From the late 1960s and into the 1980s Nairobi was a magnet for musicians from all over East Africa. Major international labels had invested there, hundreds of local independent ones flourished, there were pressing plants, state of the art studios, and countless music venues. Congolese bands settled in the city, playing the Cuban influenced sounds of rumba, while musicians from all parts of Kenya brought with them their own local styles: chakacha from the coast,  the fast paced rhythms of Luo and Kikuyu benga, traditional music and gospel. And then there was the Latin-infused sound of the Tanzanian bands, intricate Zambian guitar playing, and the American funk and soul of the tourist circuit musicians. This vibrant melting pot has largely remained unknown to people outside the region, especially when compared to the popularity of West African music, but this excellent Soundway compilation is one of the few to dive into it, covering the whole range of sounds : the hard hitting Kikuyu funk of the Rift Valley Brothers’ “Mu Africa,” the psychedelia-tinged “Kibe Kibe” by the Mombasa Vikings’, the mellow Luo Benga of DO 7 Band’s “H.O. Ochiri” or the distinctive Kikuyu Benga of the Gatanga Boys. An important testament to a golden era of Kenyan music. 

– Megan Iacobini de Fazio