Goethe-Institut Kenya brings Ghanaian and Kenyan artists together for MobiArts concert

The project brings together performing artists from different African countries and provides opportunities to connect with audiences beyond their home markets. Its broader aim is to encourage artists to build careers through exchanges within the continent, rather than viewing opportunities in Europe as the primary measure of international success.

MobiArts features artists working across several disciplines, including music, storytelling, stand-up comedy, dance, slam poetry and theatre.

The project also seeks to expose audiences to musical styles and instruments that are less prominent in mainstream African pop music. In Kenya, Labdi's work with the orutu, an indigenous Luo string instrument, has formed an important part of her artistic practice.

The instrument, which historically was reserved for men, led Labdi to explore Luo musical traditions, oral histories and archival material. Her work focuses on preserving and reinterpreting indigenous music for contemporary audiences.

Tommy WÁ is a Ghanaian poet, visual storyteller and singer-songwriter whose music incorporates Afro-inspired sounds alongside contemporary folk, indie and retro-soul influences. Based in Accra, he draws on a range of musical influences while developing a sound shaped by the city's contemporary cultural environment.

The MobiArts Tour pairs artists from different countries and disciplines as they travel across four African countries. Alongside Kenya and Ghana, the programme includes artists from Rwanda and Côte d'Ivoire.

The Goethe-Institut said the touring format is intended to encourage connections between artists and audiences while creating opportunities for cultural exchange between participating countries.

The Goethe-Institut is Germany's international cultural institute and operates in countries around the world. Its Nairobi office works with Kenyan partners on cultural and educational exchange through artistic projects, training programmes, co-productions, school collaborations, information initiatives and German-language teaching.