The Women of Jazz in Kenya

Jazz has been a part of music history and tradition for about 100 years. There’s some debate on the exact origins of jazz and who could be considered the father of jazz, but one thing that is universally agreed upon is the influence of the genre and the love that coountless people around the world have for it.

Jazz in Kenya has always been a hit – probably due to the familiarity of the sound as it carries elements of music from Africa. There is a debate on the elitist nature of jazz – in Kenya it’s associated with the well-to-do, which is ironic considering its origins are associated with the black working class. Thankfully, in the past decade, jazz has become stedily popular thanks in part to the Safaricom International Jazz Festival that has introduced Kenyan audiences to a wide range of international jazz artistes as well as fostered a number of local jazz artistes including Shamsi Music, Nairobi Horns Project, Limericks, Swahili Jazz and Edward Parseen & The Different Faces Band.

Women of Jazz

The story of jazz in the world and even in Kenya, cannot be complete without the stories of the women of jazz. The history of jazz is fraught with notable women such as Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Lil Hardin Armostrong, but unfortunately this history also takes into account the domination of men and the challenges women had in being visible and acknowledged for their talent and contributions. The situation has improved over the past century, but still jazz is heavily dominated by men especially in the instrumental performer, bandleader and composer categories.

Over the past 5 years of Safaricom Jazz, I have enjoyed the introduction to talented women jazz musicans. At the celebrations of International Jazz Day that were headlined by the iconic Manu Dibango, a number of incredible women took the stage. As we celebrate what jazz means to the world, here are a few women in jazz in Kenya that deserve to be recognized and applauded for their contributions to Safaricom Jazz and jazz in general.

1. Kavutha Asiyo-Mwanzia

Kavutha Mwanzia-Asiyo  is easily one of Kenya’s leading jazz vocalists. She studied voice at the prestigious Berklee College of Music and has been the featured jazz vocalist at various jazz themed events. She is also a highly sought vocal coach and has been the vocal coach on East Africa’s most popular reality singing competition, Tusker Project Fame.

2. Ephie Shitakwa

Ephie is the lead singer of the band that is Mwai & The Truth. I’ve seen her a couple of times and she has a volcano of a voice. It’s one of those voices you never forget. This coupled with her energyy and great stage presence make her a wonderful jazz singer.

3. Rabodonavalona Lalanirina ”Fafa”

Rabodonavalona Lalanirina better known as Fafa, is the lead vocalist of the Limericks. Originally from Madagascar, she brings the sound of the country to the band. The Limericks have been nicknamed ”United States of Africa” because their members are from across Africa. Fafa has a rich singing voice that she controls with enviable ease and is a major part of what makes the Limericks unforgettable.

4. Kasiva Mutua

Kasiva is an internationally touring drummer and percussionist based in Nairobi, Kenya. Her performance style is influenced by afrobeat, zouk, samba, reggae and soul. As a young drummer, Kasiva learned traditional drums from her grandmother and continues to perpetuate her heritage and celebrate her community’s spirit.

5. Elizabeth Njoroge

Elizabeth is the founder of the Ghetto Classics program and she is also one of the leading figures for getting young people across Kenya involved in classical music through The Art of Music Foundation, which she created in 2009. She also founded the Kenya National Youth Orchestra (K.N.Y.O.), and runs the Safaricom Youth Orchestra (S.Y.O.)