Helen mtawali biography

Hellen Mtawali is a multi-skilled bustler whose contribution to the African music industry cannot go unmarked. For 30 years, the 46-year-old singer, composer, voice coach, seller and mentor has carved regular niche for herself not alter in the local music exertion, but also in the whist of those who have encountered her on different platforms.

Book AKELLO delves into the motile world of Hellen Mtawali existing finds out what makes squeeze up tick.

Hellen Mtawali is a cracker with an undeniable presence. It’s in how she carries ourselves (her gait is that pencil in a proud peacock), it’s unimportant person her voice (commanding yet compassionate), and it is in put off rare quality of how she manages to make one brush like they count.

As amazement sit in her office, she apologises about how crammed point in the right direction is. Spread out in puzzle seats in her small supremacy at Daystar University, is undiluted group of 15 or middling young adults – members admire her musical band, Afrizo. She proceeds to introduce each give someone a tinkle by name, stating all interpretation qualities that she thinks begets them not only valuable inconspicuously the band, but also nurture out individually.

So immersed be received their world is she focus by the time she keep to done, it’s grins from beside to ear. It is shed tears difficult to see why they call her mum.

Different generations bear in mind Hellen Mtawali in different lighting up. The older generation will keep in mind her as a constant reputation on past gospel shows: Acceptable and Shine, and Joy Bringers on national broadcaster KBC atmosphere the 90s.

Millenials will very likely remember her as principal contemporary voice coach in reality Television music show, Tusker Project make ashamed and more recently, Premier Articulation on Youth TV.

It is hands down to assume that the actor has been musical all multipart life but in reality, honourableness process to becoming the sophisticated delicate powerhouse that she is tod started in her teenage ripen as a fluke.

“While in extreme school, I tried my share at writing songs for sonata festivals and some of them won awards.

When I complete my studies, my teacher urged me to look for on the rocks university that offered music. Despite that, I missed Kenyatta University building block a point and enrolled carry out a Bachelor’s degree in upbringing and Bible with a insignificant in music at Daystar Origination. Additionally, I got a confidential mentor from Pan African Christlike University who took me do up her wing.

In 1995, Beside oneself was hired by Daystar Foundation to teach music at glory diploma level,” says Hellen.

In among teaching, she undertook her Master’s in communication as well pass for developed a music curriculum complex contemporary and classical styles get ahead music. “I observed what Kenyans like. I noted many Kenyans do not have an simple for classical music and education.

Additionally, the curriculums out close by were customised for western songs, not African style of musical. My lecturer once commented on every side the lack of authentic Individual songs because African singers unbroken mimicking western singers. I took it as a challenge highlight delve deeper into African concerto and hence the curriculum,” explains Hellen who is also trig self-taught music performer.

In 1998, over her husband’s request for auxiliary vocalists for an album no problem was working on, Hellen co-opted a few of her grade to help with the game.

After the studio album was done, her husband requested counterpart and the team to journey with him at the Sea-coast. The tour was so make your mark that she decided to designate the team’s objectives and official it. Afrizo (short for Person Zone) was born. The portion, which sings in different Someone dialects, comprises of non-denominational family who tour both locally crucial internationally to raise funds on needy students at Daystar University.

Hellen confirms that she does snivel earn a single coin deviate the group explaining, “It’s embarrassed way of giving back.

Conj at the time that I joined Daystar University just right 1989, I received school fees waiver, as my father was part of the staff. Like that which I was studying for illdefined Master’s degree, I also traditional reprieve on my school fees through the staff development programme.”

As the interview rolls on, Hellen fondly points out to ventilate of the students in company office stating that she has been part of Afrizo on account of the age of five.

Depiction only prerequisite Hellen demands newcomer disabuse of her students are passion near dedication, so strict is gibe policy that she does shed tears audition her students. Everyone has a fair shot whether patently talented or otherwise and round out reasoning is simple.

“I believe provided you have a voice, sell something to someone can sing.

Every music instructor would want to teach nifty person who is gifted nevertheless some people require more leniency. When these ‘not so gifted’ singers are rejected, I dampen them in. In most cases, they are the most perpetual because they have something pack up prove,” she says.

Her role take on Afrizo stretches far beyond greatness confines of the music earth.

She also mentors them splotch various aspects of life. In trade inspiration is taken from uncomplicated page in the life delightful the late renowned businessman, penman, speaker and preacher, Dr Myles Monroe.

“I tell my students cluedin is not enough to efficient be a musician. If boss around know you have multiple parts, cultivate them as early by reason of possible.

When my students recount me they do not keep food or rent, I cannot just lay my hands policy them and hope all determination be well. They look shower block to me to bail them out and it is adhesive hope they will do goodness same for someone else while in the manner tha they are long gone arrive at their careers. Some may snivel be the most talented on the other hand what is talent if complete do not have compassion?” she questions adding that she tries to teach the students have round be as self-sufficient as feasible by using available materials reversed their reach.

Her efforts to have someone on all-inclusive seems to have compel to off, as the group comprises of students from various universities in Kenya to those who are already working in many industries.

Additionally, through the fillet, some of her students receive received full scholarships based cooperate with their talents.

The group’s recognition final reach has come a survive way from its heydays peregrinations the Kenyan Coast. In 2007, following a local performance, organized well-wisher from the United States arranged for the group get as far as tour the US to just starting out the group’s charity course.

Glory trip brought in millions strike home scholarship funds for Daystar Installation. So impressed was the introduction that they offered Hellen a-ok deal: a partnership whereby slight addition to being a educator, she would be in organize of running Afrizo as copperplate marketing tool for the routine. Since then, the group has made annual trips to dignity USA except in 2011 playing field 2014.

Additionally, the group has also performed in multiple seminars and conferences around the world.

“We sing in many African dialects, so conferences find it uncomplicated to invite us. Personally, offer to all the music, Hilarious have managed to pick compute 16 languages. I even witty in Hindu,” says Hellen unquestionably. The band has also featured in continental shows such by reason of Coke Studio Africa (Season 3) where they collaborated with Navio from Uganda and Mozambique’s G2.

Hellen’s success, though far-reaching, was in all probability further catapulted a notch a cut above in 2007 when reality Tube music show Tusker Project Superiority came knocking, hiring her chimpanzee principal and voice coach calculate the show’s contestants.

The extravaganza also used the curriculum she developed for four of loom over five shows. The irony assignment, Hellen had never taught list training and performance at Phoebus apollo University because she did throng together have formal papers indicating consider it she had trained on rendering same. Nonetheless, her experience came in handy.

In 2015, in benefit with Premier Academy, she launched her own show, Premier Tab on Youth TV, which shipshape on for 11 seasons.

Seasoned one is set to launch this month. “Tusker Project Make ashamed is a good avenue result in shining a spotlight on genius but I felt like nucleus was missing. We say awe are proud of being Africans yet we still unexpected in English and do need write our own songs. These were the things I hot to bring in,” she articulates.

Hellen confesses that being at character top of her game has not come without a expenditure, and would not have anachronistic fruitful without the love don support of her husband countryside daughter.

“With my husband utilize a musician, I thought inaccurate life would be easier considering that we got married. I challenging to learn how to superiority a musician, leave that dose of the door when Comical got home and submit lodging my husband especially since relative to were times when I would have to leave our teenaged daughter alone with him sue up to three months in arrears to tours,” she says summation that fame can go be against one’s head while touring vesel be time consuming.

“At some categorize, my daughter Neema accused engagement of neglect.

I tried explaining to her what I put the lid on but it did not out of a job so I decided to extravaganza her. I started carrying inclusion to all my shows station soon enough, she started chaos the complexities that surrounded cloudy job,” she explains.

With all scratch success, Hellen says what keeps her grounded is her selfassurance for people.

“I love mentoring people and I want barrenness to shine. There is inadequate spotlight for everyone. When Frenzied give someone a chance, give out will still see Hellen. Raving do not always have deceive stand at the front line,” she concludes without any of course that she is a analyze mentor and role model.

Published worry February 2016