Sanaipei: Why my music is not just about partying
Sanaipei Tande performing on stage during the July Edition of the Godown Gig held on July 29, 2017. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Sanaipei says she is yet to reach the level she had set for herself.
- There are still some milestones that she needs to achieve.
- She is confident that the long breaks in between her songs will not make her fade away, especially with new talent coming up.
Singer and songwriter Sanaipei Tande, fondly referred to as Sanaa by her fans, is one of the most talented musicians in the country.
She started her musical journey at the age of 19 after winning the 2004 East Africa Coca-Cola Popstars Talent Search.
Since then, she has serenaded her fans with her melodious vocals, releasing hit songs like ‘Najuta’, ‘Kwaheri’, and ‘Mtoto wa Geti Kali’, among others.
However, Sanaipei says she is yet to reach the level she had set for herself. “I am 14 years old in the industry and, personally, I feel that I have not reached my peak. There are still some milestones that I need to achieve. It is a personal thing for me and I feel that I can go further than I am,” says Sanaipei.
Her journey as a singer is different from that of others. Throughout her career, she has always taken long breaks before releasing a song.
“Whenever I release a song, you hear people saying that I have made a comeback, but honestly I never go anywhere, it has always been a Sanaa thing to release one, at most two songs in a year. That has been my trend from when I started, so when people say that I was here and then I took a break, it is not true,” she says.
MUSIC IS SHIFTING
She is confident that the long breaks in between her songs will not make her fade away, especially with new talent coming up.
Music is shifting and not just in Kenya but globally; it is heading towards the direction of more of entertainment rather than to impact society.
“For me my music has to have a message and it is not just about party, party, party. But unfortunately globally music is going the party way and so now everyone is all about how can I do the next best party jam? Music is now just not educative and artistes need to understand that they need to impact the society in a more positive way.”
So what is her take on why most of our local artistes are still not getting international recognition?
“If I was to compare Kenya to Tanzania in terms of music, the latter has very good lyrics and very catchy tunes. And I think they go the extra mile with their videos. And they have also pushed themselves to the international market where they are able to do collaborations with international musicians and that is when you get recognition.”
She advises upcoming artistes to remain true to themselves saying it is a tough journey to the top.
