Stepping onto the scene with a new style and a new attitude, is Kenzo. Kenzo is one of the latest additions to the super music house, Ogopa DJs. Having started nurturing his talent while in high school, Kenzo frequently performed in church and at high school festivals while at Highway secondary school.
From what he says, music was a hard choice to make, for he had another passion: football.
“I played for Strathmore FC, I was being coached by coach Weche. I had a hard time choosing, cause football I was good at it, music I was even better at it, but I had to choose my passion.”
Kenzo, who was the third of four children, lost his mother at a tender age. But, despite the despair that comes along with losing a loved one, Kenzo sources his inspiration from his mother. And he has gone on to make something of himself. Perfecting his skills on the guitar, and making sweet melodies that make him capture the heart, like his hit, “Mama Milka.”
Mama Milka, and the rest of Kenzo’s songs, have been recognized for taking a different turn from the usual contemporary hits on the Kenyan entertainment scene. That’s thanks to his use of acoustics among some old lyrics with a deep message.
“I like singing things that Kenyans can listen to. With your mum, your kids, if you are very old… so you’ll never hear vulgar language from me.”
His music has cut across the board. And it also has served as a ladies magnet. When asked about his love life, Kenzo says that he is true to his lady, and he knows that dating in the public eye could be hard for her.
“Sometimes I tend to really feel bad for my better half, because honestly there’s nothing I can do about it because of my career. But I always try and make it work, in that, I try to remove any doubt and just keep it simple. I’m like if I’m still Kenzo, to you, I’m not Kenzo, I’m your man if your my lady.”
Kenzo spends every chance he can with his better half. And if not, he’s up and about in his neighbourhood South B, where he was born and raised. And it’s right here in South B, where he not only makes music, but also does everything else that’s important to him, like shopping. Surprisingly enough, not at an uptown store, but at a local vendor a few minutes away from his home. And if it’s not shopping, movies or his guitar taking up his time, Kenzo is back to basics: music, and even has his own personal vocal trainer, Philip Tuju.
Every week, Kenzo spends more than four hours working on his vocals, so that every performance is better than his previous. And that right there, is what it takes to create great music.
{youtube}EY1B4p4cBhQ{/youtube}
Courtesy: Shiko Kaitani
