The many faces of Pepe

He comes across as a gentle giant, humble, and artistic at heart. With his height, it is not easy to miss him, more so, the large afro that caps it all.

On the art scene, many know him as Pepe Haze or simply ‘Pepe’. You would most likely remember him from the MTV Staying Alive Ignite series—Sugar.

He acts as TV the good guy, who is loved by everyone for his smartness and commitment. “I meet people who think that my role in Sugar is my real character and some expect me to advise them on how to live,” says Pepe

Pepe, he explains, stems from his official name Elise’ Ndayihimbaze. He has Burundian roots he reveals. Most people think he is Rwandese, but he sits easy as he describes himself as a global citizen.

He has lived in Kenya most of his life and this is where his talents have manifested. Richard Mumo, one of his best friends at school describes him as multi-talented and a reliable friend

“He’s a loyal friend, and I respect him for his talent,” says Richard. Pepe is a third year Business Administration student at Daystar University.

You’d be forgiven to think he is a full time actor but pursuing his artistic passions while still in school has been hard at times, he admits. “There was a time I felt like taking a break, but I balanced it out by not giving too much to one.

The first born in a family of four tells Buzz adding that he intends to employ the learned business skills into showbiz. Striking a balance between education and the life of an artiste is his biggest challenge.

Being in the limelight has its difficulties and Pepe is attests that it is not all rosy. As an artiste, he is involved in a range of performances –spoken word, poetry, music, and acting. He won the sixth SLAM AFRICA poetry competition held in Nairobi in 2008.

He has also been a regular performer in spoken-word platforms such as Kwani? Open Mic at club sounds where he spices his acts with beat boxing interludes.

This love for arts stretches into school where he has been involved in the revival of the dormant Daystar Theatre Arts.

It is through his participation in such forums as WAPI (Words and Pictures) at the British Council that he got the opportunity to audition for the MTV staying Alive Ignite series, Sugar. Playing Felix in Sugar was his first foray into acting and he plans to pursue it further.

“I officially become an artiste in 2004 when we formed a hip hop group called the Paramedikz while still in high school,” he says. The group eventually broke up but he has kept going.

He is also an activist at heart and it is through art that he intends to solve the unemployed problem in Africa. The 22 year-old say his family, and God are dear to his life. disclosing that his only sister won the 2008 Ford Models and studies at USIU.

Pepe would want to be the next ‘big thing’ in Africa through rapping. Currently, he is working on his debut solo album “First and Last” He calls his musical style ‘Experimental hip hop’ where he fuses different genres of music, like Rock, Classical, Reggae et al, into one.

“Live your talk and you’ll soon have a following, don’t give into the hype,” he cautions.

fndungu@ke.nationmedia.com