Christine Kamau

Christine Kamau is a Trumpeter, Composer and Performing Artist from Kenya. Her Trumpet playing has been described as 'a wide-eared approach to jazz, paying attention to various styles without losing the jazz tonality'. Kamau credits her musical influences to Hugh Masekela, Maroon Commandos, Miles Davis among others.

In 2012, Christine Kamau released an 8-track instrumental Afro-Jazz album titled 'This is for You'. The album offers an exciting listening experience, the music being a fusion of jazz with African music elements of ‘Benga’ and Rhumba’. This debut release earned positive reviews from the music community and also saw Kamau featured on a BBC music program titled ‘Africa Beats’ a series that showcased emerging music talent from Africa.

A keen collaborator and campaigner for music as a tool for propagating unity, and having graced various stages around the continent, Christine Kamau has established a name on the African Jazz scene.

REVIEWS

"_with hindsight her 2012 debut was a seminal moment in this decade’s African Jazz". (africanjazz.info)

"She creates soundscapes that are inspired by a wide variety of influences including her ethnocultural roots, urban orientation and Kenya's contrasting cultural heritages". (The Nairobian)

PRESS

Delivering Afro Jazz Power
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/christine-kamau-delivering-afro-jazz-power

AWARDS

Nominee-Best Foreign Jazz Artist, Mzantsi Jazz Awards (2019)
Nominee-Best Jazz Act, Cafe Ngoma Awards (2017)

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Sierra Jazz Festival, Kenya (2012)

The ‘Jazz with Isaiah Katumwa TV Show’, Uganda (2013)

Safaricom Jazz Festival Rising Stars Edition, Kenya (2014)

Sondeka Festival, Kenya (2015)

Capital Jazz Festival, Nigeria (2016)

MASA Festival - OFF, Ivory Coast (2016)

Jahazi Literary & Jazz Festival, Zanzibar (2016)

Kigali Jazz Junction, Rwanda (2017)

Yaounde Jazz Festival, Cameroon (2017)

Lagos International Jazz Festival, Nigeria (2019)

New York Festival of New Trumpet Music - Virtual (2020)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2021: Speaker, UNESCO Jazz Women In Africa

2019: Panelist, GTABC Conference (Washington DC, USA)
Christine Kamau was a panellist at the 4th Georgetown University Africa Business Conference, Music for Development Panel.
https://www.georgetownafricabusinessconference.com/

2019: Moderator, ACCES Conference (Ghana)
Christine Kamau moderated the panel on 'Alternative Platforms and Circuits for African Music' at Music In Africa's ACCES Conference held at the Ghana Academy of Arts & Sciences in Accra. https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/alternative-music-platforms-and-c...

2018: Jazz from Germany Visitors Program (Germany)
Christine Kamau was invited to join 16 jazz music industry players from 15 countries around the world for a tour of the jazz music scene in Berlin, Munich & Stuttgart organized by the German Federal Foreign Office.

2017: Grantee, British Council Mobility Grant (Ethiopia)
This grant saw Christine Kamau travel to Addis Ababa for music exchange and collaboration with Ethiopian Jazz Musicians.
https://www.britishcouncil.org/east-africa-arts/projects/mobility/chrits......