Abana Ba Nasery

In 1960, in the Bunyore neighborhood of western Kenya, three young men invented an unheard-of music: two finger-picked acoustic guitars, a Fanta bottle cap scraped with a coin, and three-part harmonies that resonated like a waterfall. This trio, nicknamed the “Nursery Boys” for their small stature and school absences, would take their invention to Scotland and Ireland, on the same records as The Oyster Band¹. Their style, omutibo, a guitar current born among the Luhya in the mid-1950s and invented by guitarist George Mukabi, transformed under their fingers into an acoustic pop of contagious energy.

In Brief

Key Dates

Origins: Omutibo, a Sound Born of Luhya Highlands

Omutibo was born in the western Kenya Highlands in the mid-1950s, when guitarist George Mukabi transposed the rhythms of the nyatiti, a traditional eight-string lyre of the Luo², onto the acoustic instrument. Shem Tube absorbed this technique and developed it by layering guitars and vocals. Around 1960, he formed Abana Ba Nasery with Justo Osala Omufila on second guitar and Enos Okola on percussion. The group drew from Luhya culture, shaping a sound characterized by three-part harmonies and percussion made from a decapitated Fanta bottle—a technique that became their signature.

The trio conquered western Kenya and the dance halls of Nairobi with hits like Grace Mpenzi and Hadija Mrembo. But according to testimonies, they were mistreated by the music industry and never received the financial rewards they deserved³.

From Bunyore to Scotland: The Unexpected Coronation

For more than ten years, the group disappeared. Tube and Osala played together in an electric band, Les Bunyore. Destiny shifted in 1989 when the French label Globe Style unearthed their original recordings and released Classic Acoustic Recordings from Western Kenya⁴. The record fascinated world music enthusiasts.

In 1991, the reformed group went on a European tour and recorded Nursery Boys Go Ahead on location. This production opened up to Scottish pipes, Irish slide guitar, and folk instruments, collaborating with Chopper and Alan Prosser of The Oyster Band, Hijaz and Expen$ive Mustapha of 3 Mustaphas 3⁵, creating a celtic version of benga that delighted audiences.

Legacy

After this tour, Shem Tube gradually retired but continued to play sporadically in his region. On February 7, 2021, he passed away at age 80 in the Luanda hospital (Vihiga). The community celebrated the rites of “warming the night” — tiède la nuit — where musicians and admirers sang his music until dawn⁶.

The legacy of Abana Ba Nasery was consolidated through reissues. In 2017, Olvido Records released Country Music of Western Kenya, drawn from Tube’s personal collection of 45s. Mississippi Records reissued the box set in 2021 with notes and photographs, transferring royalties to the heirs⁷.

Major Works

Sources and References