John Katana HSC is a pioneering figure in African music and rights advocacy, now serving as Head of Music Rights & Royalty Innovation – Africa & Global Markets at Ordior. In this role, he brings over four decades of experience at the intersection of music, copyright, and policy to drive royalty transformation and equitable rights management across emerging and established markets.

John rose to prominence as the founding member and band leader of Them Mushrooms, the legendary Kenyan group behind the global anthem “Jambo Bwana (Kenya Hakuna Matata).” Beyond performance, he is a powerful advocate for artist rights—actively shaping legislation, governance, and industry frameworks as General Secretary of the Kenya Musicians Union (Ke-MU), Board Member of the Recording Industry of Kenya (RIKE), and former board member of both MCSK and the Kenya Copyright Board.

Recognized nationally with the Head of State Commendation (HSC) and the Mashujaa (National Hero) Award, John is both a cultural ambassador and a systems innovator. Through his company, Showbiz Info Ltd, he has led training on music business, copyright, branding, and publishing—empowering artists with the tools to thrive in today’s complex creative economy.

At Ordior, John leads the charge in rethinking music rights and royalty innovation, with a focus on building transparent, scalable, and fair systems for African creators and the global digital market.