ANYANGO NYAR SIAYA(Nyatiti Queen)

The story of how Eriko Mukoyama, fondly called Anyango Nyar Siaya (daughter of Siaya), shattered cultural traditions to learn the nyatiti, a traditional instrument of the Luo community in Kenya, long considered a male preserve. Anyango could hear Okumu's voice:“Anyango, travel the world and play the nyatiti. Go to the places I could not, and let this music be heard.”This is the incredible story of Eriko Mukoyama, fondly known as Anyango Nyar Siaya (Anyango, the daughter of Siaya), a Japanese woman who travelled thousands of kilometers from Tokyo to Siaya, Kenya, to master the art of playing the nyatiti (traditional lyre of the Luo people).It is a compelling tale of a musician who dared to play an instrument long considered the exclusive preserve of men in the Luo community. How she convinced the maestro Okumu K'Orengo to accept her in his home deep in rural Kenya as his own daughter and protege. Anyango, as she became known, is not just a musical adventurer; she is a cultural devotee who immersed herself deeply in the identity of the Luo people; their history, customs, language and food. Her story is one of resilience, determination, and the courage to break cultural barriers.The words of Okumu encouraging her to take the nyatiti to far-flung places, made her more determined than ever to fulfil her mission of reintroducing one of Africa's oldest instruments to the world.