Voice of Maasai talent hails from the greater Kilimanjaro area in Tanzania and southern Kenya.
The Maasai, famous as herders and warriors, live in the semi-arid Rift Valley Region of Kenya and Tanzania. Traditionally the Maasai have always been a proud and independent pastoralist tribe that did not depend on cultivated land and a cash economy, rather they lived off the blood, milk and meat that their cattle provided them. They own large herds of cattle, sheep and goats which they follow seasonally in search of new grazing grounds and water sources within the Savannah ecosystems.
As globalization increasingly results in evictions of the Maasai from their homeland, the youth stand at a precipice, hemmed in on all sides as their traditional social patterns and way of life are disrupted, though their spirit remains strong. Finding ways forward in their increasingly changing world, they need to be heard, their stories be told.
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Fun Fact:
Did you know?
The Maasai giraffe is the largest subspecies of giraffe and the tallest land mammal found in Tanzania and Kenya. It is characterized by its jagged spots.
MAASAILAND
Maasailand sits across the Tanzanian/Kenya border, centered on the volcanic soils of the Great African Rift Valley. The area is largely made up of arid or semi-arid lands. The landscape is made up of cropland mosaic and Acacia-dominated woodlands all creating a dynamic habitat for the wild and domesticated herbivores. The typography includes key highlands along with low lying swamps which dramatically change the landscape seasonally.
KILIMANJARO REGION OF TANZANIA
Many of the Voice of Maasai tribesmen and women call Kilimanjaro Region home. The Kilimanjaro Region is most famous for the presence of the towering mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa. It stands 330 kilometers south of the equator on the northern border of Tanzania, and measures 19,563 feet or 5,963 meters.
TANZANIA
Tanzania is located in East Africa and shares a border with Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. The country is made up of over 50 million residents, 120 ethnic groups or tribes, together with relatively small but economically significant numbers of Asians, Arabs and a small European community. The official language spoken is Swahili and the second is English.
AUSTIN TEXAS
Jessey Jansen, Founder of Voice of Maasai Music Productions, currently resides in Austin Texas, dividing her time between the live music capital of the world and the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. Austin is the state capitol of Texas and offers limitless inspiration for creative entrepreneurs, music lovers, artists, foodies and outdoor enthusiasts and is the perfect launch pad for introducing Voice of Maasai to the world.