Peter Akwabi is credited with popularizing omutibo beats, a local form of processional music characterized by rhythms inspired by a traditional dance of the Luhya community.
Photo by Joe Furgal, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Peter Akwabi has been composing and teaching music for over five decades. Born in Khwisero in western Kenya, he has been credited with popularizing omutibo beats, a local form of processional music, characterized by rhythms inspired by a traditional dance of the Luhya community. His first album, released in 1963 when he was still a teen, was a tribute to fellow singer George Mukabi. He has taught performing and creative arts at Kenyatta University, works as a freelance music lecturer, and has thirteen TV episodes and over 250 songs to his name.
