Date & Time: Friday 3rd May 2013 7 PM
Venue: Esidai County Hotel, Kitengela
Tickets: Kshs 350 Advance & Kshs 500 at the Gate
Teto Tutuma & The Purple Warriors Band
Teto Tutuma was born to a preacher father and a singing mother in Kajiado County, a few kilometers to the South of Nairobi. Consequently, this gave him a unique opportunity. He started not only to sing in church at an early age but he also experienced growing up in a cultural setting.
It was not until he completed high school in 1998 that he started performing to contemporary audiences, appearing as the vocalist for a local rap group called TKK.
Three years later, he left the group, taught himself to play guitar and embarked on a solo career. After much soul searching, Teto Tutuma changed his style of music turning to his Maasai culture as the base for his compositions.
In 2005, he auditioned for ‘Spotlight on Kenyan music’, an initiative by the Alliance Françoise de Nairobi that promotes Kenyan music of traditional origin. Though he was not selected to be part of the Spotlight compilation album, the audition process and its challenges not only opened up his mind but also boosted his confidence.
In 2006, he again appeared for auditions in the same project, and this time around, Teto was chosen as a finalist on the project. His song ‘Iyie Ake’, sung in Maasai, was recorded in the Spotlight on Kenyan Music Vol. 2 CD compilation. It was this same song that the Nation newspaper described as ‘having got an international appeal’.
Teto’s performance and stage presence was further improved when as part of the Spotlight project, he got to rehearse and perform with one of Kenya’s premier band, ‘Uyoga’ (formerly Them Mushrooms) on several occasions. He also played to an audience of upto 3000 people at Uhuru Park Nairobi during the World Social Forum in 2007.
Teto Tutuma has shared the stage with some of Kenya’s top artistes including, Suzanna Owiyo ,Abbi, Iddi Achieng’,Barbra Guantai, Achieng’ Abura and Suzanne Gachukia to name but a few.
Teto Tutuma is a different kind of artist too. In 2006, he was Best Actor Nairobi Province Colleges Drama Festival. He went on to appear on television (Krayzie Kenyans 2006-2007), film (Help – 2006, Lost in Africa – 2009) and in many other local productions.
Currently Teto Tutuma and the Purple Warriors Band are introducing their definitive sound to different audiences. Promoting a new album released in April 2012 called ‘Nosim Ai’ (My Companion) the band comprises of Oduor on soft percussions, Rajab on bass, Mbaluka on lead guitar, Rashid on djembe and drums and himself on lead vox withrhythm guitar.
Teto Tutuma and the Purple Warriors Band are sharing messages of hope, courage and love through African narratives with contemporary maasai songs. From the shores of Victoria in Budalangi to the beaches of the Indian ocean in Mombasa, they have gotten mixed reviews to their shows.
Via SasaHivi Media
