Nina Ogot brings the richness of Kenyan music traditions
Nina Ogot is known for her vibrant music with the soul of Kenya – a mix of traditional and modern Kenyan tunes with Western folk, afropop and electronica.
Now, with her latest and fourth album Okumbu.KE, she sings of a rich tradition that is in danger of disappearing in the dynamic and cosmopolitan modern Kenyan culture.
Ukumbu.KE is a wordplay with the Kiswahili words ‘Ukumbu’ (memories) – and the word ‘Ukumbuke’ (let us remember), and contemporary dot.ke society (a reference to Kenya’s web domain).
Nina Ogot aims to keep ‘memory’ relevant through music: lyrics in Kiswahili and in her mother tongue dholuo, Taarab and Bango melodies of the Kenyan coast, percussive Isukuti of the Luhya and the spiritual Dodo gospel of the Luo people. All adorned with a modern touch of horns from Germany!
Nina Ogot is an ambassador for Treasures of Kenya Trust, a non-profit organisation in Kenya and Germany dedicated to preserving Kenya’s natural and cultural heritage. Furthermore, she addressed the crisis situation of homeless people in Kenya on the OneBeat Musical and Cultural Exchange Programme through the US platform. Her efforts – together with the Kuruka Maisha Foundation – were awarded the prestigious US National Arts and Humanities Youth Programme Awards-NASAA, a project initiated by former US First Lady Michelle Obama.
Discover the splendour of traditional Kenyan music and get carried away by Nina Ogot’s warm voice!
Sfinks collaborates closely with numerous international partners. We have a large and strong network of festivals and music organizations all over the world. These local specialists keep us constantly informed and inspire us with impressive and unexpected artists. This is how a unique, hand-picked line-up full of original gems and international emerging talent grows every year!
Nina Ogot plays at Sfinks Mixed 2024 thanks to the support of Cultural Relations Platform – EU/Kenya.
