Nina Ogot, Treasure Ambassador for Kenyan Music
In 2018, the Treasures of Kenya Initiative invited Nina Ogot to perform as the main act of JAMBO DAY, a yearly cultural event to present Kenya and its unique heritage within Germany. The engagement initiated the forming of Nina Ogot Band, and later, the Treasures of Kenya Initiative spearheaded and managed the production of Nina Ogot’s new album DALA.
In 2019, Nina Ogot was honored as the Treasure Ambassador for Kenyan Music in recognition of her outstanding art that merges traditional music with modern forms of expression and international influences, thus painting a true image of a contemporary Kenya and keeping elements of traditional music alive and relevant.
Nina Ogot is proud of using her popularity to expose the Treasures of Kenya to a wider audience in Kenya and abroad. One Euro from every album sold is donated to the work of the Treasures of Kenya Initiative.
About the Treasures of Kenya Initiative
The Treasures of Kenya Initiative is dedicated to the conservation of Kenya’s natural and cultural treasures. It is driven by the 50 Treasures of Kenya Trust, a not-for-profit trust based in Nairobi, and its German sister organisation, the Treasures of Kenya e.V., along with a network of associated partners and volunteers in Kenya and abroad.
The Treasures of Kenya Initiative is undertaking a nationwide documentation of the natural and cultural heritage and promotes awareness of the treasures and the threats they face.
Currently, it establishes a detailed treasure list and an English-German internet portal introducing Kenya’s treasures to the Kenyan and international public. It is supporting sustainable tourism projects which provide local communities with say and income and contribute to the preservation of Kenya’s treasures.
About the Kenyan treasures
Kenya has a unique natural and cultural heritage. The natural treasures of the East African nation include all officially protected areas with their rich flora and fauna. However, most natural treasures are without formal protection status.
The cultural treasures include all formally protected archeological and historical monuments and world heritage sites, as well as the physical and immaterial heritage of Kenya’s ethnic communities and immigrants from Asia, Arabia and Europe. They also include outstanding contemporary Kenyan culture of all genres.
Although only partially known, these treasures are increasingly threatened through pollution, overuse, disappearance and destruction caused by cultural and climate change, population growth, rapid development, lack of awareness and insufficient knowledge, amongst others.
