 Yes, yes, welcome back. A very good morning to you. If at all you're just joining us, this is why in the morning. My name is Ram. Guko, it is a pleasure being with you each and every Thursday morning. As always it is Thursday vibes, all about good music, good vibes, good content and good entertainment right here on why in the morning. We are coming to you live from the broadcasting house here in Nairobi, Kenya. We are also live on our website where you can be able to stream in this particular show. That is www.kbc.co.ke4 slash y254. Engage with us. The hashtag is why in the morning at Ram, Guko and that Y254 channel. Now you're just in time for the next conversation of the day and with me I have a fantastic guest. You know her. She is an artist. She has been in our screens also as a media personality and TV host. Ladies and gentlemen, Shana. Yes. How are you? I am great. You have a nice name. I love your name. Thank you. Shana. Shana. What okay? Some people just called Ram. No, it's unique. It's different, okay? It's different. Ya. How have you been? I have been great. I love the kind of work you're doing. Thank you. And before we even go further, she has come with something that is glittering. Maybe you can lift the dog up. Ladies and gentlemen, she won the AFRIMA 2021 award. And this is an award for the best female. Best female artist in African inspirational music. Wow, congratulations Shana. Thank you. You're doing a good job. Thank you. So tell us about this award. What happened that led to this particular journey here? Well, I was nominated in AFRIMA for this specific category. Actually, on the way, on this journey, they had gotten the category wrong. They had said it was best artist do a group in African traditional music. Oh, that was down there? Initially. Okay, okay. Ya. And then later on, they corrected it and said it was best female artist in African inspirational music. So you're inspiring people, I would say. Ya. And at your age, you've achieved quite a lot. And I love how passionate you are. Thank you. You're a TV host. You've hosted shows on TV. People have seen you and they're honoring what is this lady's story. So how did this all start for you? You know, when you realize that you have the ability to speak out in the public, you know, with the lights and the camera. A place where, personally, the first time I was on air, I freaked out. How did this start? Well, I guess if you grow up in that environment, you like get used to it. So you grew up in that environment? Ya. As in, I started music when I was really young. Professionally, I started music when I was nine years old. That was when I released my first song. And since then, I've literally just been on camera, so I get used to the light of the cameras. Wow, wow. The song that led to this song, which song was that? It was God Will Make Away. Wow. Yes. Fantastic song. That's actually my favourite song out of all of them. You love it. Can you sing it for us? God will make away where it seems to be no way. God where it seems to be no way. Wow. Goosebumps. Goosebumps. Wah! You have a powerful voice. Thank you. How do you train or how do you fix your voice to come out the way it is? I guess, when I'm talking, I don't exactly have a high pitched voice, so it's not... So, how do I explain this? When I feel like me personally, I don't have a high pitched voice. When you're talking? Ya. So I don't think I would have a high pitched voice when I'm singing either. Like when I'm singing normally. Ya. And as I like pappas fully go high. Exactly. Do you like sweets? I don't know. Ya, I do. That's very much. You don't get tempted to take a few sodas and... I'm telling you, right before this interview. Right before this interview. But you still manage to sing. Exactly. Yes. You took some soda and some juice and then you... I took the whole soda. Shana, I'm looking at the Afrima words and how it happened. How did you feel walking down that place? And then they call out your name and people are clapping for you and all eyes are on you. How was it? Well, I was really nervous. Before that, before they called out my name and they were showing who was in the category and everything. I was shaking. Literally. Yes. And then they called out my name but they didn't click. You know, I didn't register. Like... Is that me? Say it again. Exactly. So I got stuck in my chair. I got stuck in my chair. And then... I couldn't move. I was like... But were you aware that you had won before? No. No, I wasn't. No one prepared you for that? No one. So I was stuck there. I'm like, who? Me? Me? And then my dad is like, we go. And I'm like, oh yeah, he is there. I'm like, I sit up, we walk to the stage and we collected this. Yeah. And then I gave my tiny sweets and yeah. Wow. Like you didn't even have time to prepare for that. No, we didn't. You didn't, yeah. Congratulations. Thank you. I'm proud of the work you're doing and as you know, guys here on 1 in the morning we are happy that you found time to join us today and to share your journey and how it has been. You said you started when you were at 9, 9 years old. And so far, I don't know if you believe in God, but God has been faithful to you and personally I'm proud of the achievements you've made. Now I'm looking at the kind of support you have as a person, you know, who are those pillars in your life that have groomed you, molded you and made you to become who you are today to the point that you can now hold an award in front of multitudes of people. First of all, God, because he is the one that gave me this talent in the first place and he is the one that gave me the courage to stand right here and actually be able to sing without getting nervous or anything. And then my parents, my parents have been there, they have helped me, guided me through this journey and they have molded me into the person I have become and all my friends, my family, the rest of them, my supporters and everyone joining me exactly. How has your family been in terms of the support that they've given you? I'm looking at a typical African setup of a 9-year-old telling the father that dad, I want to sing. Well, actually, what happened is 9 years old, I started working professionally. Meaning before that, I was still singing. You were still singing? Exactly, but I didn't have any songs like personally my songs. If it was someone else that would have been told, go to school first. Sing later. Go to school first. Build your career first. Build your future first. I guess you should allow your child to pursue his or her dream even when they are still in school. If they can balance them, why not? Were you able to balance between school and singing to the professional level? Actually, yes. I can balance. What about play? You should have time to play around with your friends and toys. Toys? I guess the age I'm at right now, we don't exactly play. Like running and all that. We don't exactly do all of that. Exactly. For us, playing is like chatting. That's the playing. Playing is talking, chatting, walking. Working while chatting. And on form. Yes. So that's our playing. People don't exactly come outside to play. Where I live. We just stare at home. So not toys, not anything even when you're younger? No. I'm telling you, when I was younger. Okay, my friends told me this. Ya, when I was younger. Every toy I got, it broken within 24 hours. Or you'd break every one of them. So they stopped buying? Ya, because that's wasting money. I mean even I would stop buying if you're just going to break it in one day. Even if it were you, you'd stop buying for yourself toys. Yes. Because you'd break them. I'm wasting. Yes. So how were you spending time with yourself to even have fun as a child? And grow your talent at the same time? Because you love music. When I was young, I had a lot of dogs. And my siblings had bikes and all that. So I would play with my dogs. I would take care of them. I would play with my siblings. We would race each other with the bikes and all that. Ya, that was my fun. And it was actually fun. Ya. I can actually relate with that. Exactly. No toys needed. But bikes are good. Sofa, do you have some music and some song, some album that is coming up soon that you're working on? Actually, yes. I am coming up with a Christmas song since Christmas is coming up. Ya. It's really so thing tuned. I'm not going to spoil it here but yes. It's coming up soon? Yes. So people should stick around. Exactly. How can people find you on social media? Online and kunyemitandao? You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Tiktok at Shana Manchu. Yes. So that's a project you're working on. Christmas. Yes. Is there a date that we should be looking at? No specific date we have come up with. But Christmas. Ya. Okay. So Shana, I want you to just wrap it up. What are some of the challenges you faced? That you feel like, wow, that was a hard one. That was a hard one. Those challenges that you faced throughout this journey in your career. Okay. So I'm going to give a story. Ya. I am helping these satan artists to build their career and start their career. You are helping other artists? Ya. So, yes. All the younger? Both. Both. Both of them are younger. I think both of them are younger. No one might be older. I'm not sure. For one of them. But the other, I'm sure. But you're also helping other artists come up? Yes. Wow. I'm helping other artists. I was doing the BGVs of the song BGVs that were background vocalists. Okay. Exactly. So, I was doing the BGVs of one of their songs and I was told to belt. Like, you know, all the satan tans and things. Exactly. Exactly. Okay. But now, I was told to go as high as I can. Falsetto. Like, kabisa, you know. Ya. So, I was told to belt. And whoa. Ya. Ya. You know, I was really scared at first. I'm like, oh no. I'm going to embarrass myself. And you've never done that before? Never. I've never gone that high. I didn't practice. I did not practice. I only practiced for the original BGVs. But, I didn't practice for this specific belt. Aha. Exactly. So, these are things that you go through when you're in studio. And planned expectations. Exactly. And like twists and lyrics and all that. But eventually, I got it. You got it right. And that's what I got it on the first try. Who's like Shana? No one. No one. Ya. There are words that, you know, everyone is aiming towards something. You've managed to reach something somewhere that someone else hasn't. But you still have goals set up for yourself. I don't know if you can just be able to let us know a few of those targets that you're looking towards at aiming or achieving. Well, I have like two categories. Ya. First of all is the academic side. And then the musical side. Academic side, I want to do really well in my exams and all that. In my KCPE. Because like I'm in class 7 right now. We only have a year. It's next year. Exactly. CBC. No, 8 for 4. Yes. And then musical side, I want my music to start going international. Wow. She has a gospel. It will. You're really at the frame awards man. Yes. Ushafika. There is no, in fact, there is no conversation here. Shana, thank you so much for coming. Thank you for having me. It was fun having you. You're such a sunshine. Thank you. Again as we wrap it up, how can we find the social media just one more time? On Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok at Shana Manter. Shana Manter. Yes. And you do very interesting TikTok videos. If we had the ability to make one video, we would. Yes. But she's such a lady. Of course she also is a host at Big Minds. Yes, KBC. KBC. Yes. Big Minds, where she interacts with children and to give you shows that are in line with your children for your child's benefit and education. Shana, thank you so much. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. All right. This is what brings us to the end of this morning's conversation right on why in the morning was it Shana here engaged with her, follow her online and send her congratulatory remarks. She won an award at the AFRIMA 2021 Awards. What do you think about that? You know, a fantastic lady, still young, expecting to do her KCPE next year. Not a pita. Thank you. You'll pass. Thank you. Well, that was us to the end of this morning's conversation. We are taking a short break. We'll be back in a bit. We still have more music lined up for you. This is why in the morning.