ONE ON ONE with H_art the Band

This year, H_art the Band got people singing along to their catchy hit 'Uliza Kiatu', an original and heartfelt song that earned them a wide fan base. Although they originally sang and performed for fun, their fans have come to embrace their poetic and witty approach to their music. spoke to them

BUZZ: What are your names?

Wachira Gatama, Kenneth Muya and Mordecai Mwini. 

How did you guys meet?

We met at Kenya National Theatre (KNT). There was a play on cancer awareness and Mordecai was one of the judges, the play was a fusion of drama, poetry and music. Ken was playing all the soundtracks with his guitar and after the play we continued jamming at KNT after we found ourselves idle. From there H_art the band was formed.

Why did you pick the name H_art the Band?

Means art from the heart. The underscore is the bridge between the heart and art because aside from music we do art as well, we are artistic people.

You seem like pretty smooth guys.

Yes we are.

You all have dreadlocks, is that on purpose?

It was an artistic coincidence.

How has it been trying to make a mark in an industry dominated by established bands like, Just a Band, Sauti Sol, Elani and Murfy’s Flaw?

First off we are not competing; we believe that each and every artiste has their own domain, gifted in all areas. We are here for one cause and it is art. The best person to compete with is yourself.  We are working together for a greater purpose which is the Kenyan music industry.

What genre is your music?

We like to call it Afro-Poetry which is music with an African touch fused with poetry.

Who does the poetry bit?

We all do but mostly its Wachira and Mordecai.

By fusing your music with poetry, is it a way of setting yourself apart from other bands?

When we met, Mordecai and I (Wachira) were poets and Ken was a guitarist. Mordecai soon after discovered that he could sing and that’s how we grew. It is not about being different or branding ourselves. We just feel our music is best expressed by poetry and the guitar.

So you guys did not know you could sing until after you met?

Yes. We (Muya and Wachira) knew we could sing after Mordecai did. We just upped our game because it was a challenge. It’s just one of those things you have in you that you don’t pay attention to. There was a time Mordecai went for some music competition on television and he was the first one to be evicted, they told him he couldn’t sing.

What would you say to those people who tell you that you can’t and yet here you are?

If you choose to listen to people who tell you that you can’t do something then it’s entirely your fault if you fail. So choose not to believe them, pick up the pieces, dust yourself off and walk, as cliché as it sounds, there are no two ways about it. Sometimes the challenges and feedback you get are the stepping stones to the next level.

Are you guys overwhelmed by the feedback you are getting from your fans?

To find an old guy listening to our music, telling us that his kids are inspired by upcoming artistes like us means that our message has hit its mark. Someone once said, as an artiste, no one can really pay you quantitatively for what you are doing, the little appreciation you get is all you need.

That’s humble of you guys.

Aaaw, you’re making us blush, thank you.

How do you merge your personalities without clashing?

We clash a lot in each and every area. We have different ideas and to come up with one we must have constructive and intellectual arguments. We have to find a balance. Having three creative minds in one room is like world war seven. At the end of the day everyone’s voice and idea has to be heard, respected and we have to find a solution.

Are you guys now booking major gigs or shows?

Every show is just as important as the other. The music we do is important on any stage, we started performing in the streets and the same way we performed there is the same way we will perform on any grand stage. We sat down and realised that our music is not music for the classes but the masses, the more people hear it the more we champion our cause.

Where exactly on the streets were you playing?

Even right outside here at Nation Centre, we used to walk from KNT singing while Kenneth was playing the guitar and there would be a crowd following us.

We would dedicate songs to people too, it was nice. We sometimes got into trouble with the city council askaris and the police but we would sing for them too.

Wachira was once picked up by the police while waiting for us at the stage; we were going home together to Kayole, but they recognised us and let him go.

You all live in Kayole?

Yes, it’s called Yols, or K town or Far East.

If your shoes could talk, what stories would they have to tell?

So many stories, we’ve been through a lot. They would tell fun stories of people who did everything to follow their dream, of people who sacrificed a lot of things for the love of music like friends, family and school. The shoe changes because life changes everyday.

At what point did you guys see things looking up?

You first have to know that we did not start this because of the money. We were just having fun and felt very happy when people loved what we were doing.

The first thousand shillings we ever got meant so much because someone paid us for something we do for fun.

We were at a function at Village Market and the gig wasn’t paying, we didn’t even have fare to go back home but we were prepared to walk. So this guy comes up to us after the show and tells us we sound very good.

He was on the phone with his sister asking her which song she wanted us to sing for her birthday. That’s how we got fare for that day and that’s one of the few things, especially coming from the hood that gives us hope.

Caroline Mutoko bought you shoes a while back...

Kenneth is even wearing them now, worth Sh18,000. Who goes to the shop and buys shoes worth Sh18,000 and wears them?

We couldn’t believe it, it was very humbling and we were so honoured. It’d been a while since we listened to the radio and that day we tuned in to Kiss FM, we found Caroline talking about shoes, she had a voucher and she thought the best people to give it to would be us.

We met at Thika Road Mall (TRM). We didn’t think they would be that expensive. Mordecai’s cost Sh18,000 and Wachira’s Sh14,000, he’s the cheap one.

Your performances have a touch of comic relief to them, what’s that about?

There’s no need to be so uptight on stage, we love having fun and making other people laugh.

You must be tired of this question but,what is the story behind UlizaKiatu?

Mordecai had these green shoes back when we were struggling to get gigs.

We had to meet daily in the afternoon and had to walk from Kayole to KNT. Mordecai would come from Dandora.

We sometimes used to hitch rides on the back of lorries and then in the evening we would walk to South B for more rehearsals. One day at the theatre we looked at Mordecai’s tattered shoes and he said, if my shoe could talk it would say a lot of things.

It was always something we would talk about but that day it sounded different. It’s really hard to tell someone you walked from Kayole to South B and you weren’t even paid.

But if the shoe could really talk, then people would believe us, and that’s how the song was born.

Do you have any new songs out?

We do actually, it’s called 'Nikikutazama' and the video will follow soon, we are also working on an album for next year.