Eddie Grey

Kenyan self-taught musician, composer, producer, arranger, and jazz guitarist. He performs with Turkana Sessions, blending soulful guitar with Turkana musical traditions; TED identified him as the group’s guitarist for its June 2025 Countdown Summit performance.

Turkana Sessions Uses Repetition Instead of Lyric Translation

Turkana Sessions’ TED performance centers on Elizabeth Korkel’s Turkana-language singing, using repeated lines and returning phrases rather than translation or spoken explanation to orient listeners. Recorded at the TED Countdown Summit in Nairobi, the performance is presented as a tour through the soundscape of northwest Kenya, with Eddie Grey on guitar; its setting provides context without assigning a meaning to lyrics the record leaves untranslated.

TEDAug 22, 20263 min read