A decade later: 6 Kenyan musicians still going strong
What you need to know:
- The stakes are so high that very few artistes have managed to remain relevant in the last ten years.
- Here, we look at top 6 Kenyan musicians who have remained relevant after more than a decade in the music industry.
The Kenyan music industry is arguably the most dynamic and difficult to penetrate in the entire East African region.
The stakes are so high that very few artistes have managed to remain relevant in the last ten years.
Case in point: names like Mr Lenny, Jimwatt, Rat-ata-at, Buju Banton, Choku, Nazizi, Osman, Kantai, Sudi Boy, Pilipili, Big Pin, Mahatma have either fallen by the wayside or simply chosen to take different paths.
Here, we look at top 6 Kenyan musicians who have remained relevant after more than a decade in the music industry.
REDSAN (SWABIR MOHAMED)
The ‘Badder than Most’ hit maker is widely considered to be the King of Kenyan Dance Hall genre.
Redsan burst to limelight in the 90 with hit songs like ‘Kenyan’, ‘Wanipa raha’, ‘Step On It’, ‘Chiken’ that made up his first album ‘Seasons of the San’ , released in 2002.
Since then he has managed to maintain his status as one of the most sought after stage performing artistes.
WYRE (KEVIN WYRE)
2013 was great for Wyre the Love Child after the release of his single ‘Nakupenda pia’, a collaboration with one of Jamaica’s finest dancehall queens Alaine.
The massive airplay that the bang continue to receive in clubs, matatus, radios and TV stations could be the reason of his latest release ‘No more’ that’s just two weeks old.
Wyre scooped the Best New Entertainment award during the International Reggae and world Music Awards last year.
His long journey to money and fame started back in 2000 with the music group Necessary Noise.
NAMELESS (DAVID MATHENGE)
Currently, Nameless is riding high with his new hit song ‘African Beauty’.
Mathenge is said to be among the pioneers of Kenyan ‘Genge music’ genre alongside the late E- Sir both of whom revolutionalised the industry.
He made his mark in the music Kenyan scenes when he joined Ogopa Deejays recording stable in 2001 recording his first single ‘Megarider’ that was well received.
More success was to come his way with subsequent release of hit songs ‘Ninanoki’, ‘Juju’, ‘Sinzia’, ‘Maisha’, ‘Narudi Nyumbani’ amongst others.
Such songs made up his first album ‘On Fire’ that was released in 2004 and went on to be awarded as the Best Album In East Africa in the 2005 Tanzanian Music Awards.
JUA CALI (PAUL NUNDA)
His journey to fame began in 2000 when he and his close friend Clemo (Clement Rapudo) decided to start Calif Records, a recording company.
Jua Cali was the recording Calif Record’s first artist.
He recorded first song ‘Ruka’ , in 2001, and followed it with major hits like ‘Nipe Asali ’, ‘Kamata Dame’ a collaboration with Pilipili, ‘Kiasi’, ‘Kwaheri’, ‘hadija’, ‘Mtoto wa geti kali’ among others.
He remains a force to be reckoned with. Shows and endorsements still come his way 14 years into the game.
NONINI (HUBERT NAKITARE)
Nonini is one of the old boys in the game and that could be the reason he preffers to be reffered as ‘godfather wa genge’.
The self –proclaimed Godfather of Genge entered the scene in 2002 with ‘Manzi wa Nairobi’ and has continued to release hit songs since then with one of his singles ‘We Kamu’ being wildly popular if the massive radio play is anything to go by.
He is also credited with the formation and mentorship of the successful group P-Unit.
AMANI (CECILIA WAIRIMU)
Amani is the only female artiste to have made it on this list and with good reason too.
Her journey began in 1999, when she joined Ogopa soon after her high school but only got her break in 2002 when she released ‘Talk to You’ a collabo with Big Pin, and later ‘Tamani’, ‘Missing My Baby’ and ‘Tonight’.
Currently, her collabo ‘Kiboko Changu’ with the the Ugandan duos of Goodlfye Radio and Weasel is still riding high and so is her fame.
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