Dancehall & Reggea in Kenya

Musically speaking, I would say Reggae is my first love. While growing up in the 2000s, KBC owned radio station
Metro FM, was very popular in my household. With the likes of radio presenters such as Greg Murrey, Kajuju Kaburia ,Njambi Koikai and more, this was truly an era for many reggae fans. Unfortunately all good things come to an end and the gap left by Metro FM was filled by Ghetto Radio. Another era emerged with the Goteana Show which was then hosted by Mbusi and Bonoko.

While in high school my love for one drop music and dancehall was pretty much part of my identity. I was a big fan of Homeboyz radio reggae shows such as Kingston 10 which was then hosted by ZJ Heno and Adele; Robbo Ranx, a UK based DJ and presenter, still hosts Turn up Loud on the radio station and you cannot miss out on the exclusives. Currently there are several Reggae Tv shows such as Citizen’s One Love hosted by Talia Oyando the night nurse,  TV47’s Irie Vybz hosted by Ibu Badman and more.

Since the 90’s, many reggae and dancehall artists have graced Kenyans with their presence by performing live in the country. The late Lucky Dube hosted the best live show ever in Kenya in 1998 at the Ngong Racecourse. Other international reggea artists who have performed in Kenya include: Chronixx, Levi Roots, UB40, Tarrus Riley, Gregory Isaac, Etana, Christopher Martin, Cecile, Alaine, Buju Banton, Joseph Hill, Johnny Clark, Jah Shakah and more.

Kenyan music is diverse, yet it’s hard to ignore the influence Jamaican music has on our sound and culture. It fuses well with our ethnic sounds that includes benga, hip-hop, genge and gospel too. Also in terms of dancing styles, dressing , the sheng language and the fact that many clubs have reggae night scheduled weekly, shows how much Kenyans love and appreciate Jamaican Culture.

I have to mention Empire sounds Dj and Producer, ZJ Heno and also Boss man G Money for doing the most to bridge Jamaican and Kenyan artists. ZJ Heno has produced several riddims such as Destination Riddim, Compatible Riddim, Tranquility Riddim and my personal favourite, Passionate Riddim. These riddims have a mixture of Kenyan, Jamaican and Ugandan artists, making them holistic and international. G Money has introduced several Kenyan artists such as Boutross and Ethic to Jamaican artists such as Konshens, who has remixed several KE songs.

Kenyan artists such as Petra featured the World Boss himself, Vybz Kartel, on her 2020 banger Turn off the light. Another honourable mention has to be Etana, who featured Kenyan artists Wyre, Naiboi and Michael Bundi on her Grammy nominated album titled Pamoja. Without forgetting Zikki’s collaboration with Tarrus Riley titled Kamata back in 2018.

Currently hip-hop artists are also incorporating the reggae sound in their releases. Wakadinali dropped Rong Reggae visuals recently off their album Ndani ya Cockpit 3 ft MC Gijo, Ridiq and Skillo. Budhouse Music artists are also proving to be diverse with their releases titled Vela by The Don and Depo Dice. Nazz Papa Afrika from the label is also a dancehall artist and you can hear his unique sound through his projects Guala and Nasty Nazz. Other honourable mentions in the Kenyan reggae and dancehall scene include Shamir Tadeiya, Becky Muthoni, Nazizi, Khaqi, Nem R, Pepela, Zero Location, Vidha Mihseh, Bandeet, Roy Gambi, Lioness Afreeka, Dula Wetu, Tim Adric, Kitole Kenda and more.

It is truly correct to conclude that nobody can stop Reggae; it is here to stay !

Here is a Link to a Kenyan Reggae Playlist by Industry Player La Music Junkie.