Uploaded October 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In 2011, travelling across Kenya, we found ourselves retracing the traditions and instruments that inspired the creation of the Benga genre. Benga originates from the Luo tribes, as they gradually built on the percussive/bass sounds of the Nyatiti to form something more bluesy. We recorded the Otacho Young Stars on our field trip in late 2011, capturing the music of the Luo people. Their musical style combines the modern sounds of Benga with more traditional rhythms and instruments, which shows how these young men are still continuing their Luo musical legacy whilst embracing the changing sounds of modern East African music.
Read more at: singingwells.org/anniversary-top20
In 2011, travelling across Kenya, we found ourselves retracing the traditions and instruments that inspired the creation of the Benga genre. Benga originates from the Luo tribes, as they gradually built on the percussive/bass sounds of the Nyatiti to form something more bluesy. We recorded the Otacho Young Stars on our field trip in late 2011, capturing the music of the Luo people. Their musical style combines the modern sounds of Benga with more traditional rhythms and instruments, which shows how these young men are still continuing their Luo musical legacy whilst embracing the changing sounds of modern East African music.
Read more at: singingwells.org/anniversary-top20
