Musical Genius:
He grew up saying that he was going to be a doctor, but his love for music reigned supreme. Shocked at first by his career choice, Eric Wainaina's family supported his decision to venture in to music from the very beginning.
His first record, Sawa Sawa, released in 2001 remained one of the highest selling solo albums in the country. In writing the record Eric was making a decided attempt to break away from the all too common American influences in new African music. The result was a record which won critical and popular acclaim. His adaptation of a Kikuyu folk tune 'Ritwa Riaku' was added to the playlist of every radio station in the nation, as was the eponymous track Sawa Sawa, which, seven years down the line, still receives regular airplay.
Twende Twende, his sophomore album was launched in 2007 and has been flying off shelves since. The tide track features Zimbabwean legend Oliver Mtukudzi and is a call for Africa to get up and venture towards development and progress. 'There's more to Mama Africa than poverty and war!' The album reflects Eric's growing maturity as an artist, and promises to live up to and even exceed the high standards set by his previous work.
Anodier notable release is 'Kenya Only', a song that quickly made him Kenya's favorite modern musician. The song has been dubbed Kenya's second National Anthem and has been the source of comfort, hope and restored patriotism for all Kenyans during the 1998 US Embassy bombing and more so during the recent post election violence that rocked the country. In a 1999 TV interview, Eric said. "It's humbling to see one of my songs being used as a source of hope for so many Kenyans."
Man of Many Masks.
In 2004, Eric Wainaina made another milestone on the Kenyan music scene when he premiered a 21- song musical theatre piece "Lwanda, Man of Stone", based on a local folk story. A modern rendition of the musical dubbed 'Ljvanda- A ghetto Story'tan for a successful theatre season in Nairobi and was consequently adopted as part of Kenya's Civic Education Program.
Eric, in 2006 wrote die musical score for a documentary based on die New York Times best-selling children's book, 'Owen & Mzee', based on the true story of an unusual friendship between a young hippo, and a centenarian tortoise, Mzee. He is in die process of turning this amazing story in to an animation. Owen and Mzee holds a special place in Eric's heart and his vision is to turn it into Kenya's version of The lion King.
A firm believer in social justice, Eric advocates for the same not only through his music but through his involvement in relevant projects. In 2007, he spearheaded Umoja Pamoja, an initiative which aimed to get Kenyan youth to vote responsibly, and peacefully. The event made history when over three thousand Kenyans formed a human chain around Parliament building in a demonstration of unity and purpose.
Eric Wainaina boasts of many achievements and has a lot more up his sleeve. He has no regrets thus far and plans to stay in the music industry until death seals his fate.