Kenya: Tommy WÁ and Labdi to perform in Nairobi as part of MobiArts Tour

The concert forms part of a regional project that promotes artistic exchange and mobility between African countries by creating opportunities for performers to connect with audiences beyond their home markets.

MobiArts brings together artists working across disciplines including music, storytelling, stand-up comedy, dance, slam poetry and theatre. The project also seeks to broaden conversations around artistic mobility by encouraging artists to build audiences and partnerships within Africa, rather than focusing primarily on opportunities in Europe.

The Nairobi concert will showcase the contrasting musical approaches of Labdi and Tommy WÁ.

Labdi incorporates the orutu, an indigenous Luo string instrument historically associated with men, into her work. Her practice involves researching and reinterpreting traditional Luo music and cultural archives.

Tommy WÁ is a Ghanaian poet, visual storyteller and singer-songwriter whose music draws on Afro-inspired sounds, contemporary folk, indie and retro-soul. Based in Accra, he incorporates influences from his Nigerian heritage and Ghanaian musical environment into his work.

The MobiArts Tour pairs artists from different countries and disciplines to encourage cultural exchange. Alongside Kenya and Ghana, the current tour includes artists from Rwanda and Côte d’Ivoire and will travel across four African countries.