Shay Jinal Shah, a 10-year-old student at Mombasa Academy, secured second place nationally in violin at the Kenya Music Festivals 2024. He also shines in golf, with successes in international tournaments. His talents are nurtured by parents, his teacher, and school.
Shay Jinal Shah, a 10-year-old student at Mombasa Academy, has built a reputation as a talented violinist and golfer. At the Kenya Music Festivals 2024, he claimed second place nationally in violin after competing at lower levels like sub-county, county, and regional. "I participated in three competitions before the national one," says Shay.
His inspiration came from watching videos of players like Ray Chen and Antonio Vivaldi on YouTube. His teacher, Joyce Mueni, has helped nurture this skill. During practice, Shay trained every other day for an hour while preparing for exams. "I was practicing while thinking about my dog Fluffy to calm my mind," he explains.
Besides violin, Shay excels in golf. He finished third in the US Kids Coast Tour 2022 and represented Kenya in Uganda in 2023, earning third place again. In the 2024 season, he was second at Vipingo. His home club is Nyali Golf and Country Club. He plans to compete in US Kids and Golf Handicap this December.
Shay has taken the ABRSM Grade 2 violin exam and awaits results. Playing violin calms his mind, and he aspires to become a professional violinist and PGA golfer. Parents, his teacher, and school encourage him. Mueni says, "When the results were announced, I was overjoyed."
These achievements highlight the potential of Kenyan youth to develop multiple talents.