Maria Gakenye

Gakenye is a Kenyan vocalist, academic, and social entrepreneur based in Cape Town, South Africa. She holds a BA in Jazz Studies and is completing a master's in ethnomusicology with an interdisciplinary focus on African studies and innovation studies. Her research applies the design thinking (DT) and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) frameworks to explore inclusive, sustainable approaches to vocal pedagogy in African higher education.

Characterised by a distinct vocal timbre, Gakenye blends influences from African traditional and popular music with jazz. She is the founder of Sauti za Afrika, a collective of emerging artists including Khonkco Twalo, Girswin Pypers, Josh Roelofse, Mthetho Mathenjwa and Reuben Maart, who met through their shared love for jazz at the South African College of Music (The SACM at UCT). With members from Cape Town, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and Nairobi, the group fuses diverse African sounds with jazz expression, performing regularly across Cape Town’s vibrant live music scene. Through Afro-jazz, poetry, and soulful storytelling, Sauti za Afrika shares powerful musical narratives, spirituality, and expressions of identity.

Gakenye is also a fellow with the Sparks Impact Fellowship, a programme that equips young professionals with intrapreneurial skills while working with purpose-driven organisations to improve service delivery and support socio-economic development in local and global underserved communities.