Post by Yona Maro on Sept 4, 2005 2:42:30 GMT -5
Popular music in Kenya encompasses a wide range of styles of both local and international origin. Among Kenyans, language is one of the crucial factors in defining their music. There are over 40 regional languages in Kenya and musicians from at least a quarter of these (usually, those with the largest populations) are making recordings in their mother tongues. Along the streets of Nairobi, songs in Luo, Luhya, Kamba, and Kikuyu can be heard blaring from the cassette sellers' sidewalk stands as they compete for the attention of passers by. Bands with this regional orientation are, no doubt, the majority in Kenya. However, not all Kenyan musicians play to a regional/ethnic audience. Furthermore, many of Kenya's best known musicians are immigrants from other African countries, most often, from Tanzania or Zaïre. Without a regional focus, the lyrics of these musicians are usually in Swahili, the African language of wider communication across Kenya. A few of the Zaïreans occasionally sing in their own language, Lingala, but in recent years, most have found it advantageous to use Swahili in their new compositions.
A sampling of these various styles is available in several compilations: Guitar Paradise of East Africa and Kenya Dance Mania, both on the Earthworks label, The Rough Guide to the Music of Kenya and Tanzania, and Rounder Records' The Nairobi Beat: Kenyan Pop Music Today.(2) Although the melodies, languages, and rhythms may vary from song to song, one of the common traits through all three CDs is the preeminence of the guitars. They weave their way through the vocal portion, meshing with the melodic line or answering it and, nearly always, they finish out the last minute or two with some ear-catching solo jam.
A sampling of these various styles is available in several compilations: Guitar Paradise of East Africa and Kenya Dance Mania, both on the Earthworks label, The Rough Guide to the Music of Kenya and Tanzania, and Rounder Records' The Nairobi Beat: Kenyan Pop Music Today.(2) Although the melodies, languages, and rhythms may vary from song to song, one of the common traits through all three CDs is the preeminence of the guitars. They weave their way through the vocal portion, meshing with the melodic line or answering it and, nearly always, they finish out the last minute or two with some ear-catching solo jam.