Shyam Shah

Profile: Shyam Shah

Shyam, also known as Shama, is a Kenyan Creative & Cultural Consultant, Musician, and

Educator, based in London. His portfolio career spans over a decade in both Kenya and the UK,

and includes being a band leader and manager, producer, session musician, composer/arranger,

musical artist, teacher, lecturer, and consultant. His experience as a practitioner is compounded

by a postgraduate degree in from SOAS University of London, where he focused on the cultural

complexities of development, decolonisation, and other issues facing societies in the Global

South.

As an educator and aspiring academic, Shama is interested in cultural flows between the Indian

Ocean, East Africa, Congo, and Cuba, particularly how they shape identity and diasporic

experiences. His particular area of speciality is Kenyan Popular Music, where he is currently

undertaking groundbreaking research.

A firm advocate of plurality in an increasingly homogenised world, Shama’s multifaceted approach

shows his never-ending passion for learning and gaining new experiences. Through his career, he

aims to address societal issues through the arts and culture. This culminates in his work as a

cultural and creative consultant, working on projects that create positive social change in Kenya and the UK.