Kenyan barista, Martin Shabaya, is currently competing in the World Barista Championship (WBC)– the preeminent international coffee competition produced annually by World Coffee Events.

This year, the 16th edition of the annual World Barista Championship is being held in Seattle, USA from Thursday, April 9th to Sunday, April 12th, 2015.

Martin emerged as the winner of the 12th Kenya National Barista Championship earlier this year in February, and pulled out all the stops in his first ever international appearance at WBC on Thursday.

Watch Martin’s 15-minute Round 1 performance to a compilation of instrumentals and acid jazz here.

What is the World Barista Championship?

Each year, champions representing more than 50 Nations each prepare 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 original signature drinks to exacting standards in a 15-minute performance set to music.

WCE Certified Judges from around the world evaluate each performance on the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill, and overall presentation. The ever-popular signature beverage allows baristas to stretch their imagination and the judges’ palates to incorporate a wealth of coffee knowledge into an expression of their individual tastes and experiences.

Round 1 of WBC continues today in Seattle with the semi-finalist’s being announced at 5:00PM PDT.

Good luck Martin!