Kenyan-born British folk and country singer Roger Whittaker has died at the age of 87.
Whittaker gained worldwide fame with hits like Durham Town, The Last Farewell, and New World in the Morning. Though born in Nairobi in 1936, Whittaker’s parents hailed from Staffordshire, England. He began singing and writing songs while studying medicine and 18 months later he bowed out of med school and delved into education instead. Whittaker’s musical career began after he sent a demo track to a music publisher while studying at the University of Bangor in Wales.
As a student, he gained popularity on the radio and his career advanced with opportunities in television. He later gained popularity in Germany for his ability to sing in German and French and sold nearly 50 million records worldwide. According to recent reports, Whittaker suffered a stroke which resulted in his untimely passing.
Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Whittaker’s sunset years were marred by declining health. He had undergone multiple surgeries and experienced heart and stomach issues. Undoubtedly, Kenya’s fans of folk and country music will remember Whittaker for his masterpiece, “My Land is Kenya.” In this poignant piece, he expresses his profound love and adoration for his native country. He graciously depicted the beauty and magnificence of its land, people, and cultural heritage, highlighting Kenya’s painful fight for independence against colonial rule.
The lyrics capture the magnificence of the landscapes in Kenya, portraying the varied beauty of flourishing wildlife, a testament to Kenya’s naturally captivating essence. With eloquent articulation, Whittaker’s voice transports the listener into the realm of the vivid imagery of fierce lions, elegant giraffes, and gleaming sunsets.
Throughout the stanzas, the memorable line from the chorus, “You’ll always stay with me here in my heart,” acts as a constant reminder to the Kenyan diaspora that though they may travel to other places, Kenya will undoubtedly remain their home.
RIP!
RIP!
RIP Roger Whittaker. Thanks…
RIP Roger Whittaker. Thanks Catherine Ndonye/Sundowner for celebrating this Kenyan-at-heart Brit….sooooo relaxing to listen to his music for an hour.
I remember listening to…
I remember listening to Sundowner on KBC radio and hearing the gentle warm songs of Roger Whitaker.RIP.
Thanks Roger for the…
Thanks Roger for the masterpiece shimoni in 1982
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHjlVlnSUuI
The only known Kenyan, from…
The only known Kenyan, from over 50 million thieves, who loved this country without any benefit of doubt. His masterpiece hit, “Shimoni, Shimoni….,” which narrates the tribulations, torture, and horrible conditions were exposed to at Shimoni Caves, before shipment to Europe, Arabia, North America, South America, Jamaica, Haiti, Bermudas, etc to be sold as slaves from the 16th Century. The cries, wailings, sufferings, and the pain that still echoes from the captured slaves inside Shimoni Caves, courtesy of King George and daughter Elizabeth, can still be heard many centuries later. The walls of the Shimoni caves, adorned with chains, ropes, bolts, shackles, whips, and all manner of crude handcuffs, are a living testimony of how cruel the white man could on Africans. The belittling and demeaning from white people in the yester years is the culmination of racism that will never go away any time soon, depicted to Africans from Americas to Europe, Asia to Australia etc. The Arabs were conducted human business in the African continent from Kenya to Ghana, Liberia to Nigeria etc. Torture and deaths reported by the media in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar, are a reflection of what their great=great grand fathers meted on Africans. Visit Shimoni case and your tears will run down your chicks. RIP peace, true Kenyan.