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.
Eric Wainaina is a Kenyan singer.
David Mathenge, better known by his stage name Nameless, is a Kenyan pop artist.
K-South was a Kenyan hip-hop duo made up of "Bamboo" and "Doobeez'", now known as "Abbas Kubaff". Founded in 1995, K-South is among the most notable pioneers of the genre in Kenya. The name is an abbreviation of Kariobangi South, the Nairobi neighbourhood where they were based. The group used both English and Swahili raps in their music.
Harrison Mungai "Harry" Kimani is a Kenyan musician and composer.
Swabri Mohammed, better known by his stage name Redsan, is a Kenyan reggae and ragga musician. He is one of the most renowned ragga and dancehall artists in East Africa. His popularity has extended to the rest of Africa, parts of Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
Hardstone is a Kenyan musician. His music is a mixture of ragga, reggae and hip hop. He sings in English, Swahili and Kikuyu languages. He is a pioneer urban style artist in Kenya and topped the Kenyan music scene for a while in the late 1990s.
Simon Kimani, more popularly known as Bamboo, is an MC who represents Kenya and lives in New York City. He was raised in Inglewood, California by parents of East African descent, and at the age of 17, his parents sent him to Nairobi, Kenya to eschew the potentially dangerous life they feared he might have if he stayed in Inglewood. Bamboo transferred the success he was beginning to have in California to Nairobi, acquiring a record deal and producing his first album, Nairoberry, with his group K-South in 2001. He formed the record label Project 254 in Nairobi with Kenyan emcees Tim Waindi and Attitude. Bamboo is also a member of the record label The Grass Company, and he states that he intends to re-record a previously released album "exactly the way [they] did it in Kenya but now with state-of-the-art equipment" in Atlanta, Georgia.
Lydia Achieng Abura was a Kenyan singer who performed Afro-jazz, Afro-fusion, and gospel music.
Rosemary Wahu Kagwi, professionally known by her mononym Wahu, is a Kenyan singer-songwriter, former fashion model, actress, and entrepreneur.
Mercy Myra Grundberg, better known as Mercy Myra, is an R&B musician from Kenya.
Mr. Googz is a musician, preacher and author from Kenya.
Moses Qqu Odhiambo, known commonly as Qqu is a Kenyan singer, songwriter, choreographer, performer, instrumentalist, lifestyle entrepreneur and digital artist.
Dan Okoth, better known as Dan Aceda, is a Kenyan musician, entrepreneur, architect, and actor from Nairobi. He has recently been recognised by a Kenyan online magazine as having one of the top 10 most iconic male voices in his home country. In 2014 he was nominated to be a part of the Global Accelerator Conference for entrepreneurs organised by the UN Foundation in New York City. He is also a 2013–2014 Global Health Corps fellow.
Harun "Aaron" Kimathi Rimbui is a Kenyan pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, producer, festival curator and radio host. He is regarded as one of East Africa's finest pianists.
Tusker Project Fame is an East African reality-singing competition show sponsored by Tusker Lager. The show is similar to American Idol and Project Fame South Africa, musicians compete to win cash and a one-year record deal with Universal Music Group South Africa.
Victoria Kimani is a Kenyan singer, songwriter, and entertainer formerly signed to the Nigerian record label Chocolate City. Her debut album was released in 2016.
Suzan Kerunen is a Ugandan world music singer and songwriter who performs African contemporary music in the local Ugandan language of Alur-Jonam as well as in English, Swahili and other world languages. She is a double Kora Award nominee who competed against Ethiopia's Michaih Behaylu, Astar and Bluz and Kenyan Wahu and a PAM Award winner. She was appointed Uganda National Tourism Ambassador to promote Cultural Tourism. Kerunen has shared stages with Africa's best artists and musicians including Kenya's Suzanna Owíyo, South Africa's Yvonne Chaka Chaka, ASA and other Diaspora artists at the KORA ALL AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS in Benin, Mama Africa Miriam Makeba, Oliver Mutukudzi, Third World, Kinobe Herbert backed up by Soul Beat Africa at The International Jazz Festival.
Wendy Kimani is a Kenyan singer, songwriter, actress and entertainer. She came into prominence after being the first runners-up in the second season of Tusker Project Fame. As a singer she is known for her songs; "Haiwi Haiwi" featuring Bien of Sauti Sol, "Chali", "Unajua" featured by Gilad among others. She released her debut album dubbed as My Essence launched in August 2013. As an actress she is known for starring in the television series, Rush.
Carol Atemi Oyungu is a Kenyan singer, songwriter and entertainer. She first made her mark by being in a girl band Intu until 2007 when they each decided to go solo and work on individual projects. In 2003, she joined Eric Wainaina, as an assistant vocal harmony provider for his band. Oyungu released her first single "Happy" in 2004 and her debut album Hatimaye in 2008, and her second studio album Manzili in 2013.
