Ivy Alexander

Ivy Alexander is a Nairobi based guitarist player whose interest in the instrument was nurtured by the fact that she was born into a musical family.

Her influences have been wide and still continue to grow but she does religiously
listen to Jimmy DluDlu, Jonathan Butler, Paul Jackson Jr., Mateus Asato, Mark
Lettieri, Kato Change and Benjamin Kabaseke; the latter of who are Kenyan
powerhouses.

Her style draws from various influences, mainly RnB and African rhythms that is
evident in her music. She released her debut single “Pacha” in July 2020 after being a
Fellow in the US Department of State’s OneBeat music program (2019) a program
that promotes musical cultural exchange and collaboration.

She recently joined UK jazz musician Yussef Dayes on tour in the UK (2023), as a guest guitarist on his shows.

Her debut project dropped in September 2021, a 6 track EP titled “Majira” that
features solo performances, and well seasoned Kenyan acts that showcases Nairobi’s
diverse musical and cultural landscape.

As member of numerous bands and recording projects, Ivy was selected by the British
Arts Council to collaborate with a group of UK-based jazz musicians as part of the
2018 Safaricom International Jazz Festival.

She has also taken part in international projects -Coke Studio Africa, as the house
guitarist for the 2018/2019 season.

She has played and recorded with great Kenyan
musicians; Polycarp Otieno (Sauti Sol), Nviiri The StoryTeller, Noel Nderitu, Rigga, Karun, Xenia Manasseh, June Gachui, Alice Kimanzi, Carol Atemi,  just to name a few.

She has performed internationally in Ethiopia, Vietnam, Germany and the United States of America.