Kasiva Mutua (Kenia)

Jackline Kasiva Mutua, vocals, guitar, percussion 
Michael Munene Gichuhi, bass, back vocals 
Nahshon Mweu, guitar, back vocals
Bonface Odera Onganga, keyboards, back vocals
Victor Kioko Muthini, drums, back vocals

“Kasiva, do you hear that?” her grandmother would ask as they sat by the fire after supper. A gifted storyteller, she wove witty tales with life lessons hidden at their heart. When she grew tired and wanted to distract her six-year-old granddaughter so she could doze for a while, she would say, “Go to the cow pen and listen to the secret that Nzilú, the black bull, is telling Nzalú, the white bull.” The curious little Kasiva would run to the pen and listen eagerly, only to return a few moments later, slightly out of breath. “I heard nothing… I only saw Nzilú licking his nose!” Her grandmother would insist, “Hurry, go back and listen carefully. The secret is being told right now.” Determined to uncover these mysterious animal secrets, Kasiva would return, this time with greater focus. That was when she began to hear it: crickets chirping in layered patterns, cows breathing in a steady tempo, the wind moving through the trees, laughter drifting from the kitchen. In the seeming randomness of it all, there was rhythm. On her way back, Kasiva would hum what she had heard. Later, lying in bed, she would recreate those rhythms on the bed frame, on her lap, her chest and her cheeks. Years later, she experimented with sound everywhere – on pans, spoons, school desks, buckets, anything she could lay her hands on. That was how Kasiva Mutua discovered the most beautiful world she knows – the world of percussion.

Through rhythm, she tells both her own story and that of African women. She advocates for women’s empowerment and gender equality across the continent. Holding a degree in journalism, she frequently participates in projects with educational or activist aims, including the Nile Project and TED Talks. Just over a decade ago, she co-founded the all-female percussion group MOTRA (Modern and Traditional Rhythms). With her musicality and charismatic stage presence, she forges a powerful connection with audiences, captivating listeners around the world and gaining wider recognition through appearances at showcases such as Jazzahead! 2025 and WOMEX 2026.