 have you attended a rock concert? imagine no ha, kufuuthu have you? its fun, yes I have when is the last one the last one that I attended yeah was it when that was covid that was now lockdown i think that was last year or last year but one somewhat there nice, I've never gone yeah the next day I had to take a lot of painkillers kwa maher was digitish do you want to know something sad when I had a scholarship to study in the US I missed seeing Trevanoa, Beyoncé and Kevin Hartz because I was too broke to go. It's not cheap to enter those kanda. I just didn't have the money. Kevin Hartz was literally a 20 minute bus ride away and it was a free bus. But you know scholarship kid man. And then Trevanoa was in New York, Kuntza Fodix, Beyoncé as well. Whom did you see? Nobody. I know that's a six years artist's life man. Yeah, because I was on scholarships. Speaking of scholarships, somebody got straight A's. Like everywhere, somewhere. What school was that? Precious Blood, Druiter. Kumben chopi. Top 100 in Nairobi actually. And you know what, I once had, I think he was my doctor, ENT. I told him, oh I'm an actor and musician. Then he said, how badly did you fail KCSE for that to be your only option? No. Yeah. And then when I said, I got straight A's, they'd look at me like, how could you waste your life that way? There's a stigma around the arts. That smart people can't do the arts and it's wrong. And actually, I think it's usually smart people who are actually into arts. They're usually very smart people. Yeah. We have toured a lot of places. Which countries have you been to again? You have said the U.S.? Okay, in Africa. Okay, hey, okay. Now let's start in Africa. In Africa. And again, this is all scholarships, by the way. Because my dad died when I was 11 and then my mom raised me and my sister. And we've just had a lot of challenges growing up. So in high school when I was in PB, I knew that I had to figure out a way of going to university. I just had to. There was no way. I was accepted to KU actually for Computer Science and Psychology. And the only reason I studied abroad was because I wanted to get an arts education. I just wanted to be educated. If there was a conservatory in Kenya, which is one of my dreams, whether it's me or it's someone else, I would never have left because it's very hard out there when you leave. So all this is scholarships. So where is the scholarship taken? Uganda, South Africa, Senegal, Morocco, Swaziland. You're still going on? That's Europe. I mean that's Africa. Europe, Greece, Italy, the UK, Croatia, Spain, France. And honestly, it's because, let me tell you, there was this thing called Semester at Sea that costs over 3 million. And my mother sent me the email like, apply and we didn't have the money. But I've always been a person of faith. I believe you should jump off the cliff and then pray for the wings to come down. Don't get too caught up in the how am I gonna do this, how am I gonna do this, how am I gonna do this. So I applied for it and I got in but we didn't have the money. And it's a long story but somehow the school that I was attending on scholarship in India, the United World College of India, just randomly got a full scholarship for you to be on a ship that travels all over the world in 100 days and goes to 12 countries. Now again you would think this was a wonderful experience. In my mind I'm like, wow. But I was with the 1%. I remember there was a girl she bought earrings in Senegal for 70,000 Kenya shillings. I thought it was a pain. So you're now trying to make plans as friends in the countries. You're reminded constantly that you don't have enough. Do you know what I mean? So like you're there but you're not really there. Money is one of those things. Actually that's really inspiring. One of the things I've gotten there is that you try. Even if no one should tell you that it's impossible, it's limited. You can't get in. Just try. If you have the opportunity, you go on and try it. And also work hard in school. Yeah, I'd say beyond working hard you need to have a vision. You need to have a vision of where you want to be. And the only person that can tell you it's not possible is yourself. There's so many people that say I want to start a business but I want to do this but I want to but, but, but and that's where all dreams die. All of them. Because you have to ask, believe, then receive. So you have a long, let me call it a long career in film, in acting. Can you tell us a little bit about that? How did you begin? Yeah, how did I begin? Also, by the way, if you're watching me and you're super interested in me at I am Washuka on Instagram and Facebook. Grace Washuka, that's W-A-C-U-K-A. My handle is at I am W-A-C-U-K-A. So if you want to know more about these things, I'm very open. I'll share with you resources and if you're interested, I reply. How did I begin? Yes. I began like the actual beginning? No, no, no. When did you realize, oh, I'm actually in my career as a film and acting? I was 13 years old in Precious Blood Riruta and there was a Christmas concert and in my school, there was only one play a year. That's now again, you see how the arts, people don't value it. You spend so much time on physics but you like drama club is like, you know what I mean? I was in drama club. Oh, for real? Yeah, I was. Oh, when did you go to Iso by the way? I went to a seminary. Seminary? Are you serious? Wow. Junior seminary. So I was in the drama school and we were pretty good. I was also in the journalism club so it's kinda arts. Yeah, it's arts. And you know they say that if you don't expose a child to the arts by the age of 14, they're unlikely to take an interest in it in the rest of their lives. So you have to get them young. So my dekamit in PB, I wasn't even in the drama club, signed me up to be the sub, the understudy to the lead. And it's a long story but I just, it was the Virgin Mary and I just took it as like a job. Like I didn't take it as like, oh, my passion, it was just, you know, and I remember one time the chair lady of the drama club saying, Christwa Shuka works the hardest of all of us and she's not even in the drama club. And one day the director called me and the girl that I was understudying because the understudy is just supposed to like in case the main girl gets sick or anything, that's me. And he just always look at time and be like, Washuka, can you just go show her what I'm trying to explain to her? Washuka, can you just go and I'm 13 and the lead was only supposed to go to third formers. Only. I was in form one. There's no way the lead should ever go to a form one. But he just was like, Washuka, go, Washuka. So at some point he just sat us down, he said, I've made a decision. Grace Washuka is going to be the lead. And then after that the Christmas concert was canceled. So for the next five years I never got to be in another play until I went to India. But I had my introduction. India, it was the United Royal College. I got a scholarship to do that. Love the United Royal College family. So I studied theatre there but it was very book oriented and I was failing actually the classes because I'm a performer. So I remember at some point thinking there's no way I can study acting because I'm failing the classes. They've changed the curriculum now. So when I went to the states, honestly, it was the Black Lives Matter movement. You know over there. I mean we grew up here thinking being black is celebrated. In the 2000s, remember everybody was black. Missy Elliot, like the airwaves were all black. The music was all black. It was all black culture. It was all black. It was black. You know Alia, Destiny's Child, Tupa, I don't know Jarul. It was all black. Their music wasn't really talking about the struggle. So when I went to the states and I found out that over there they shoot you for being black. We had incidents at school. Some girl niga, go back to Africa. Another time another girl, a white girl she called the cops on an African student sitting in the living room. So I got so stressed I couldn't think and my mum called me and my mum had always been against me being an actor by the way. My mum wanted me to be an engineer. My mum wanted me to do something safe. Wait, something safe. What do you mean by safe? Safe according to her or according to most African parents are traditional careers but now with the economy, actually unsafe is safe. If you're used to being unsafe you're safer than people who are used to being safe and then they lose their jobs. Have you guys heard that? If you're unsafe like if you pick the unsafe you're actually the safest one. Because you're used to adapting. In ito matamichi ya luga. So here. You're invading very good. Proverbs and wise sayings that I had to make them concentrate on here. Ya. Just in case you're looking at me and you're like, ah, this chick. You see, she has changed. Kizungu badu neza skiave neko krips. Before we continue we had asked a question on social media. We were asking folks how can you describe the kind of friends that you have? Not close. The close ones, the cluster ones, we have class A, class B, all of them. How would I describe them? Ya. So I've shared this also on my Instagram and Facebook handle at IAM washuka WSUK. I'm going to be a lead on single kiasi in season 2. Only on Shomax. So I'm really excited about that. And the season, the series is about friendship. Which for me is something that I've been thinking about a lot. Over the last 10 years moving every 2 years has had its challenges and strain on friendships. But right now I would describe my friends, my closest friends who by the way I've made friends as an adult. You know how people say it's not possible to make friends as an adult. If you guys didn't start in childhood then do you know... For my case it's different actually. Of the same, you've made friends as an adult close friends. I've made close friends in adulthood. My childhood friends, some of them I don't even know where they are right now. They're safe. So if you're a childhood friend and you're watching please go to my DM and remind me. Remind me of you. Please continue. I would describe them as extremely loyal and faith-centered people. I think that's all you need. In today's council culture you literally say one thing and it's over. Swipe. Next. I'm done. You can see what's happening to Kanye West. You know... He just mentioned council culture. Yeah, council culture is so real. And me, I'm not about that. If we're starting, we're finishing till heaven. So they're very loyal. And that's also my character in Singokiasi. I play the character of Olivia in season 2. You might have seen in some of the posters and the promo. And she's extremely loyal. So backstage you told me about the 2 seconds also series that you featured in. Oh yeah, I was also on Crime and Justice. And I also did a feature film in New York. That was a blessing. What was the name of the feature film? A New Christmas. It's on Amazon and Showmax. But I do need to plug in my mum who was, like I said, so against acting. And then it was first semester in uni. I was doing computer science because that's what she wanted. My mum told me, Washuka, in order to be a musician you can create the next spotify. I'm telling my mummy that's coding. But it's the same thing. I'm like mum, music is music. Coding is. Like it's coding. I tried, I did computer science for a term. Then one day she calls me and she's like Washuka, what are you even doing in that school? Then I said I'm taking a computer science class. I'm taking this class. I'm doing drama and business. I tell everybody you're doing drama and business. And this woman had been against That's a typical African mother. Had been against it from the very beginning. And then she actually said to me get yourself into a drama class. Imagine that energy. Get yourself into a drama class. And that was 8 years ago. Can you say she inspired you to where you are right now? Let me tell you. The other day, I was extremely difficult. And I have times when I've sat down with my mum and I'm like Aki mami. Maybe you were right I should have been a lawyer. I'm not even joking. If this thing is not a calling, don't do it. Don't do it for the fame. Don't do it for the money. It has to be a calling. Because those heights that you see people at, there are unspeakable lows. And we lose people. Mental health, we lose people in those unspeakable lows. And my mother has always been the person who notices if I'm not okay. And when I tell her, mami, like I remember the other day I just said to her, this was 5 months ago before Singo Kiyasi, before Rosa's dad came out because there were so many challenges in this song coming out which I wrote when I was 16. And mum just said to me. You know you have just brushed that off. She wrote this song when she was 16. 16 years old. This song is being released. Actually you have quality 11, 11. Your favourite number is 11. So 11, 11. So the song was written when she was 16 and it's 2022. So it's been perfected. It's like wine, it's aged well. I've tried other producers before I worked with Sofresh who by the way is incredibly talented. We all know him as Nikita Kerrin's main producer. I tried other producers over 10 years. I've been just waiting, waiting to get the song rights. But mum, I remember like 6 months because we were going through so many I was going through so many challenges and I just looked at mum and I said I just quit the arts. You know me, I got straight A's. What is it I can't do? So I can just go to school and study something else. And my mum looked at me and she was like Shuka you never know. You never know. She sounds lovely. I need to buy her hard roses today. Before we listen to roses are dead Is there any like a parish or to lifestyle the viewers who are watching you right now? Ya, so I wanted to I did want to share. So roses are dead, I wrote at the age of 16 years old and again follow me at I am washuka we probably will put it on the screen we will have to see how the she must be plugging. But I am WACUKA Grace Washuka Wait, is it Wasuka or Wasuka? Wasuka, C-U-K-A Don't put an H, don't put an S C-U-K-A, so Wakuka Grace Wakuka Ya, but it's spelled Wakuka Wakuka I was about to make a pan but I held it back. Ya, my best friend's kids says I say it's like a shoe in a car and she's like oh imagine if I was a sock in a car Wasuka Ya, I wrote roses are dead when I was 16 years old I was standing outside the matron's office in Prashas Bladi Ruta I was about to inspect my linen because we worked like that place was just labor for four years and then I had it like a full song in my head I didn't actually write it you know like you sit down and you think of a rhyme I literally felt like I was listening to a radio and I was 16 I'd never fallen in love with anybody I'd never experienced heartbreak and if you listen to this song it's like it could be me now it could be a 30-year-old woman it's a very bitter song and I never understood the song there's a way that a long time ago they used to say that what genia came from geni you have a good geni so you blame your geni for everything you don't say Grace wasuka is talented you just say Grace wasuka's geni so if I do a bad song you just say it's the geni but things have changed into the glorification of man now but back then if you go and look at the history of the what genias it meant that there was an outside force outside of you that would inspire you I did it I sang it in many places all over the world just acoustically and cafes and so when I did this Netflix feature film that's as a lead that's coming out next year I with some really big people you'll see I prayed to God and I said you don't want to mention some names it's exclusive Idris Sultan he has like 7.5 million followers Tanzanians I love you guys I love you guys I'm actually saying things that we are talking backstage I told that she's actually famous and she's like no no no I'm not famous I'm like you are famous I know famous people but I'm not famous okay we'll see let God be famous let my music glorify but to end this story so we went through many additions and finally roses are dead was recorded January 23rd the video was done January 23rd it's November so even the process of getting it done the only thing that let me know that it was gonna come out was prayer I asked this lady to pray for me I don't know I was just talking I just said my life in general it was sometime in January and she said to me so God told me not he didn't he really did I don't mean to do this he told me to use what I ant from the Netflix feature towards roses are dead I was like what that song that song from like he's like yeah so I'm like okay fine but when I talk to you I see a field of roses and these roses are alive and I never told her that I was doing a project called roses are dead roses are dead so we went through nine months of problems and the only thing that guided me through that infact roses are dead is gonna come out is this woman who said she saw that roses are alive so that's why I got you guys roses because it's a symbol of hope even if you're going through a breakup like the lady in this video I think of characters as a separate people there's still hope and your roses will still live so follow me on social media at I am WACUKA let's connect if you watch this you're inspired you have a question I would love to connect with you and I thank you so much also we're gonna be organizing giveaways and prizes we're doing a campaign for roses are dead it's gonna be so exciting we're partnering with a number of companies to do this it's gonna be crazy so if you wanna win free stuff if you wanna be blessed follow me at I am WACUKA on Instagram Facebook not on Twitter and I can't wait to connect with you and I hope you enjoy the song it's not 1111 actually appreciate you coming let me just say that this is so fickle it's actually very interesting and someone can listen to you for hours and hours and hours so that's very inspiring we are so glad to have you here and Rajiz if it's not 1111 but it's 953 we are breaking the rules but yeah it's exclusive exclusive on Y254 TV the hashtag is social Friday we are gonna listen to the new song actually no way else right here on Y254