Kenya

A singer from the Kalenjin community in the Rift Valley, Doris Tanui Chepchumba began performing as a dancer, drummer, and soloist in the annual Kenya National Music Festivals when she was in high school. In 2006, she won first prize at the Ibiza Talent Search Competition sponsored by leading Kenyan radio stations. She performs solo and with the Maroon Commandos, a well-known military band in Kenya that plays benga, rumba, and other music styles.

Doris Tanui Chepchumba represents Rift Valley roots in contemporary Kenyan music.

Photo by Pruitt Allen, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution

Doris Tanui Chepchumba, a singer from the Kalenjin community, performs on the Ngoma Stage.

Photo by Joe Furgal, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution