Description
As in other Kenyan communities, popular music among the Kamba has been one of the sites in which contemporary experiences and identity relations are expressed, contested and even reconstructed. This paper discusses the findings of an ethnographic study of Kalambya Boys and Kalambya Sisters”: bands that were popular in the eighties and whose songs still widely circulate and are performed by other bands in the Kamba community. The focus is on how gender relations are manifested in the production and existence of the Kamba popular music band. The importance of taking into account the social and cultural context in which Kamba popular music is explained with evidence from ethnographic study indicating how gender relations and identity construction are played out in the organization and performance of the popular music band.
Key words: Gender, Ethnography, Popular
