Balancing his passion for music and his drive to dance, sharing his expertise in Latin dances, American ballroom and a variety of modern dances with the world, build up the core of who, Yassin Mutati; the dancer, instructor, trainer, choreographer and DJ is. Mixing his diverse Afro-fusion heritage with the combination of genres of dances he has developed throughout his journey he adds a unique touch from the heart, spiced up with a smile.

Mutati was born in Kenya, to Kenyan and Tanzanian parents. He was first introduced to Salsa by Erick Mutuota, an avid fan of this style. “Erick among others taught me my first Salsa class at a church called P.C.E.A. Riruta in Kenya. A girl asked me to dance and that was all I needed. The following week I started to take my classes seriously.” He continued progressing by going out regularly to the salsa clubs in Kenya, always making sure to have a few dances with the top dancers to improve his leading and technique.

Soon Mutati submerged himself in the genre and was eagerly seeking out the innovators. “I was influenced by Eddie Torres, Frankie Martinez, Terry & Cecile, Johnny Vasquez, Magna Gopal from New York and Kaytee Namgyal. They changed our style.”

Mutati, at the vanguard of the Kenyan salsa movement — dancing, teaching, performing, and traveling since 2000 — combined his background with other styles. “I have never studied any other form of dance, but I like to take ideas and concepts from the likes of Michael Jackson, James Brown and Bob Fosse.”

A career highlight was an appearance on the Salsa performance to the President of Kenya Hon. E. Kibaki, with Blaze Entertainment.

In 2009 Mutati spent time in Istanbul, Turkey at Imu Dance Company under Ozlem Sevimkan and Imu Shaaban, and was certified by International Dance Organisation (I.D.O). In 2016 he hosted the Salsafari Festival, bringing international artists to Nairobi over four days of workshops, activities and legendary parties.

Today, Mutati’s unique style is a pleasure to watch and experience. He has taken his innovative style to Tanzania, Angola, Uganda, Australia, Lebanon, Turkey, South Africa, Malaysia, Oman and the Philippines — inspiring salsa enthusiasts everywhere and raising the standards of dance wherever he visits.

Mutati’s strengths as an instructor are credited to the fact that he is self-taught. He teaches body control, body awareness, musicality, how to spin, feel comfortable, and express themselves on the dance floor via teaching methods that are engaging, challenging and educational.

“Salsa is my life. Every day involves salsa somehow. Whether it’s rehearsing, teaching or partying — I’m in another world when I’m creating and each time I dance, I’m creating… Within salsa there is always something new to explore.”