When: Sunday, October 19, 2025 | 8:00 PM – 3:00 AM
Where: Fairways Hotel, Nairobi
What: Closing night of Dala Afrolatin Festival 2025
Why: Nairobi’s most exciting Luo AfroFusion artist brings a genre-bending performance with surprise collaborations

If you’ve been sleeping on Coster Ojwang’, Sunday night is your wake-up call. The contemporary Luo musician is closing out the Dala Afrolatin Festival 2025 with what promises to be one of the most culturally rich concerts Nairobi will see this year.

Who Is Coster Ojwang’?

Coster Ojwang’ grew up in a small village in Migori County called Andingo, raised by his grandmother—a medicine woman and seer Coster Ojwang: Fusing urban and traditional aspects of society gives my music new life | Daily Nation. That upbringing shapes everything he creates today, both as a musician and as a contemporary impressionist painter.

His music is an afrofusion with a heavy leaning on traditional Luo music, inspired by the desire for a connection between the urban and traditional African societies Coster Ojwang. Think of it as a bridge between your grandmother’s village and your Nairobi apartment—tradition meeting modernity, ancestral wisdom flowing through contemporary beats.

The Journey: From Painter to Musical Force

Ojwang’ established his art studio in Nairobi in 2015 as a contemporary impressionist painter before releasing his first music track, Oriore, during the Covid-19 pandemic Kenyan musicians and artists boosted by demand for local content. His debut album, Tales of the Fisherman, dropped in June 2021.

But here’s where it gets interesting: After his first album, there was considerable online chatter but zero bookings. So he used his art money to put together his own gigs Kenyan musicians and artists boosted by demand for local content. That hustle paid off.

The breakthrough? In February 2025, Ojwang’ signed a three-year publishing deal with Sol Generation Coster Ojwang’ Joins Sol Generation Record Label—the record label linked to Sauti Sol. That’s not just a cosign; that’s validation from Kenya’s music royalty.

Why He Matters Right Now

There’s been a great, positive reception towards Luo music across the country, with current shifts showing wider receptibility especially amongst the young urban population Luovolution: The rising popularity, and political escapism, of alternative Luo music | Daily Nation. Coster is at the forefront of what people are calling the “Luovolution.”

His standout tracks—Nyakachieng, Ting’amalo, Wabiro, and Oguyo Oguyo—have captivated audiences and amassed over 1.5 million global streams Coster Ojwang | Music In Africa. Not bad for someone who five years ago was primarily known as a painter.

What Makes His Sound Different

“My sound isn’t built for the mass market; it lives in a niche,” Coster Ojwang: My sound isn’t built for the mass market | Daily Nation Ojwang’ told the Daily Nation recently. And that’s precisely why it works.

His music is deeply inspired by his relationship with his grandmother, a herbalist and seer who sang constantly—for her, it was meditation. Many of his songs carry her melodies Coster Ojwang: My sound isn’t built for the mass market | Daily Nation. You can hear it in the way his tracks balance introspection with celebration, sadness with joy, village wisdom with urban reality.

He’s also not doing this alone. Ojwang’ started with a 4-person band; today, The Fishers Band is a 10-man outfit Coster Ojwang: My sound isn’t built for the mass market | Daily Nation. The live experience is full, layered, and immersive.

What to Expect Sunday Night

The Venue: Fairways Hotel provides an intimate setting—perfect for the kind of storytelling Coster specializes in. This isn’t a stadium show; it’s a cultural experience.

The Lineup: As the closing night of the Dala Afrolatin Festival, expect surprise collaborations with festival artists. At his Fish Market Live festival in June 2025, Ojwang’ featured artists like Onyango Riziki (nyatiti master), Brian Sigu, Okello Max, Suzanna Owiyo, Winyo, and Prince Indah Coster Ojwang’s Fish Market Live delivers a taste of the lakeside for urbanites | Pulselive Kenya. Sunday could bring similar magic.

The Sound: Luo roots—benga rhythms, ohangla drums, traditional melodies—collide with AfroFuturism’s forward-thinking production. It’s ancestral and avant-garde at once. Music that makes you think about where you come from while imagining where you’re going.

The Vibe: As Ojwang’ puts it: “By becoming more urban, our approach towards life has become individualistic. We all belong to a small village somewhere” Coster Ojwang: Fusing urban and traditional aspects of society gives my music new life | Daily Nation. This concert is about reclaiming that village connection, even in the middle of Nairobi.

Practical Details

Time: 8:00 PM – 3:00 AM (Yes, it’s a marathon. Pace yourself.)
Tickets: Check event pages for pricing
Transport: Fairways Hotel is accessible via Uber/Bolt. Expect surge pricing after midnight—plan accordingly or carpool
Dress Code: Smart casual. Nairobi crowds show up, so match the energy
Pro Tip: Arrive by 8:30 PM for good spots. The band setup alone is worth witnessing

Why You Shouldn’t Miss This

1. Cultural Moment: Hart the Band’s “My Jaber,” Bahati’s “Adhiambo,” Prince Indah’s sold-out concerts—Luo music is having a moment, and Coster is leading the charge Luovolution: The rising popularity, and political escapism, of alternative Luo music | Daily Nation.

2. Rare Performance: While Coster performs regularly at festivals, standalone shows closing major festivals don’t happen every week.

3. The Collaborations: Festival closings mean surprise guests. Given Coster’s network (Okello Max, Bensoul, Charisma, the Kodong Klan collective), Sunday could feature some of Kenya’s best.

4. It’s Different: In a city saturated with Afrobeats and Gengetone, Coster offers something that connects deeper—music that asks you to remember who you are.

The Bigger Picture

Ojwang’ recently performed at Blankets & Wines in the United Kingdom and at Kenny G’s One Night Only concert Kenyan musicians and artists boosted by demand for local content—proof that his sound travels beyond Kenya’s borders.

But Sunday night? Sunday night is for Nairobi. For the people who understand what it means to carry village wisdom into city chaos. For anyone who’s ever felt the pull between where they’re from and where they are.

Final Thought

“Kenyans are very loving, generous, and compassionate people. You get reminded of this when you take a ride to the countryside with someone who speaks the local language” Coster Ojwang: Fusing urban and traditional aspects of society gives my music new life | Daily Nation, Coster once said.

Sunday night, he’s bringing the countryside to Fairways Hotel. And trust me—you’ll want to be there when he does.