Eric Wainaina (born 28 August 1973) is a
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
n singer-songwriter. His career was launched with his debut album,
Sawa Sawa, in 2001. Wainaina's music is a blend of Kenyan
BengaBenga may refer to:* Benga, the old name of Movileni, Olt, a commune in Romania* Benga, Gabon, a province of Nyanga* Benga , a British dubstep musician* Benga music, a genre of music originating in Kenya...
rhythm and East African guitars, with some modern harmony.
Childhood
Wainaina was born in
NairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi Province. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters"...
, Kenya, to George Gitau Wainaina and Margaret Wangari Wainaina. He has one brother, Simon Wainaina. His love for music started at a young age. He got a piano at age 4, originally intended for his brother Simon who instead took keen interest in football. Wainaina thus grudgingly took piano lessons. He actively participated in the choir throughout elementary and high school at
St. Mary's School, NairobiSt. Mary's School is a day school owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi. It was founded in the Parklands area of Nairobi in 1939 and was long run by Holy Ghost Fathers from Blackrock College in Dublin in Ireland.-History:...
, save for a short stint in basketball. Whilst growing up, Wainaina was influenced musically by international artists such as
Papa WembaPapa Wemba was born Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in 1949 in Lubefu . He is a Congolese rumba musician, one of Africa's most popular musicians, and prominent in World music.-Zaiko Langa Langa:...
,
Youssou N'DourYoussou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known by its Wolof language name of...
,
Lokua KanzaLokua Kanza is a singer, songwriter, and composer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is known for his soulful, folksy sound, which is atypical of the dancefloor friendly soukous music that is common in the Congo.-Biography:...
and
Paul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter. He entered the public consciousness in 1965 as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, along with longtime artistic partner Art Garfunkel. Simon solely wrote most of duo's songs, including such memorable songs as "The Sound of Silence", "The Boxer",...
.
Early career
Wainaina first stepped into the world of music with Five Alive, a gospel Acappella group. Five Alive consisted of Victor Seii, Bob Kioko, Chris Kamau, and David Mageria, who was replaced by Joe Kiragu. They drew their musical influence from Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Take 6. Dominating Kenya's airwaves in 1995, Five Alive released their debut album ‘Five Alive’ in 1996, and even went on to tour Europe the same year. His experience with the group convinced Wainaina to pursue a professional career in music. In 1996 he performed and appeared in the video for Get in the Driver’s Seat, a song commissioned by the
United Nations Drug Control ProgrammeThe United Nations International Drug Control Programme and the United Nations Centre for International Crime Prevention are part of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime , which was formerly called the United Nations Office for Drug Control & Crime Prevention .UNDCP cooperates with...
for a highly successful anti-drug campaign spanning 20 countries. This not only set the stage for his eventual emergence as a solo artist, but also got him into the social concern and activism that characterizes much of his music
When the group disbanded in 1997, Wainaina went on to join the
Berklee College of MusicBerklee College of Music, founded in 1945, is a private, degree-granting four year college in Boston, Massachusetts. It has a 2009 fall enrollment of approximately 4,100 students and a 2009 faculty of approximately 500...
in
BostonBoston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
—USA, from which he graduated with a degree in Music, majoring in Songwriting and Record Engineering. He graduated with honours.
During his years at Berklee, Wainaina and his band traveled to different parts of the country to perform, as well as holding regular shows in Boston. Together with his producer, Christian Kaufmann, he worked to produce a sound that would be distinctively Kenyan both in the music and the content of the lyrics. In order to do this, he made sure that he released a new track every time he returned home for vacation, This was well received by his growing fanbase, with his performance at Kenya's 'Beats of the Season’ concert in December 2000 being watched live by 15,000 fans and broadcast nationally.
Rising popularity
His notable releases include 'Kenya Only', a song that instantly made him Kenya's favourite modern musician. After the 1998 terrorist bombing in Nairobi where over 200 Kenyans lost their lives, 'Kenya Only' was adopted as the unofficial song of mourning, receiving extensive radio and TV airplay nation-wide. His adaptation of a Kikuyu folk tune 'Ritwa Riaku' was added to the playlist of every radio station in the nation soon after.
Wainaina returned to the top of Kenya's musical agenda after he released 'Nchi ya Kitu Kidogo' (‘Country of Bribes’) in 2001, a song that launched his crusade against rampant corruption in the country. With the chart success of 'Nchi ya Kitu Kidogo', Wainaina received international accolades.
Transparency InternationalTransparency International is an international non-governmental organization addressing corruption . This includes, but is not limited to, political corruption. It is widely known for producing its annual Corruptions Perceptions Index , a comparative listing of corruption worldwide. The...
(Kenya) supported him as an artist who would help educate people on the negativity of corruption, appointing him an ambassador. He was also appointed Ambassador for the NGO MS Kenya, Kenya Human Rights Commission and by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights for his commitment to fighting the abuses to justice through music. This anthem against corruption (Nchi ya Kitu Kidogo) was not so highly appreciated in all quarters, however, with the government of the day putting up resistance to it by refusing to air it on the national broadcaster,
Kenya Broadcasting CorporationKenya Broadcasting Corporation is the state-run media organization of Kenya. It broadcasts in both English and Swahili, as well as in most local languages of Kenya. The corporation started its life in 1928 when Kenya was a British colony. In 1964, when Kenya became an independent country, the...
. In one instance several attempts were made to keep him from performing at a national event, the Kenya Music Festival, including intimidation and attempts to switch off his microphone.
Following the suspicious death of
Father Anthony KaiserJohn Anthony Kaiser was a Roman Catholic priest who was murdered in Morendat, Kenya by unknown assailants.-Early life:...
in 2003 , Wainaina was commissioned by the Mill Hill Fathers to write a song about this. This became Ukweli, a call for justice despite efforts that were being made to cover up the true nature of Father Kaiser’s death, which was reported as suicide despite strong evidence to the contrary.
In 2001, Africa Almanac.com listed him amongst the top 100 Africans of the year 2000, which included high profile names such as
Nelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, who held office from 1994–99. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto...
,
Joseph KabilaJoseph Kabila Kabange , is the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . He took office in January 2001, ten days after the murder of his father and DRC president Laurent-Désiré Kabila...
,
Yash Pal GhaiYash Pal Ghai is a scholar in constitutional law. As of 2007 he is the head of the Constitution Advisory Support Unit of the United Nations Development Programme in Nepal and a Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Cambodia on human rights. He has been a Fellow of the British...
,
Baaba MaalBaaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.-Biography:Born 12 November 1953...
and
Ousmane SembèneOusmane Sembène , often credited in the French style as Sembène Ousmane in articles and reference works, was a Senegalese film director, producer and writer...
. His first record, Sawa Sawa, released in 2001, remains one of the highest-selling solo albums in the country.
Wainaina returned home from Berklee in August 2002 after his graduation with two degrees. He was also honored with the Jack Maher award for his exceptional performance as a songwriter. The annual award is given to students who have been recognized for their potential to become leaders in the international music industry.
Wainaina's music receives international appeal. He received the
MNETM-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by a consortium of newspaper companies, including Naspers....
(South Africa) award for favourite male vocalist in February 2001, and was one of the first Kenyans to receive an award for Best East African Artist at the pan-African 7th Annual KORA All Africa Music Awards on 2 November 2002. He is also the only Kenyan artist to have performed live at the KORA ceremony. He was nominated for another KORA Award in 2003, and in 2005 he received his third Kora nomination, this time for the prestigious Artist of the Decade award.
In 2002, he played at the launch of the
International Criminal CourtThe International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .The court came into being on 1 July 2002 — the...
at the UN Headquarters in New York, presided over by
Kofi AnnanKofi Atta Annan, Honorary GCMG is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1 January 1997 to 1 January 2007. Annan and the United Nations were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.-Early years and family:Kofi Annan was born in the...
. He has toured in Switzerland for 4 consecutive years and performed at Holland’s Festival Mundial in 2003. The same year he performed at the
Harare International Festival of the ArtsThe Harare International Festival of the Arts is one of Africa's largest international arts festivals. Established in 1999 by Manuel Bagorro the festival takes place each year in late April or early May in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe...
(HIFA). After the concert he criticised Zimbabwe's presiden
Robert MugabeRobert Gabriel Karigamombe Mugabe is the current President of Zimbabwe.He has held power as the head of government since 1980, as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987, and as the first executive head of state since 1987...
in a media briefing prompting Zimbabwe's state-owned media to give him unfavourable reviews . He also performed at the 2004 Sauti za Busara festival in Zanzibar, a celebration of East African Music.
In December 2004 Wainaina premiered a 21- song musical theatre piece, “Lwanda, Man of Stone”, based on a local folk story. One of the first of its kind in Kenya, the show ran for a hugely successful theatre season, and a concert version of the same show continues to be performed at major cultural events. A contemporary adaptation of this musical, 'Lwanda-A Ghetto Story" had a very successful run at the GoDown Arts Centre, Nairobi, in December 2006. Plans are underway to find a permanent home for 'Lwanda' in Nairobi.
Together with Mumbi Kaigwa and Andrea Kalima, Eric co-wrote and arranged the music for Kigezi Ndoto, a Kenyan play written and directed by Kaigwa, which went on tour in Europe under the auspices of the World Theatre Music Festival- 2006. He has also written the music for Owen & Mzee, an upcoming documentary about the touching story of an unusual friendship between a tortoise and a baby hippo at the Kenyan coast. This documentary is based on a best-selling children’s book by the same name.
Wainaina was involved in the 2006 launch of Kenya’s National Civic Education Program (NCEP II), Uraia, which aims at fostering a mature political culture in Kenya: a culture in which citizens are able to exercise their rights and responsibilities—and to participate effectively in the broadening of democracy. Wainaina also performed at the inaugural Nairobi-hosted North Sea Jazz Festival in February 2006, and at the Holland-based version of the same in July 2006.
December 2006 saw the release of "Twende, Twende", his second solo album. At the
2007 Kisima Music AwardsThe 2007 Kisima Music Awards took place at Marula Manor, Nairobi, Kenya on 8 September 2007.-Winners:-References:**The Standard, September 14, 2007:...
Wainaina won three categories: Afro-fusion, best song and best video from Kenya . He was among 100 most influential Kenyans as selected by
The StandardThe Standard is an English free newspaper of Hong Kong. It was called the Hong Kong Standard and changed to HKiMail during the Internet boom, but it changed back to The Standard in 2001....
newspaper in August 2007 .
He produced the musical
Mo Faya, shown at the 2009
New York Musical Theatre FestivalEach year, during a three-week fall Festival, the New York Musical Theatre Festival presents more than thirty new musicals at venues in New York City's midtown theater district...
. Wainaina himself also features in the musical as a singer. It is directed by John Sibi-Okumu .
Personal life
Wainaina married his fiancee of five years, Sheba Hirst, on February 29, 2008. They have a daughter, Seben, born in April 2006.
Others
- 2003 Ukweli (single)
- 2004 “Lwanda, Man of Stone” (musical)
- 2006 Kigezi Ndoto (producer & arranger)
- 2006 Owen & Mzee
- 2006 Lwanda - A Ghetto Story (musical)
Sources
- http://www.berklee.edu/profiles/wainaina.html
- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2001/08/24/international1334EDT0629.DTL
- http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/article/0,13005,901020311-214169,00.html
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1550448.stm
- http://www.johnkaiser.net/60minutes.htm
- http://www.africaalmanac.com/top100africans.html
- http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/01092001/Letters/Letter1.html
- http://www.ericwainainamusic.com
- http://www.christiankaufmann.com
External links
- http://www.ericwainaina.net
- http://www.ericwainainamusic.com
- http://museke.com/node/1929 Eric Wainaina lyrics, audio, etc