Eriko Mukoyama (Anyango Nyar Siaya)
Profile: Eriko Mukoyama (Anyango Nyar Siaya)
She was born in Tokyo. Captivated by African music, she traveled alone to a remote village in Kenya for training, and became the world’s first female performer of the traditional string instrument, the nyatiti, which was traditionally reserved only for a select few men in the region.
In 2009, Anyango was named one of “Japan’s 100 Most Respected People” by Newsweek magazine. In 2010, she performed at the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL and was selected as the Best Act in the World Music category. In 2022, she released her ninth album, AOKO.
Currently, she performs not only across Japan but also at music festivals in Kenya, France, Germany, and the United States. As a Japanese-Kenyan Cultural Ambassador, she conducts lectures and performances at over 100 schools, including elementary, junior high, and high schools, as well as universities throughout Japan.
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Latest Blogs...View more blogs about Eriko Mukoyama (Anyango Nyar Siaya)
Tabu Osusa: The Making of an International Music Champion
By Isaac Otidi Amuke
Osusa and I are sitting at La Belle Époque, the ground floor café at Nairobi’s Alliance Francaise on Monrovia Street. Soon, our conversation becomes untenable when music from Straight Line Connection, a Nairobi indie rock/metal band gets too loud. Osusa, an avid French speaker and board member at Nairobi’s Alliance Francaise, informs me that the performance is part of ShowCase Wednesday, a monthly shindig where artists experiment with an eye on building audiences. That’s how Osusa and I, once again, make for the relatively quieter Sippers pub in Hurlingham, a hideaway we both frequent to listen to Congolese Rhumba, a musical shrine of sorts which Osusa has since christened The Church.
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE: https://thelagosreview.ng/tabu-osusa-the-making-of-an-international-music-champion-isaac-otidi-amuke/
Book Launch – ANYANGO NYAR SIAYA (Nyatiti Queen)
This September, Anyango Nyar Siaya from Japan returns to Kenya to launch her book “ANYANGO NYAR SIAYA (Nyatiti Queen)” and perform in Nairobi and Kisumu.
Wednesday, 17 Sept – Book launch at Alliance Française Nairobi
Thursday, 18 Sept – Geco Café (backed by Makadem)
Saturday, 20 Sept – Dunga Hill Camp, Kisumu (backed by Sango Soul)
The book will be available from Nuria Bookstore and Ketebul Music. All shows are free. Come and experience the nyatiti with the first woman from outside the Luo community to play it professionally.
Shades of Benga Online – Episode 2: The Congo Connection & Nairobi Social Halls
We’re back again this Wednesday 23 September @ 8:00PM EAT (+3GMT) with #shadesofbenga online episode 2. We travel back in time and see how a couple of Congolese guitarists influenced Kenyan popular music in the 1950s. Join us on our YouTube channel KETEBULMUSIC and Facebook page ketebulmusic to watch this episode. CLICK HERE to schedule and to view the episode.
Tribute To The Late Achieng’ Abura
