The Shades of Benga photo exhibition retraces the story of popular music in Kenya with rare historical photos sourced from private collections of pioneering musicians and their families.

The exhibition, is presented to coincide with the launch of the book ‘Shades of Benga: The Story of Popular Music in Kenya by Ketebul Music’, the force behind the ‘Retracing Kenyan Music’ series. This extensively researched and meticulously written book paints a broad picture of the Kenyan music scene from 1944 to the present.

Through 40 photographs from the 1940s to the early 1980s, the exhibition will take some on a nostalgic journey to the pioneering days of Kenyan music and others on an inspiring journey of discovery.

The photo exhibition will be open to the public from July 12-29, 2017, at Alliance Française de Nairobi, ground floor gallery.