Identity sheet: Kenya<

Between landscapes, festivities and history

Discover Kenya, its natural landscapes classified at UNESCO, its music marked by the different ethnic groups.

The extent of a protected nature

Kenya territory is covered with 8% by parks and nature reserves.In all, 46.430 km² are thus dedicated to nature and managed by Kenya Wildlife Service.The country has 26 parks, 5 of which are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and 34 reserves.

Among the most remarkable national parks, there is that of Mount Kenya, Sibiloi, Amboseli and the South Island, to name a few some.

The nature reserves to visit are those of Lake Bogoria, Masai Mara and Simba Hill.

Music with ethnic accents

Traditional music has considerable importance within villages, as is also the case in the rest of the African continent.

Even if each ethnicity has its own musical style, the central instrumental element is based on percussion.The drum (named Ngoma) has even become the name describing this genre.

The communities of GIRIAMAS and DIGOS are among the best dancers and percussionists in the country, making numerous representations regularly.

In terms of dance, we find the genre "Massaïs", close to the warrior ritual of this particularly respected ethnic group.

Benga contemporary music consists of electric batteries, percussion and guitars.There is in parallel the Tanzanian music, having tunes with that of the Congo since it is made with saxos, trumpets and bass solos.

Finally, there are the Kikuyu and Kamba music, not very popular in the West and in which we can hear guitars, choirs and women's voices.

We also find more tourist music, often bringing together different styles such as rumba, American tubes, Congolese Kouassa, Massaïs dance theatrical by the port of warrior costumes or Bwana jam.These shows intended for travelers are entertaining but, for the most part, far enough from the true traditional musical culture of the country.

Interested in history and art

To understand more Kenyan culture, nothing better than going to the many historic museums and monuments, retracing the past of the population, mainly located on the coast.We can thus find in several cultural centers works, objects and others, in relation to the Swahilia culture, the colonial era or even the ethnic traditions.

Art galleries are also present on the country and many of them are concentrated in Nairobi.There are pictorial works of all kinds but the color, the drawing made of big features and the representations of bucolic scenes in the narrative style, are the characteristics common to many achievements.We will remember mainly: Nairobi Museum, Market Village, French house and Ramoma.

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