Kenya’s music scene has produced election anthems, globe-trotting Afropop bands and a whole new street sound in gengetone. These ten songs trace that story, from the early 2000s to Sauti Sol’s biggest records.
1. Unbwogable by Gidi Gidi Maji Maji (2002)
Few songs have mattered as much in Kenya. “Unbwogable”, the biggest hit by the Nairobi hip-hop duo Gidi Gidi Maji Maji, became the anthem of Mwai Kibaki’s successful 2002 presidential campaign. The duo rap mostly in Luo, with some English and Swahili, mixing hip-hop with African rhythms.
2. Sura Yako by Sauti Sol (2015)
Sauti Sol started as an a cappella group in Nairobi in 2005 and became Kenya’s most famous band. “Sura Yako” (“Your Face”) was the fourth single from their third album, Live and Die in Afrika, which they first released as a free download for 48 hours as an early Christmas present to fans.
3. Suzanna by Sauti Sol (2020)
“Suzanna” was the lead single from Sauti Sol’s fifth album, Midnight Train, released in February 2020. Its video, directed by Leke Alabi-Isama, is a tribute to the disco-ball style of the 1970s.
The album was recorded in English, Swahili and Luhya, and features India Arie, Soweto Gospel Choir and Sho Madjozi.
4. Melanin by Sauti Sol featuring Patoranking
A Kenya and Nigeria collaboration with a twist: “Melanin” was written by Nviiri the Storyteller, who had worked behind the scenes as Sauti Sol’s videographer. The band did not even know he could sing until Bien heard him play guitar.
5. Extravaganza by Sol Generation (2019)
Sauti Sol set up their own label, Sol Generation, to bring through new Kenyan talent. “Extravaganza”, the label’s 2019 group record, was the song that gave Nviiri the Storyteller mainstream recognition.
6. Lamba Lolo by Ethic Entertainment (2018)
In June 2018, a boy band from Umoja in Nairobi called Ethic Entertainment released their debut song, “Lamba Lolo”, and it passed four million views on YouTube. Along with groups like Boondocks Gang and Sailors Gang, Ethic helped create gengetone, a rowdy new offshoot of Kenyan genge music sung in Sheng.
7. Now You Know by Nyashinski (2016)
Nyashinski moved to Delaware in 2006 and spent ten years there working as a truck driver. In 2016 he came back to Kenya and to music, and “Now You Know” was his comeback hit.
His 2017 follow-up, “Malaika”, won the Mdundo Award for Most Downloaded Male Single.
8. Yego by Khaligraph Jones
Khaligraph Jones is one of Kenya’s best-known rappers, and “Yego” is one of the two singles he is most known for, along with “Mazishi”. He won Best Hip Hop Artist at the 2020 AFRIMMAs and was nominated for Best International Flow at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards.
9. Baby Love by Otile Brown (2018)
Otile Brown started writing songs at 13, and he is now an independent R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist. “Baby Love” earned him a nomination for Male Video of the Year at the 2018 Pulse Music Awards.
10. Jana Kuliendaje by Mejja (2008)
To finish, a slice of genge history. Mejja came up through Calif Records, the label that made genge popular, and “Jana Kuliendaje” won him an award at Kenya’s Chaguo la Teeni in 2008. Without genge, there would be no gengetone.
Find more artists in the AfroYard artist directory.
