Born Shiphton Onyango on the shores of Lake Victoria, Kenya, Winyo takes his name from the Luo word for 'bird’. It is an apt emblem for a voice that seems to carry something ancient and weightless all at once.

One of Kenya's most distinctive contemporary artists, Winyo has spent two decades forging a sound that refuses easy categorisation. 

Winyo is a dedicated custodian of the Benga musical tradition, the guitar-driven genre that emerged out of Luo culture in the 1950s and 60s. He has revitalised the genre by weaving it together with threads of Afro jazz, country and R&B, while honouring the legacy of legends such as Ochieng' Nelly and George Ramogi. The result is a sound that is unmistakably East African, while connecting with audiences around the world. 

Winyo’s international credentials are well-established. Shortlisted twice for the Radio France International (RFI) Discoveries competition (2010 and 2011), he has shared stages and studios with Joss Stone, Vieux Farka Touré, Gilberto Gil and Oliver Mtukudzi. His debut album Benga Blues (2012) was released to international acclaim, cementing his reputation across East Africa and beyond. He has performed at the US Library of Congress as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Musique Metisses in France as part of the Africa Festival, Wurzburg, Germany as part of the estival for African Fashion and Arts, and EtnoKrakow Festival in Poland. 

Winyo took a hiatus from music in the late 2010s amidst a time of personal struggle. He returned with a series of collaborative EPs and singles, including a collaborative album in 2025 with Fancy Fingers, Grammy Award-winning guitarist of Kenyan Afro-pop giants Sauti Sol. 

Now signed to the legendary Kenyan institution Ketebul Music and British indie label Abubilla Music,Winyo he has completed his long-awaited second album. It is a poignant meditation on grief, loss and healing, and a quietly defiant celebration of resilience and joy. It marks not just a comeback but an artistic reckoning.