Maasai Musician Leshao Leshao Uses Traditional Songs to Amplify Indigenous Voices in Climate Fight
By Peace Muthoka
From the rhythms of traditional Maasai music to the international climate stage, Leshao Sopia Leshao is using his talent to tell a story that reaches far beyond entertainment.
Popularly known as Leshao Leshao, the musician has turned Maa music into a platform for raising awareness about climate change, Indigenous rights and the challenges facing pastoralist communities.
Raised around the Maasai Mara, Leshao grew up witnessing the close relationship between people, livestock, wildlife and the environment. Traditional songs and oral storytelling were part of his upbringing, serving as a means through which generations preserved their history, knowledge and cultural identity.
Today, he is drawing on that heritage to speak about an environment undergoing profound changes.
For pastoralist communities, the effects of climate change are increasingly evident. Prolonged droughts, unpredictable rainfall and floods can disrupt access to water and pasture, threatening livestock and the livelihoods of families who depend on them.
For Leshao, therefore, climate change is not simply a subject discussed at international conferences. It is a reality that communities confront in their daily lives.
“I am not a climate scientist, but I am an artist with a voice and a platform,” he says.
That conviction has inspired him to combine music with climate advocacy, using familiar cultural expressions to bring environmental issues closer to the people most affected by them.
Leshao began his musical journey in 2019 while still in high school, before committing more seriously to his craft in 2022 as a university student. His decision to sing in Maa is intentional. Through his music, he hopes to preserve the language and cultural heritage of the Maasai while encouraging young people to embrace education and modern opportunities without losing their identity.
His songs cover a wide range of themes, including Indigenous culture, love, education, gender equality, justice and climate change.
The approach has helped his work reach audiences beyond his community. He was named Rift Valley Male Artist of the Year and has featured on platforms such as Global Citizen and Nation Media.
In May 2025, Global Citizen recognised him through its Emerging Creatives programme, which highlights artists using creativity to address social issues.
His growing involvement in climate advocacy has also brought him into partnership with Spring of the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SASAL). The collaboration produced climate-focused songs, including Esipata Oloing’ange and ESIANA.
The former was featured by Global Citizen and performed in Meguarra village, Narok County. For Leshao, taking the song to the community that inspired his work made the experience particularly meaningful, bringing the climate message back to the people whose experiences shaped it.
Rather than relying on scientific terminology, he uses lyrics, traditional sounds and lived experiences to make complex environmental issues more accessible. In doing so, he is helping create space for conversations that connect climate change with culture, livelihoods and community knowledge.
His advocacy has also taken him beyond Kenya. Leshao has participated in international climate forums, including COP29, SB62, COP30 and SB64, where governments, researchers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders meet to discuss climate action.
He views these platforms as opportunities to bring Indigenous and pastoralist perspectives into discussions often shaped by technical language and policy debates.
For him, communities living with the effects of climate change should not be treated merely as subjects of discussion. Their knowledge and experiences should also inform the solutions being developed.
His journey is distinctive in another way. Away from music and advocacy, Leshao is a trained civil engineer who graduated from Meru University of Science and Technology in October 2024.
He sees the two disciplines as complementary rather than competing paths. While engineering has equipped him with problem-solving skills and discipline, music offers another way to communicate ideas and connect with people.
His parents initially encouraged him to concentrate on education and establish a professional career. However, their attitude towards his music changed as they witnessed his commitment and came to understand the purpose behind his work.
Now, Leshao hopes to use his growing platform for a purpose beyond building a successful music career. He wants his songs to preserve the Maa language, amplify Indigenous voices and encourage meaningful conversations about climate change, education, gender equality and justice.
He recognises that music alone cannot solve the climate crisis. Nevertheless, he believes artists have an important role in making environmental challenges visible and giving communities the opportunity to tell their own stories.
For Leshao, climate advocacy must extend beyond policies, scientific data and international negotiations. It must also embrace culture, community experiences and the voices of those whose lives are directly shaped by a changing environment.
Through his music, he is making the case that traditional sounds can carry urgent messages about the future while keeping the identity and experiences of his community firmly in the conversation.
