Katoi wa tabaka and the Mijikenda Jazz Band

BIO

KATOI WA TABAKA
Musician | Cultural Researcher | Storyteller | Instrumentalist
The Last Gunda la Muganga Blower in the World

Bridging ancestral sound with modern rhythm

About Me
Biography
I am Katoi wa Tabaka—musician, cultural preservationist, and the only known living player of the Gunda la Muganga, an ancient Mijikenda horn flute passed down to me by my grandmother, a healer, rainmaker, and seer.

Born and raised on the Kenyan coast, I’ve spent over two decades performing, producing, and reviving traditional music, touring through Kenya, Zanzibar, Italy, and international waters aboard MSC Cruises. My music honors ancestral wisdom while reimagining sound through Afro-fusion and electronic expression.

I’m also the founder of True Kenyan Experience, an advocate for cultural education, and a mentor to young artists, especially those from marginalized backgrounds.

Artistic Vision
My artistic practice is grounded in the belief that sound is memory and healing. By reviving traditional instruments and combining them with modern soundscapes, I create immersive music that reconnects us with our roots.

My signature sound—Mijikenda Sensations—fuses indigenous rhythm with Afro-Haus, jazz, and ambient electronics. It’s not just performance; it’s ritual, restoration, and resistance.

Gunda la Muganga Project
“The Healer’s Horn Flute”

This project is named after the sacred Gunda flute I inherited—a one-of-a-kind horn flute once used by Mijikenda healers in spiritual ceremonies. I am the only person alive today who plays it.

Project Activities:

Research and reconstruction of traditional Mijikenda and Swahili instruments

Hands-on workshops on instrument-making and playing

Online video tutorials and educational content (YouTube)

Collaborations with global producers to blend heritage sounds with house, jazz, and ambient music

Gunda la Muganga is a movement to preserve the spiritual and artistic legacy of Kenya’s coastal communities—reviving ancestral tools for a new generation.

Mijikenda Sensations (Live Afro-Haus Ensemble)
An experimental, Afro-electronic performance merging ancestral rhythm and futuristic sound.

Members:

Katoi wa Tabaka – Gunda, Vocals, Kayamba, Chivoti

Kazungu Masha – Percussion

Salim Mbui Mwatela – Marimba

Maxwell Nzai – DJ

A live show like no other—rhythmic, raw, and ritualistic—rooted in Mijikenda culture and amplified by modern innovation.

Mijikenda Jazz Band
A powerful fusion of Kenya’s traditional coastal music with jazz, soul, blues, and hip-hop. This is a full-bodied two-hour performance blending live instrumentation with cultural storytelling and groove-based improvisation.

Band Members:

Katoi wa Tabaka – Vocals, Gunda Flute, Traditional Percussion

Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed (Prince Tora) – Keys, Backing Vocals

Rafiki Michael Kazungu – Drums

Peter Michael Kazungu – Bass Guitar

Albert Ali – Congas

Kazungu Masha – Percussion

The Mijikenda Jazz Band invites audiences into a layered world where ancestral melodies meet soulful urban rhythms—preserving the past while speaking in the language of now.

Mentorship & Social Impact
I use my platform to mentor emerging musicians—DJs, instrumentalists, and vocalists—especially those navigating cultural identity, queerness, and marginalization.

Through Gunda la Muganga and my collective projects, I create safe, expressive spaces where youth can rediscover their roots, find pride in who they are, and use music as a voice for themselves and their communities.