reggae and 80s elevator music. Some songs are better than others. I think it has to be an atmosphere thing: if I were in an outdoor bar in Mombasa or Nairobi drinking with friends, enjoying the cooler evening breezes, and this was playing, it would make the evening authentic. Sitting in my car in Indianapolis in the parking lot of a stripmall, not so much. They do have a song (and an album of the same name) called “At the Carnivore.” Please, for the love of all that’s sacred, tell me what this song is about. It just sounds way too happy with a name like that. (To be fair, there was a Japanese song I once knew that had a great melody line but was about cutting off your arms or something.) 

I also listened to hip-hop group G.rongi’s album Position Ya Power. His flow is pretty good, and the style reflects American style hip-hop, but there are also songs that take in elements of reggae as well. He often raps in both English and from what I can tell, Sheng (the creole language of mixing English-Swahili). Although the notes on the video above says that the song "Mokorino" is the first hip-hop song in Kikuyu. He’s also made some notoriety by collaborating with American rapper Nas. Another rapper I listened to was Nonini (the album The Godfather of Genge). Generally, there were several similarities between Nonini and G.rongi as far as style goes. However, Nonini is one of the artists primarily recognized with genge music. Genge is a style of hip-hop centered around Nairobi and is often sung in Sheng. 

Mighty King Kong is one of the most well-known reggae bands in Kenya. Their rhythms and instrumentation are stylistically African. They do tend to sing in English more than any other language. However, from what I listened to, their style of reggae seemed more like early 1990s reggae. I also listened to Ras Naya & Free Island. I liked this one a little more. It did have more of a Caribbean feel to it. (Perhaps I have an unconscious bias toward Caribbean reggae? I try not to.) 

Kenya also has an alternative/indie rock band called Murfy’s fLaw (yes, that’s spelled right). I really like this band; I listened to the album Hello Light. And another reason why I love them so much is because the lead singer is a female. And I’m so excited that iTunes sells this album for $9.90. I’m definitely going to have to buy this album. I’m not even sure I can live without it. This is some great stuff. Strangely enough, there is also a band called The Beathogs who hail from Nairobi and play a sort of mix of funk, soul, Ramones-esque early punk, and rockabilly. I kind of like it though, but it makes me feel like I should be going on a road trip through the Midwest in the dead heat of summer with the windows down and the wind in my hair, sipping on an “ice cold co-cola.” 

I also listened to a band called Sauti Sol. To me, it was hard to place this band in a category. (“Afro-Pop” might be the term.) There were some slight elements of indie rock with the use of acoustic guitar, but the rhythms and percussion instrumentation was definitely stemmed from pan-African beats. They rely heavily on vocal harmonization, which really adds to the acoustic effect of the music. However, I found this video that was produced this year, and it's completely different from what I listened to. This song is pretty catchy. 

The band aptly called Just A Band kept me entertained. I suppose I would put this in the house music category but with elements of drum and bass. They sometimes sample lines from other famous songs, which is cool, but sometimes I think it needs to be mixed a little better in places. It seems like the vocals were too loud in one of the songs I heard. But overall, I can get behind this. My husband really liked some of the songs off of this album. I really liked the songs "Life of the Party" and "Doot Doot," but I couldn't find the videos to them.

Up next: the food

JAMAICA: MUSIC AND DANCE

Music has played an important role in Jamaican society since the beginning. It was a way to bring the community together not only as entertainment but also to express themselves and their feelings on social issues. There are several genres of music that have gained popularity in Jamaica throughout the decades of the past few centuries. 

Love this lyric from the song "Trenchtown Rock." Always a favorite.

 

Mento music is a style that is often mistaken for calypso music although they are two separate genres. This style often uses an instrument called a rhumba box (it’s also called a marímbula in other Caribbean countries). It’s basically a large mbira (sometimes called an African thumb piano) placed on the front of a box that you can sit on. The mbira part is in the front of the box between your legs as you’re sitting on the top. The calypso music that mento is often confused with is actually from Trinidad and Tobago. The lyrics often utilize humor, social commentary, and sexual innuendos. Soca music, also stemming from Trinidadian traditions, is also popular in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. 

As jazz was taking off in the early 20^th century, it certainly made its way to Jamaica as well. However, there really wasn’t much audience for jazz at that time in Jamaica, and many musicians who wanted to pursue that musical path opted to perform in the UK (and other areas in Europe) and the US. 

Dances in Jamaica include traditions from both Africa and Europe. And in some cases, these traditions have been merged together. Altogether, anthropologists have identified 40 different dances in Jamaica. Jonkonnu dances are not just dances but an entire festival/celebration associated with it as well. These jonkonnu festivals generally incorporate mime-play and theatrical elements into it, coupled with a variety of dances that includes acrobatic moves, moves that mimic animals and other characters, and belly dancing. Pukkumina is another dance that had similarities to some East Indian dances. Dancehall and ska also have their own short-lived dances, usually limited to a popular song at the time. 

Ska, one of my absolute favorite genres, got its start in Jamaica during the 1950s. Ska took elements of mento and calypso and merged it with jazz and R&B. One of the key features of ska bands are its heavy use of the horn line and its emphasis on upbeats. One of the early ska bands was The Skatalites. There were several waves of ska throughout the decades as musicians combined ska with other genres. The most recent wave during the 1990s combined ska with punk rock. Ska gave way to rocksteady and reggae. Rocksteady, made popular by musicians such as Desmond Dekker, put an emphasis on the baseline. 

Reggae is fairly well known across the world and is especially popular throughout the Caribbean and Africa. Bob Marley was probably one of the biggest names in reggae and helped spread its popularity worldwide along with musicians like Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. It was so popular that many musicians borrowed elements of reggae in their music or worked with reggae musicians on certain songs. During the 1980s a style known as dancehall also came on the scene. To me dancehall and another style called ragga are extensions of reggae. They tend to be more upbeat tempo-wise, and their lyrics are less social/political (although there are a few songs out there that are) and focus more on everyday life and love. Staring in the late 1980s and 1990s, reggae and dancehall crossovers have been fairly popular across the US, UK, and Caribbean markets. Musicians such as Buju Banton, Capleton, Beenie Man, Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killer, Sean Paul, Shaggy, and Sean Kingston have enjoyed much success in this category. 

Now, I’ve listened to reggae, ragga, and dancehall for many years, thanks to my husband and his son who introduced me to these genres. And I added a lot of these artists to my playlist. So, let’s go through some of my favorites. I mentioned Desmond Dekker earlier as an example of early rocksteady. To me, his music has a lot of elements of reggae and 1950s rock. Sometimes rocksteady and early ska (like The Skatalites) share many similarities in style. 

Of course, Bob Marley is a staple. Most people know at least a few of his songs, which have been used as anthems for promoting peace and Rastafarianism. I think even the Jamaican Tourism Board used his music in promoting the island. Peter Tosh is in the same genre as Bob Marley. It’s amazing how the song “Legalize It” is still relevant today, even though that song was released in 1975. 

Shabba Ranks is one musician who I have never really listened to by himself. Everything I have heard has always been part of a mix. It seems like he often has a lot of other singers featured on his tracks and some of his mixes also features the iconic orchestra hits and electric piano that were popular in the 1980s.

Beres Hammond’s style has more of a softer, slower side of reggae. He’s another one who I have mostly heard in reggae mixes. 

Although definitely having their own distinctive styles, I often place Beenie Man, Capleton, Buju Banton, and Bounty Killer in the same category. In fact I have made mix CDs with all of their music on it. I used Capleton’s “Jah Jah City” as a ringtone for several years. To this day when I play that song, I start looking for my phone. 

And then there’s the newer dancehall/reggae crossover artists who cater to the US/North American crowd. Artists such as Shaggy, Sean Paul, Sean Kingston, and others have collaborated with hip-hop, reggaeton, R&B, and pop artists.

Up next: the food