Daniel Owino Misiani (1940–2006) was a Tanzanian-born musician celebrated as the "grandfather of benga", a fast-paced, electric-guitar-driven Luo roots music genre that he pioneered in Kenya. Born in Nyamagongo, Tanzania, he defied his parents' religious opposition to pursue music, moving to Nairobi in the mid-1960s where he adapted traditional Luo music, particularly the nyatiti lyre, into the modern benga style. He formed the immensely popular Shirati Jazz band, which dominated the East African music scene for decades. Known in Kenya as the "King of History," Misiani was renowned for his sharp, witty, and often controversial political and social commentary in his lyrics, which led to him being jailed repeatedly by successive Kenyan regimes for "fuelling discontent." Misiani died in a road accident near Kisumu, Kenya, in 2006, leaving behind a profound musical and political legacy.