As he steps into the perfectly manicured Nakuru Players Theatre compound, veteran pollster Tom Wolf could easily be mistaken for an expatriate seeking a moment of relaxation at the renowned venue.
The young thespians practising music, dance, opera, and film production hardly notice his arrival.
But the announcement by veteran actor Barbushe Maina Joseph brings their rehearsals to a standstill: Tom Wolf has arrived.
Not many of the Gen Z performers and thespians at the 75-year-old theatre are aware of Wolf’s life as a veteran pollster, researcher, and political analyst.
For years, his in-depth opinion polls shaped Kenya’s political landscape offering voters insights into candidates’ popularity.
But today, at 76, Wolf isn’t here to conduct a survey.
Accompanied by six members of his Bluegrass Band, he gets ready to entertain theatregoers with a free concert sponsored by the US embassy which is part of a series of public performances in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Nakuru.
Bluegrass music is an old American genre that blends country and folk traditions and is still widely beloved in the US.
Wolf’s band has taken these timeless tunes across Kenya, sharing classics like “Man of Constant Sorrow” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”.
Beyond the concerts, Wolf and his band have also conducted music workshops at the Ghetto Classic Centre in Nairobi’s Korogocho slums, engaging with budding musicians.
But how did Tom Wolf, who once dominated headlines with political surveys, embark on a new musical journey at such an advanced age?
His musical transformation began in 2019 following an abrupt end to his career at Ipsos-Kenya, a research firm.
And rather than dwell on the sacking, Wolf, who originally comes from the State of Michigan in the US, seized the opportunity to pursue something that had long been a personal passion, music and performing.
“My sacking five years ago was a blessing in disguise because when I got a new job at Trends and Insights for Africa (TIFA) as a lead researcher. I found a flexible working arrangement. I didn’t have to be in the office for 50 or 60 hours a week and that gave me a golden opportunity to pursue my new love of music.”
With this newfound free time he dedicated himself to perfecting his musical skills and now uses TIFA’s meeting rooms for weekend practice sessions with his band and spends many nights improving his vocals.
“I don’t get much sleep these days but it’s because I wake up in the middle of the night to sing. Music has become my joy. I’m no longer spending sleepless nights in the dark thinking over the exact reasons that led to my sacking five years ago as I found a new passion in music. I have always loved music,” he says.
“When you lose your main job, it’s easy to feel lost, just as I did when I was sacked,” he says. “But I followed my internal compass, and it’s led me to a new chapter in life. I want to give hope to those dealing with redundancies or job losses — it’s never too late to pursue what you love.”
The thespians work in polling may no longer dominate Kenya’s political landscape but his commitment to excellence hasn’t wavered.
“I love being on stage and entertaining people with Bluegrass music,” he says, reflecting on his recent performances in Nairobi, Mombasa, and now Nakuru. “I’m pleased with the turnouts at every venue.”
The theatregoers at Nakuru Players Theatre responded warmly to Wolf’s voice as he performed a series of Bluegrass oldies. They included “The Life of Sorrow”, “Bring Mary Back Home”, “Dueling Banjos”, “Man of Constant Sorrow”, “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”, “Rocky Top”, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”, “Nine Pound Hammer”, “With Body and Soul”, “Tennessee 1949”, and “Tortured Tangled Hearts”.
While Wolf may not be widely known as a musician, his passion is undeniable.
As his music career steadily takes off, Wolf hopes to visit more towns in Kenya with or without the support of the US embassy as long as his vocals are strong.
“I want to transverse the country,” he says, adding, “I have realised Kenyans love music. I’m learning that music is in their blood vein. I love Zilizopendwa and Taarab songs from Kenya and Tanzania,” says the septuagenarian.
“When you know you have to play in the public it is a good motivation to keep on practising both instruments and singing,” he explained.
“My main goal as the team leader of Bluegrass Band is to uplift the standards of local music through encouraging such concerts that would ultimately attract more local audience and sponsorship for budding musicians who are struggling to live their dreams through their music but face many financial challenges,” said Wolf.
“After a daylong work in the office and in the field, I like coming home and picking my guitar and playing my favourite tunes,” he said adding, “For the last five years that I have been putting this band together, we practise almost every weekend. I love Bluegrass music, and I’m most proud that I’m making my followers happy,” he says. “If you had teased me in January 2019 that I would be playing guitar today, I would probably have dismissed you as a daydreamer.”
But while Wolf still loves his research work as he is still practising as an independent researcher based in Nairobi, currently serving as TIFA lead researcher, he says the kind of feeling he gets on stage forms some of the most profound and memorable moments in his life.
On stage, Wolf is not flashy. He wears old jeans, a checked shirt, a golf cap, and marching safari boots.
Mostly he stands before the microphone to sing, wearing dark glasses, tilting his head sideways admiring his guitar as he strikes different cords with his thumb and index finger, picking the string, and utilizing the middle and ring finger to finger pick adjacent steel strings of his wood colour guitar.
However, his most dynamic natural instrument is his voice, which can range effortlessly from soft tenderness to a piercing force.
Barbushe, a veteran thespian at Nakuru Players Theatre, says he first saw Wolf on the headlines of local dallies analysing difficulty data.
Still, after performing in Kenya’s creative City, he is convinced he is another star in the making in the music industry.
Barbushe Maina admits that he once saw Wolf only as the face of Kenya’s political surveys. But after watching him perform, Barbushe believes Wolf is on the verge of stardom in the music industry.
“This current market will give him the time to find his audience and for his audience to find him,” says Barbushe.
Barbushe believes that while Wolf is not yet widely known, as a musician he is just as talented and his relationships with audiences are slowly growing.
