Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, subtitles, translations, personalized Talk recommendations and more.
In a hopeful talk followed by an empowering performance, musician and TED Fellow Muthoni Drummer Queen shares how industries like music, film and fashion provide a platform for Africans to broadcast their rich and diverse talents — and explains how the shared experience of creativity can replace attitudes of exclusionism and othering with acceptance and self-love.
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request here:
Chester Bee
October 22, 2019 at 10:46 pm
Dat hair!
dakota de dreu
October 22, 2019 at 11:11 pm
Ugh! She’s so hype, love her!!!😍😍😍😍
Granny Soup Ladle
October 22, 2019 at 11:36 pm
No u
20alphabet
October 23, 2019 at 1:54 am
Nah, her head wrap’s too tight,
creating a sense of urgency.
chadnuts
October 23, 2019 at 3:32 am
@20alphabet it’s not a wrap, she has fake hair tied into her head.
It looks like a pile of dirty clothes on her head, to me.
turn on, tune up, and drop in
October 22, 2019 at 11:15 pm
So they dont play American pop music in Kenya? Sounds awesome.
Mick7sp
October 22, 2019 at 11:19 pm
Kenya… Would be Kpop. 🙂
COBIE JANAY
October 22, 2019 at 11:19 pm
I GOT BORED IN LOS ANGELES AND STARTED TRAVELING THE WORLD CAN SOMONE TELL ME IF I SHOULD KEEP MAKING VIDEOS OR JUST LIKE QUIT?? Thanks
Mick7sp
October 22, 2019 at 11:20 pm
Anyone else not impressed?
thinkppl
October 22, 2019 at 11:50 pm
This woman is railing against the practice of securing a market share by catering to the lowest common denominator. And then she makes it about colonialism. Does she really think that groups favoring acts that stick to a norm, is a foreign thing to kenya? Or any kind of artificial multiethnic nation for that matter. Boy will she be surprised when she visits to Asia…
And then directly after making a heartfelt case for developing homegrown Kenyan industries, she goes to sing song supporting the very immigration that is braindraining away the talent and youth from africa. Along with funneling their meager savings into the hands of people smugglers and slavers.
Apparently the west got rich and successful because we had elvis and jonny cash making music in the same timeframe, and not because of the scientists, engineers, doctors, and all those innovative industrialists.
Truthful Chap
October 23, 2019 at 2:18 am
But rather appropriate that she should be sending her message of the importance of her national music in the country led by the supply drama teacher with a penchant for wearing blackface.
Nathan McMullen
October 23, 2019 at 12:06 am
She dressed like the new york knicks lmao
Juss Love
October 23, 2019 at 12:23 am
All I see, I Love, for All is I! 🙏❤🌞
@iamloveiam 💙
Barnabus Wizardspook
October 23, 2019 at 12:35 am
me:
youtube recommended: here’s your daily dose of bullshit
HeavyMetal 2000
October 23, 2019 at 12:44 am
Can you really just call yourself a Drummer Queen? I mean shouldn’t there be some kind of governmental process of assigning power in a orderly fashion? Or perhaps it could be decided who the drummer queen is in the village by gathering all the drummers together and using some sort of democratic vote to decide who the true Drummer Queen is? I would trust someone like this a lot more and I can believe in the process.
Pixie Bratski
October 23, 2019 at 12:59 am
This fucking comment section, WTF
AusDenBergen
October 23, 2019 at 1:10 am
Tripe.
Motivizorr
October 23, 2019 at 1:19 am
just Traditional experience
20alphabet
October 23, 2019 at 1:53 am
Guess African countries have no creativity, huh?
A Ḅ
October 23, 2019 at 5:00 am
ingenuity is not enough
20alphabet
October 23, 2019 at 5:37 am
@A Ḅ
Lol, spears and STDs don’t require
a whole lot of ingenuity.
Lantern of Diogenes
October 23, 2019 at 7:32 am
Niether does racism, want to evolve, stop dragging your knuckles with the racist crowd
moxie mayhem
October 23, 2019 at 1:59 am
Lol the People who create the circumstances of otherism feel excluded when we include others.
Everyone is different, we just need to accept that everyone is not us and quit thinking that different means bad.
Swamp Yankee
October 23, 2019 at 2:05 am
Ironic coming from her considering there are no successful black nations
A Ḅ
October 23, 2019 at 4:52 am
meanwhile the leaders of the European union destroy great european nations…. (with ani-patriotism and with african and muslim migrants)
Revan DW
October 23, 2019 at 4:56 am
*What’s your favourite idea? Mine is being creative!*
Dyllann
October 23, 2019 at 5:03 am
I’m a Cameroonian Artist, into pop music and have always felt discriminated against because i wasn’t Cameroonian Enough. This story inspires me. Thank you Ted
Sandcastle •
October 24, 2019 at 2:35 pm
Wasn’t considered Cameroonian enough by who, other Cameroonians?
Dyllann
October 24, 2019 at 2:51 pm
@Sandcastle • yes
nuitNo.6
October 23, 2019 at 6:17 am
Remember when TED was a place for intellectuals and not plastic bag singers?
Claire
October 23, 2019 at 7:40 am
Lol all the ppl who click on Ted talks just to hate.
Lantern of Diogenes
October 23, 2019 at 7:40 am
All the white nationals are too obvious in the comments, if it’s not your cup of tea you can just simply not watch the vid. This woman is doing nothing wrong and I like her vibe. Y’all are too funny crying about SJW take over, Anti-African hate speech, her hair, her clothes, but Europeans did everything better in advancing science and tech blah blah blah. Who you trying to convince, me our yourself???
Roni Harris
October 23, 2019 at 11:16 am
Otherism is worldwide issue. That is the cause for all illness.
Jerome Affonso
October 23, 2019 at 11:26 am
This is great. I can’t understand why so many thumbs down. This message is very relevant
hellstaff 1930
October 23, 2019 at 2:41 pm
from:MarvelEnglih
Sibylle Leon
October 23, 2019 at 5:17 pm
How brilliant is she?? This isn’t even my kind of music, but wow. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
ali faris
October 23, 2019 at 5:55 pm
المرجو ترجمة الفيديو إلى اللغة العربية.
The Nightmare Before you
October 23, 2019 at 7:01 pm
Get some adult clothing and get out the kids.
dev0n james
October 23, 2019 at 9:03 pm
white people should be saying the same thing about their cultures, societies and music.
xXLegendarybeatXx
October 25, 2019 at 4:05 pm
but we are not an minority so nobody cares xD
dev0n james
October 25, 2019 at 4:47 pm
@xXLegendarybeatXx even when we are a minority nobody cares.
xXLegendarybeatXx
October 25, 2019 at 5:06 pm
@dev0n james true 😀
Caz Sevänen
October 23, 2019 at 10:57 pm
Great talk!
EpikkOreo
October 24, 2019 at 1:00 am
Her outfit reminds me of Judy Jetson, but like a Kenyan Judy Jetson.
Nick Langford
October 24, 2019 at 1:10 am
She is right 100%. The title caught me. The video didn’t stream.
Jack D'Ripa
October 24, 2019 at 7:23 am
It’s a shame most are corrupt & scammers.
CrudeleSpina
October 24, 2019 at 9:58 am
Nice voice, girl!
Cerbyo
October 24, 2019 at 11:12 am
Reminds me of the cgi canteena singer girl from episode 6
STAR WARS….christ do I need to say star wars? Cmon, this is sad.
Tommy Lee
October 24, 2019 at 4:40 pm
Keep on! ✊🏿🙌🏿
Openminded Guy
October 24, 2019 at 8:26 pm
I love Ted Talks it covers so many subjects, can someone talk about fractional-reserve banking and how it’s destroying the world 🤷♂️
The Fire KING
October 25, 2019 at 1:04 am
I felt this. And the music is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 she’s a 👑
Jen Klen
October 25, 2019 at 3:24 pm
Her voice literally gave me goosebumps!! 🤯😍
V a l e n t i n a
October 25, 2019 at 4:01 pm
Racists see a black woman in the thumbnail and click on it, knowing they’ll get angry no matter what she says lmao, go home
E. F. Renstrom
October 25, 2019 at 4:48 pm
Does this show require zero credentials to speak on?
Mahinda Githaiga
October 26, 2019 at 6:09 am
nice video
Lunareon
October 26, 2019 at 7:15 am
It’s sad how much gatekeeping there still is in the mainstream creative industries all around the world. It only leads into narrow stereotypes, which suffocate creativity and alienate a huge portion of people from their fellow citizens. Instead of pushing difference into indie and underground subcultures, we should embrace them as valid parts of a more diverse mainstream.