‘My land is Kenya’ singer dies in France

FRANCE: Kenyans are mourning the death of Kenyan-born British folk singer and expert whistler Roger Whittaker, who is especially famed locally for his 1982 hit song My Land is Kenya.

Whittaker, who has died at 87, was born in Nairobi to English parents.

He spent two years of national service fighting the then-rebel Kenya Land and Freedom Army, or Mau Mau, before becoming a teacher. When he moved to England, he began playing guitar and singing in folk clubs.

He sold nearly 50 million records around the world during his decades-old music career, according to his website.

But in Kenya it is the song about where he was born and grew up that’s most well-known – it is often played on TV during national holidays alongside other patriotic songs.

His other hits included The Last Farewell and New World in the Morning, and he sold nearly 50 million records around the world, his website said.

He was also able to sing in several languages.

They included German and French, allowing him to appeal to a wide audience, especially in Germany, where he was particularly popular.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1936, his parents were from Staffordshire, England.