MARIA  GAKENYE 

<div>Maria is soulful and Afrocentric musician and performing artist from Nairobi, Kenya. With a BA in Jazz Studies majoring in Vocal performance.&nbsp;Her&nbsp;musical passion is entwined with a love for Africa, her people and&nbsp;cultures, and her&nbsp;vision is to inspire an African spirit through her&nbsp;musical sound and performance experience. She is in Pursuit of a Masters in Ethnomusicology and African Studies from the University of Cape Town.</div><div><br /></div><div>She is a lover of African fashion and art, and has&nbsp;experience as a Singer and Songwriter, having released her&nbsp;debut album titled Msafara in September 2021. She&nbsp;received a nomination for the 2022 Cafe Ngoma Awards best new Artist category in Nairobi, Kenya and performed live in various avenues both in Nairobi and Cape Town, South Africa, including the Kenya National Theatre, The Armchair Theatre and Selective Live.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a youth from Africa, Maria believes it is her&nbsp;vocation to empower her&nbsp;fellow youth though nurturing a deeper love and understanding of this continent, her people, cultures, art and to celebrate the pride of being an&nbsp;African Woman.</div>

https://instagram.com/mariagakenye?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=