The music of Kenya is very diverse, with multiple types of folk music based on the variety over 50 regional languages.
"Hakuna matata" is a Swahili phrase, meaning "no trouble" or "no worries" and "take it easy". The 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios animated film The Lion King brought the phrase to Western prominence in one of its most popular songs, in which it is translated as "no worries". The song is often heard at Disney's resorts, hotels, and amusement parks.
Soukous is a genre of dance music from Congo-Kinshasa and Congo-Brazzaville. It derived from Congolese rumba in the 1960s, becoming known for its fast dance rhythms and intricate guitar improvisation, and gained popularity in the 1980s in France. Although often used by journalists as a synonym for Congolese rumba, both the music and dance associated with soukous differ from more traditional rumba, especially in its higher tempo and longer dance sequences. Notable performers of the genre include Franco Luambo and his band TPOK Jazz, Papa Wemba, Sam Mangwana, Tabu Ley Rochereau, and Pépé Kallé.
Malaika is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian musician Adam Salim in 1945. This song is possibly the most famous of all Swahili love songs in Tanzania, Kenya and the entire East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili songs in the world. Malaika in this context means "angel" in Swahili, and this word has always been used by the Swahili speakers to refer to a beautiful girl.
Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Sabaki River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi was 119,859 as of the 2019 census. It is the largest urban centre in Kilifi County.
Benga is a genre of Kenyan popular music. It evolved between the late 1940s and late 1960s, in Kenya's capital city of Nairobi. In the 1940s, the African Broadcasting Service in Nairobi aired a steady stream of soukous, South African kwela, Congolese finger-style guitar and various kinds of Cuban dance music that heavily influenced emergence of benga. There were also popular folk songs of Tanzania and Kenya's Luo peoples that formed the base on benga creation.
Daudi Kabaka (1939–2001) was a Kenyan vocalist and musician.
Les Wanyika is a prominent band with Tanzanian and Kenyan members based in Nairobi, Kenya. It was formed in 1978 when drummer Rashid Juma, guitarist Omar Shabani, bassist Tommy Malanga, saxophonist Sijali Salum Zuwa and Phoney Mkwanyule left the Simba Wanyika Band. They were joined by guitarist John Ngereza and vocalist Issa Juma.
Congolese rumba is a popular genre of dance music that originated in the Congo basin during the 1940s, deriving from Cuban son. The style gained popularity throughout Africa during the 1960s and 1970s.
Hubert Mbuku Nakitare, commonly known by his stage name Nonini, is a Kenyan hip hop recording artiste, entertainer, radio presenter, businessman and philanthropist. He is often referred to as the Godfather because he is very well known.
Jambo is a gorilla who used to reside at Jersey Zoo.
"Jambo Bwana" is a Kenyan pop song also popular in Tanzania. It was first released in 1982 by Kenyan band Them Mushrooms, and later covered by a number of other groups and artists, including Mombasa Roots, Safari Sound Band, Khadja Nin, Adam Solomon, Mani Kollengode, and the German group Boney M. Some versions come under different titles, such as "Jambo Jambo" and "Hakuna Matata".
Chakacha is a traditional music and dance style of the Swahili people of coastal Kenya and Tanzania, originally associated with weddings and performed and watched by women. In the late 20th century, musical groups such as Mombasa Roots, Safari Sound Band and Them Mushrooms have adapted this style to afropop music. The women dress in very light, transparent clothing and have a belt around their waists for ease of movement. Tanzanian ladies, especially around the coastal areas, are very good at this dance. It is also somewhat associated with Taarab, another type of music style adapted in the coast and mainly performed by women. A very popular coastal tradition, with Arabic poetry, taarab has been used as a sarcastic way of delivering a message across.
Nyota Ndogo is a musician from Kenya who performs taarab-influenced pop music.
John Nzenze was a musician from Kenya. He had performed the twist dance style. Some of his most popular songs were "Angelike", "Julieta Rudi Tuone" and "Habari za Nairobi ".
Maroon Commandos is a musical group from Kenya. It is a military band belonging to 7 Kenya Rifles of the Kenya Army. They are based at the Langata Barracks in Langata, Nairobi. The group performs benga, rumba and other styles of music. They perform both original and cover versions. The band plays often at state functions.
Mombasa Roots are a Kenyan afropop/hotel pop musical group. They have recorded some of the most successful hit singles in Kenyan pop music, such as Disco Chakacha and Kata. Their most famous album is Lele Mama.
Safari Sound Band is a Kenyan hotel pop band. In over twenty years of activity, they were certified platinum four times, and their recordings of Swahili classics such as "Jambo Bwana" and "Malaika" are well-known. They have published a number of CDs, featuring cover versions of African evergreens as well as other easy listening Swahili pop tracks. The band consists of six elements. All the band members also sing.
Kenyan English is a local dialect of the English language spoken by several communities and individuals in Kenya, and among some Kenyan expatriates in other countries. The dialect contains features unique to it that were derived from local Bantu languages, such as Swahili.
Jambo is a Swahili greeting or salutation. It is similar in meaning to the English word Hello.
