How To Know Maasai Culture Through Music

The Maasai are one of the world’s most iconic Indigenous peoples—renowned for preserving their traditions in a rapidly changing world.

Over time, they’ve become pop culture symbols, often reduced to clichés: bright red clothing, high jumping dances, cattle herding, and warrior life. But like many stereotypes, these only scratch the surface.

So who are the Maasai, really? And what can we truly learn from them?

To go beyond the surface, I turned to my Maasai friend Moses—and what better way to dive in than through the ancient art of oral storytelling?

Here are six songs that offer a window into the heart of Maasai culture.