 So, yes, that was amazing and the artist we have for you today goes by the name Monaja. So he's telling us about himself, what he's about. Na, metulata ni nile, usindio. Welcome to the show. Shukran. Hawaii. Nkupo, you know, just liking the place, liking the vibe, nice show you have here. Thank you, thank you. So tell us, who is Monaja? Before we even get to that, what does Monaja mean? Okay, what inspired that? Actually, it was a long call. It was a what? A long call. Okay. I was taking stock of my life. You were taking stock of your life. Interesting. At what point? So it was some years back because I've been in the industry for a while. But in and out, in and out, na yon Nairobi. Akunagakitumodyo na futu fanya. Yeah. So like, because I think I burst into the industry as far as like performances around 2003. But around 2008 was when I was like, hey, okay, this is really for me. So I had a name earlier on, but then I was like... Which one? My elder brother used to call me Mungi. So he was the one who performed F2 and Mungi. There's something that Kuna Kitu na Fakongezeka. Aekwena. Tikachi. Aekwena leta shangwe. Monaja. And it has some kind of Swahili feel to it. So yeah, so Monaja. Yeah. Okay. So you've been in the industry for quite a minute. I have, I have. What has changed over the years for you? I think what has changed over the years is of course there are many more radio stations, TV stations. TV stations I know. Yeah, because it's a sequel. Chana it's a sequel, it's a CD. Kuna payana CD ako. So... I have several in my heart. If we are talking about compact discs. Compact discs. Yes. Yes. I have several in my heart. I have tapes. I have tapes. I have tapes. I have tapes. I have tapes player. Because she used to say old relatives. No, no, no. At my father's place. We used to use this when we were children. Yes. And those big disc, the round ones. Vinyl. Yes. We have others. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Exactly. Thank you for the money. It's the Genzi. Me ni Millennial. Millennial. Umeji toa. Umeji toa. Iwa raka. Genzi awana siwa poa. Aa. Kumbaya. Yes. They are just, you know, living life. I know, yeah. Okay. Okay. Na jotmezo ya ku judge generations. I know, yeah. Kuskama sasa our parents. They judge us. Yeah. You know. And us, we are passing the judgment down to the others. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So, yeah, but when I see two, we are feeling the cuts that were dealt. Yeah. So, yeah, so, yeah. So, we were truly, you know, these things can have more radio stations. We have multi-p stations. We have, yeah. Yeah. So, so that's like, there are more radio stations. That's definitely something that's a game changer because it's just a couple that are just countable. You know, like this radio station, this, but now you have so many places in town and the distribution itself. The industry has grown. Yeah. So, I mean, there's always been this argument of the older artists who sometimes say like it was hard for them getting things off the ground because they were just starting out. Like no one used to, earlier on, like maybe late 90s, but now, so it begs the question which one is harder. When guys are starting, I guess it's one of those debates that will never really like understand. It's true. So, yeah. So things have changed. Sound has changed. It's no longer genge and kapuka. It's only gengetona. So now it's now moving into something else. Something different. Yeah. So you're rumba, kujana trap maybe. Yeah. So, yeah. We have drill. Drill, yeah. So, yeah. Okay, okay. So you, how have you changed as an artist over the years? How are you adjusting to all these things? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean that's a good question. Like I, I never used to, I was actually a rapper. I was freestyle rap. I was a freestyle back, let me see. It's only later on that Nikanza Kwingi is a melody zapa na pale. Yeah. But now later on, because I think the more you grow, you're like going back to your roots. I think even music aside, even as a person, you're like, eh, meaning kamba, meaning baiter, meaning nini, let me go back to my roots. Yeah. So, yeah, I've been going back to my roots. Back to your roots. Like if you listen to some of my songs, kuna some sort of African touch, fluta pa, drama pa. No, kaza enyatumesia tu sayi. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. What instrument is that? So, there's a flute, there are shakers, what we call mbo in Timeru. And then there's a, basically those are the two two instruments that really kind of give the song like that flavor. Yeah. And I don't think we are hearing so much of that, especially with the new generation kind of music. Yeah. It's not so something we are getting a lot? No, it isn't. It definitely, I think kaza alia on, I think it's sometimes in a kujakama in the end like that afrikanes, because piya genge tune is also based on genge. Like najiwa, that's why they called genge tune, yo genge, najiwa. So, so there's, but as far as instrumentals is concerned, like I don't get many newer artists using those kind of najiwa. It's very there. Actually when I was listening to the song, I was like, the kind of that sound, the instruments and everything is something I have heard from another artist who does kikuyu music. Yeah. Yes. See what? It's a rare kind of sound. Yeah. So does that make you feel okay, is that what makes you unique and stand out? I think it does. Like it, of course there's what, how I write, but there's also the instrumental. And I mean, for me it's because I've not just lived in Nairobi, in Meishimeru. So it's like I have to, I feel that both of, both walls must be represented. So, that's where I come in. Yeah. So, that's why I feel strongly about that. Yeah. You have also incorporated your native language here. Yeah. Yeah. So this is that song that you have done with people from the Meishimeru site. Tell us a bit about that. Is that something you are planning to do more of? Yeah. It was actually interesting. I'm also, because I'm also a research consultant. So 2017 I was doing some research around the elections. And, you know, some of my friends who come from Meishimeru, I also come from Meishimeru. So, although I've spent most of my life here. So, nila design, kwongi anawa, we can't we do a song. But now, kind of reinvent the approach and now just go back to the singing of, in Meishimeru, the same, same rhythm. So, yeah. So it's, it was more or less informed by, by also the times, informed by some of the things I was seeing. I was seeing like, because there are two songs we did with them. There's a song that we did that was more traditional in the sense that asking people to come together, let's break down these boundaries as Africans, the different subethnic groups among the Meiru, asking people to come together and now exporting that throughout the continent. So that was, that was informed by a memory that I had in, in 2017 when I went to, when I visited the border of, of Isiolo and Meiru, a place called Kenna, where there's parts where Meiru's a mo, parts where Burana's a mo. But there are places where I would see like, they were just seated together, drinking, find a Meiru guy, making Injera, which is more or less Burana. So I was like, wait, see these guys are, these guys are cool, like, boundaries, always fighting. It's not the case. So I was like, kwa ground, some things are different. Exactly. So yeah, so that's why I wrote that song and it was kind of, to kind of show people that as Africans and as even different ethnicities, like we should really like, focus on the, on the commonalities, on the similarities we have and that kind of brotherhood, sisterhood, that oneness. Yeah. Okay. You talked about your writing. Yeah. So I particularly like how you wrote the song, Sina. Inetwa? Hauna kismat. Hauna kismat. I like how the story just unfolds and you know, like you can actually, it's a story, tunasonganae, tunasonganae, tunasonganae. So is that how you do all your songs? Do you like tell a story with your music? Most, I have a bias to storytelling, definitely. Why do you have a bias to tell a story? See because nile, nile, nile any you life stories, you know like what's your story? Nadia, mtunela kakuni. So what's your story? Nadia, so when you two men you listen, like so tell me about Nadia. So I definitely have that, like I I like writing stories, but I like also including human men music, not all of my songs too. But ya, Hauna kismat li toka na you know, there was a friend of mine, alikwame piti amengi, alikwame piti amengi, so he lembaka any kyu boys, kyu boys na jewa say waga, say waga na penda kutche keleana. It's a very weird way of showing like, you know like, I still, I still you're showing love. You're showing love. You're showing love. Ya, you're showing love. Ya, ya by the way, Nadia, international men they may pita too, say easy, but you need to show love to kiku tse keleana. So you need to show love. I'm making fun of your situation. Yes. I still care about you na come on Nadia, I'll still help you. Sindio. Ya, and so ni that's what inspired the song also, personal experiences. So ya, so ni nga meningi andika nikifiki ria and then of course pay imagination, some of those things like, it's not that one person went through all of those things, but you know like, it's possible. Have you ever had a bad day like from the word go, baka mwisho, like it's all bad. Sindio. No, sometimes it does happen. Okay, but not if something like what happens to one person, that's so unfortunate. Ah, lakini si badiata, badiata jijenga. Nadia, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Makes you stronger. Yes. So kismat na wansha ni? Kismat ni bati. Hauna bati, hauna kismat, hauna bati. Okay, interesting. So you are kwanabahati at all. So it is one, it is your latest song. You told me that you are working on an album which is this part of, it's na hauna kismat na chapeana part of the song that you wrote in the album. They are, they are, they are, kengiata, YouTube you're going to find the six songs that I've released this year, six videos. So they are going to be released on a larger album which I hope to release perhaps late January early February. So yeah, Melodies na rap. Okay, right, interesting. Do you have a name for the album? Melodies na rap. Melodies na rap. Oh, okay. I thought kuna melodies kuna, okay. Both. Nadia, it's both. It's self-explanatory. It's both melody na rap. So um, what are some of the challenges you have been experiencing in this industry? Ni noma, say, like I said, like Tengen ni Nyingi, TV station ni Nyingi, so na eh, na zima ni ende uku, na zima ni ende isakik, na zima iku kwa plans, ni ni shonoma ni na nachaza, Kenyan music, eh, big up yourselves. Yes. Eh, na nai. So um, eh, there are so many, like the distribution part of it has now become tricky over time. Okay. Eh, and for those, because you know, sometimes like right now managing myself, you know, and it's a huge, huge thing, like managing is supposed to manage, is supposed to write, is supposed to distribute and then you're also supposed to do your other household. It's a difficult thing to pull off, but eh, if you love what you do, you just, you know, you just do what you can. Find balance. Exactly, exactly. So, so that there's a distribution part of it. There's also, like even the financing part of it, we have to come up with other households for us to finance this. Yeah. Unawana, there's, there's of course, I mean, I wouldn't want to say like keeping up with the trends because I think that that is true that people, at a certain point in time, people would want to listen to, people would want to listen to music that they are familiar with. Unawana, but I think the artist is also supposed to stick to their core. Yeah. Unawana, so you, Unajuliza, I have had this discussion with several artists, you know, the, the, how should we call it? Like, keeping up with the trends, like giving people what they want and sticking true to yourself, what you actually, the music you consider this is good music. You know, it's, it's tricky, right? It is, it is. Unajuliza, what you want to put here, you know, this kind of song, this kind of song, so I'm like, this is supposed to stick true to what you believe in and, you know, give people good music. Yeah. It's a little bit of both because people, the guys who you have, who consider you, the guys who are your fans, if you just change drastically in the name of chasing a trend, they'll be like, why am I believing this? Why do I still have to believe in this guy? Yeah. You know, and the trick of, the problem of following trends is that you're going to end up being a trend itself. I love your trend, Kisha, what happens. That's over. Yeah. But definitely, there is, so like Hauna Kismat, I've never rhymed on like the beat itself is, it's, it's, kone yo u gengeton, but see u gengeton, u nauna, the kind of, the groove. It reminded me of major. Exactly. So nauna. Yes. But at the same time, see major, kwan deende, kwangoma, u nauskezo, shikas. So, it's, but I'm staying true to myself. Like for the past 14 years, I've been an artist who has been putting out music that either is humorous in some way, it has like really good lyrics, flows, I change, I switch. So yeah, so it's staying true to myself and the guys who, who have been loving my stuff for the past 15, 16 years, they still relate with Hauna Kismat, nauna. So, but don't just totally abandon who you are in the name of lasimani sound karma. Lasimani, yes. Lasimani sound karma. I think at the end of the day, but it's balance. You need the balance. Okay. So where can people find, you know, Hauna Kismat to Chapiani and more of your music. YouTube, YouTube, Hauna Monajamonere, check out my channel, Monajamonere, all platforms, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Monajamonere, you're going to find all my songs there. Yeah. Hauna Kismat to Chapiani. Streaming platform. Yeah. Streaming badu. Badu. Streaming badu. Badu we're still trying to, because the thing is, I want to put that alongside the album. So the streaming platforms badu have been kind of slow to that. Okay. But possibly by, by Jan, Jan Ali Feb mdakwa nishamban ise yo maneno. Okay. All right. So we are expecting the album as well. So we are hoping to see that and I know your fans will enjoy it and I know you've gathered a few new fans today. Wasi. Yes. Thank you for the platform. You're welcome. So I want us to listen to Hauna Kismat so that people can get, you know, um, what we are talking about when we say, when we talk about, you know, Hauna Bahati. Kismat nibahati. Nibahati. Yeah. So thank you so much for coming through. We do appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you. And yeah, stay true to yourself. So up next is Hauna Kismat.