In Nairobi, a Hotel’s Sweet Refrain of Music and Memories
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There are songs that stay in your head long after you’ve heard them for the first time. If you’re lucky, there are places you travel to that are just as memorable. Such is the allure of Kenya, a place whose rhythms are resounding in surprising new ways, while earning its nickname as the “Pride of Africa.”
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The rise of Afrobeats artists like Tyla and Davido have put the continent on the map as a serious music player. But now, hospitality players are also looking to transform Africa into a major tourist destination, where art, food and culture flow as beautifully as the tunes that soundtrack your visit.
Worlds collide at Tribe Hotel, one of Nairobi’s premiere destinations for arts and culture. Opened in 2008, Tribe is one of the only luxury hotels in Kenya, situated in Nairobi’s diplomatic neighborhood that’s home to more than 50 embassies as well as the headquarters of the United Nations in Africa.
Founded by Shamim Ehsani and his elder brother, Hooman, the Tribe Hotel has become a hub for entertainment in the city, a place where locals and tourists alike gather for a meal, for conversation, or for one of the hotel’s many weekly events. It’s become a destination for A-list guests too, having hosted everyone from Damian Marley and Diplo, to Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, Salma Hayek, Anne Hathaway and even Mark Zuckerberg.
On a recent afternoon, live music flowed from the hotel’s farm-to-table restaurant Jiko, as a singer and backing guitarist performed acoustic renditions of popular pop-rock hits. These tourist-oriented pop covers have spawned their own genre in Kenya, affectionately referred to as “hotel pop” by locals. Think African-tinged takes on soft rock hits from Christina Perri and Lana Del Rey, to re-imagined versions of Rihanna and Michael Jackson songs in the percussive benga style of Kenyan music (an afro fusion genre said to be descended from Cuban jazz and Congolese rumba).
For Ehsani, music is one of the ways the Tribe Hotel is using its property to welcome people to Nairobi. “Kenyans love live music, and singing and performance play a role in worship, in schools, and in communities across the country,” the owner and entrepreneur tells Rolling Stone. “Across the country, indigenous tribes use music for storytelling, harvesting, celebrating and rites of passage; the Maasai even have allegorical songs for hunting and finding a spouse.”
Music also reflects the multicultural neighborhood that the Tribe is located in, and the hotel frequently partners with the nearby embassies to host concerts at the property. “Through these cultural programs, we have hosted a number of incredible performances,” Ehsani says, listing Polish classical pianist Janusz Olejniczak, Italian jazz cellist Paolo Damiani and Senegalese percussionist Dudu Kouate as just a few of his favorites.
And while his own tastes run more modern, Ehsani says the rebirth of traditional sounds and the influx of Western influences have resulted in a diverse mix of music in the country. “The live performances across Kenya are extremely varied, from cover bands to internationally-acclaimed artists and musicians producing original work,” Ehsani explains, “and similarly, the genres span across country music, opera, gospel, EDM and pop.”
As for how he finds and books the artists that perform at the Tribe? It turns out that scouting talent in Kenya isn’t that different from the U.S.: “We are constantly on the lookout for emerging talent; aspiring musicians who are looking for regular gigs,” Ehsani says. “We find them playing at weddings, or other venues, or occasionally on TikTok and approach them if we think they might be a good fit.”
According to the hotel, the name “Tribe” was chosen to signal “community and unity” in Africa, while taking back the negative connotations associated with the term. Part of that involved stripping the property of any colonial-style vestiges, in favor of a stark, modern and open space more reminiscent of a museum or gallery. Indeed, while hundreds of one-of-a-kind art pieces hang in both the communal spaces and bedrooms, the works showcase wealth and grandeur, rather than tired tropes of the past.
As with the music programming, everything is brought to life by the Ehsani family, with the hotel designed by architect Mehraz Ehsani (Shamim’s uncle) and the artwork curated by Shamim’s mother, Faranak, an incredibly graceful — and gracious — presence, whose love for Africa and African people is reflected in the colorful works she meticulously hand-picks for the site.
Faranak knows every artisan by name, making weekly visits to local markets and galleries to select the more-than 900 pieces of original African art on the property. While Kenya is largely represented in the paintings and furnishings, pieces on display at the Tribe also include bronze statues from Benin, clay and leather work from Cameroon, and wood carvings and metalwork from Uganda. Be sure to also ask Faranak to demonstrate the traditional Kenyan wood headrests she sources that are on display throughout the hotel (of course, the rooms have classic pillows of the fluffy sort too). “Tribe has always served as a platform for the arts,” she tells Rolling Stone, “and we wanted the building itself to be a permanent representation of the beauty and design that exists on the continent.”
Recently, the Tribe Hotel has been partnering with The Art of Music, an organization based in Korogocho, one of Kenya’s biggest slums that is home to more than 300,000 residents. Through a program dubbed “Ghetto Classics,” the organization offers dance and music lessons to underprivileged children in the settlement, welcoming talent from around the world to teach at the music school. As part of their visit to Kenya, the guests are invited to stop at the Tribe, which will host concerts for the community.
“Unfortunately, arts and music programs have been entirely cut out of local (public) school curricula, because of budgets,” Ehsani explains, “and so the onus of supporting music is picked up by individuals like Elizabeth Njoroge (founder of The Art of Music) and private businesses like ours.”
For Ehsani and his family, art and music are a way to welcome guests to Nairobi, and a conduit to showing them the diverse and vibrant customs that Kenya has to offer (Ehsani also uses food and drink as a conduit, with a superhero-themed speakeasy called “Hero Bar” at the Tribe’s sister property, Trademark Hotel… but that’s a story for another day).
If the recent popularity of African music in the U.S. is any indication, the influence — and importance — of places like the Tribe Hotel will only continue to increase in the coming years. Ehsani sees the property has more than just a place for people to stay, but rather as a home base for Nairobi’s burgeoning arts and culture scene, welcoming international artists to the city while also fostering local talent and giving them opportunities to showcase their work. Just like those songs that get stuck in your head, Ehsani wants your experience at the Tribe to be a melodious one — and one you won’t soon forget.
“Music and dancing go together with any feast or celebration in Kenya,” Ehsani says, “and we want to be part of your celebrations and memories too.”
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