The revolutionary Kikuyu Benga sounds of the late Joseph Kamaru are being painstakingly restored and pressed onto vinyl by his Berlin-based grandson, ensuring the icon's political anthems survive for generations.

Legendary musician Joseph Kamaru used his voice to challenge presidents and capture the soul of a nation. Today, his musical DNA lives on through his grandson, who is leading a massive archiving project to digitize his vast catalog.

This initiative represents a vital victory for Kenyan cultural preservation. Archiving Kamaru’s work safeguards a critical era of post-independence history, ensuring that the socio-political commentary embedded in his Benga rhythms remains accessible to future generations across East Africa.

The Genesis of a Restoration

When Joseph Kamaru passed away in 2018, Kenya lost one of its most fearless artistic voices. His funeral was a highly charged political affair, underscoring the immense influence he commanded. Yet, the promised initiatives to construct a space dedicated to his musical legacy never materialized. Stepping into this void is his namesake grandson, Joseph Kamaru—known professionally in Berlin as KMRU. Armed with a degree in Music Technology from Kenyatta University, the younger Kamaru took on the monumental task of independently preserving his grandfather's legacy.

Beginning in 2019, KMRU initiated a meticulous process of sourcing old cassettes, CDs, and reel-to-reel tapes. He began digitizing the audio, sorting the tracks into comprehensive folders, and uploading the catalog to the independent streaming platform BandCamp. Now, this labor of love is reaching its zenith. The project has expanded to remastering the audio for physical pressing, introducing Kamaru's classic hits to the premium vinyl record market and high-quality CD formats.

• Joseph Kamaru was a legendary Kikuyu Benga artist who died in 2018.
• His grandson, KMRU, began digitizing his catalog in 2019 via BandCamp.
• The project involves remastering audio for premium vinyl and CD releases.

The Political Weight of Benga

To understand the urgency of this preservation, one must understand the man. In his prime, the elder Kamaru was not just an entertainer; he was a sonic journalist and a political agitator. He was one of the few artists bold enough to single-handedly stir up sitting presidents, using his lyrics to spotlight societal frustrations, corruption, and the struggles of the common citizen. His defiance often resulted in harassment and arrests, but it solidified his status as a folk hero.

His music serves as a chronological soundscape of Kenya’s turbulent political history. By remastering these tracks, KMRU is not merely saving melodies; he is rescuing historical texts. The vinyl pressings will offer audiophiles and historians an uncompressed, authentic experience of Kamaru's masterful guitar picking and impassioned vocal deliveries, capturing the raw energy of the original studio sessions.

Archiving Kenya`s Cultural Heritage

KMRU’s endeavor shines a harsh light on Kenya’s systemic failure to protect its artistic heritage. While Western nations boast robust national sound archives, African musical history is frequently lost to degradation, format obsolescence, and neglect. KMRU, who has carved out his own successful career in ambient and experimental electronic music in Europe, is bridging the gap between cutting-edge audio technology and traditional analog artistry.

This project sets a precedent for the families of other veteran artists. By reclaiming ownership and controlling the distribution of historical catalogs, families can ensure that the economic and cultural benefits of the music remain intact. The vinyl revival, driven by dedicated archivists, guarantees that Kamaru's revolutionary spirit will continue to echo across the globe.

"I took it upon myself to ensure his voice is never silenced by time. This is my duty to our bloodline," KMRU reflected.