The Kenyan Boys Choir was founded in Nairobi in 1998, but only came to worldwide attention last year when it took part in events marking Barack Obama’s inauguration. While the choir’s Maasai shields and spears may have triggered some alarm bells with the Secret Service, the voices obviously impressed because, en route home to Kenya, they signed a record deal at Heathrow airport with Universal Music’s AR manager, Tom Lewis.

For director Joseph Muyale, who was until recently an employee of the Kenya Railways Corporation, the choir’s mission is about altering perceptions. “It’s not all about hunger, bad governance, wars and corruption. We want the world to see what the youth of Africa has to offer.”

The Kenyan Boys Choir will perform at the National Concert Hall on Tuesday at 8pm