Harun "Aaron" Kimathi Rimbui (born 15 October 1979) is a Kenyan pianist, keyboardist,

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...

, producer, festival curator and radio host. He is regarded as one of East Africa's finest pianists.

Biography

Aaron was born in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

, Kenya. Rimbui's ear for music was displayed while still a toddler. His father would play everything from Stevie Wonder records to Henry Mancini and take him to local restaurants where he heard the music of groups like

Les Wanyika Les Wanyika is a prominent band with Tanzanian and Kenyan members based in Nairobi, Kenya. It was formed in 1978 when drummer Rashid Juma, guitarist Omar Shabani, bassist Tommy Malanga, saxophonist Sijali Salum Zuwa and Phoney Mkwanyule left th ...

, Maroon Commandos and Samba Mapangala. This had a significant influence on how he developed his sound in later years. Rimbui's individual expression in music continued to form in his high school years. It is at this time that he picked up the piano. Rimbui began to gravitate toward jazz as he listened to the music of David Sanborn, Joe Sample, Yellowjackets and Fourplay and later,

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

and

George Duke George M. Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a pr ...

. Rimbui served as head th
Tusker Project Fame
band.

Professional career

Rimbui started his career as music director playing for

Eric Wainaina The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

He then recorded his first albu
Keys Of Life
Rimbui then began his festival outings wit

and late
Dar Jazz Event
Rimbui recorded his sophomore recor
Alfajiri
Rimbui continued his festival performances a
Safaricom Jazz Festival
an
Winter Jazz Festival Copenhagen
In 2016, Rimbui released his third recor
Deeper
Rimbui also began a series of concerts title

which has featured to date

Sauti Sol Sauti Sol is a Kenyan band formed in Nairobi, Kenya, by vocalists Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano and Savara Mudigi in 2005. Initially an a cappella group, guitarist Polycarp Otieno joined before they named themselves Sauti Sol. Sauti Sol ...

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Maurice Kirya Maurice Kirya (born 4 November 1984) is a Ugandan singer, songwriter, actor, and humanitarian. He is a celebrated household name in East Africa with over a decade-long wealth of experience in the music industry. The 2010 RFI (Radio France Interna ...

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an
Moussa Diallo
Rimbui with

composed the theme music and score for the television series ''

Tinga Tinga Tales ''Tinga Tinga Tales'' is a British flash animation, flash animated children's television series based on African folk tales and aimed at 4 to 6-year-olds. It was commissioned by the BBC for its CBeebies channel, and by Disney Channel for its D ...

''.

Discography

* 200
Keys Of Life
* 200
Alfajiri
*201
Deeper
* 2017 Kwetu

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rimbui, Aaron Kenyan musicians Living people 1979 births