…Ilikuwa Tarehe Kumi Na Saba Mwezi wa Tano, Ndio ilikuwa Tarehe Kamili ya Stella Kurudi Kenya!!!... Stella alishuka amebeba mtoto mikononi, nyuma yake mchumba wake mfupi futi nne mjapani…”
Yes, I was singing along as I wrote the lyrics down.
Stella is such a timeless and classic song that has stood the test of time and it will take forever for it to fade away from the music scene.
For the years I have known social media, every 17th of May, #Stella must be a trending topic, as Kenyans from all walks of life have made it a ritual to stand and tweet in solidarity with Freshley Mwamburi in commemoration of the day he was betrayed by his sweetheart.
Freshley Lucas Mwamburi, vividly remembers the day Stella landed at the airport, in company of his Japanese hubby, an act that broke his heart, to the extent of making him hit the studio and record a song.
Pure Talent
29 years later, Mwamburi aka ‘Mzee Chipukizi’ blessed us with Stella Remix and I must say for him, music is in born “Na Hakuna kuforce talent hapa.”
So, Mzee Chipukizi was in our offices for the #PulseCeleb254 interview and here is how the conversation went down.
In the song Stella- Freshley Mwamburi sings of betrayal by his lover who went to study in Japan only to return with a Japanese boyfriend in a captivating reggae-like tune.
Freshley Lucas Mwamburi
Freshley Lucas Mwamburi was born in Taita Taveta County and kicked off his music career back 1979 while still in school and he has stayed relevant to the core.
We Kick off our interview by taking him (Freshley Mwamburi) down the memory lane, to get a clear picture of the kind of kid he was growing up.
“Nilikuwa Msumbufu sana, lakini nilikuwa sipigi mtu… mimi nilisumbua kwa kazi yangu ambayo ndo kipaji changu.”
Stella Remix
After 29 years (1992), the a legendary Rhumba icon decided to remix his famous “Stella Wangu” song and he confesses that he never anticipated the reception the song has been accorded.
“Sikutarajia kwamba itapokelewa hivo, lakini nashukuru jinsi walivyopokea na Mungu awabarikie Zaidi."
Asked on why he decided to remix Stella, Mwamburi disclosed that the whole idea was given to him by a friend; Njau Njoga who also sponsored the production of the new version.
Secondly, he wanted to accommodate the younger generation that might not have enjoyed his sound back then.
He mentioned that back in the days, music piracy was so rampant to the extent that he never earned a coin from the original Stella song.
“Unajua wimbo huu mimi uliniuma sana…wakati niliotoa kulikuwa na visa vya piracy sana kwa hiyo sikupata kitu. Nikakasirika nikawa kimya kwa miaka saba…na wimbo huu ni wa kila rika, hapo kuna Reggae, Rhumba, twist, chacha and Hip-hop"
“Stella being an evergreen hit that is engraved in the heart of Kenyans it deserves not just a remix but also a quality music video and there is no better time to remix it if not now. I would like even the younger generation who might not know the song to know it and enjoy it”
Bands; Simba Wanyika, Les Wanyika, Mavalo Kings and Everest Kings.
“Nilianza na Mombasa International Ambayo ilikuwa Bendi yetu ya mtaani manaake mimi nimekulia Changamwe.
EP Yangu ya Kwanza ni Heshima Kidogo. Ilipofika mwaka was 1980, nikachukuliwa na jeshi kama Mwanamuziki. Nikaja hapa Nairobi tukaenda training, tuliporudi ilikuwa ni 1982. Baada ya ile Coup tuliachiliwa tukarudi nyumabi. Baada ya pale nikachukuliwa na Simba wa Wanyika kwa miaka mitatu, kisha Les Wanyika. Baada ya pale ndipo tukaunda Mavalo Kings. Tukaona tuifanye iwe Kampuni ndiposa tutaibadilisha kutoka Mavalo kings to Everest Kings ambayo ipo mpaka leo,” he said.
Kukula Fare
They say if you have managed to experience the Nairobi dating life as a man; your fare must have been squandered once or twice and still she did not show up.
This is a story Mwamburi resonates well with, basing on the fact that his air Ticket money plus school fees was “Eaten” by Stella and she came back married to another man with a baby on top.
“Vijana Siku hiuzi wana complain wana liwa fare lakini yangu ilikuwa kubwa, just imagine Ndege. Sai wanaliwa mia ikienda sana ni 1K, mimi ni ndege hapa mpaka Japani.
Stella alikuwa ni rafiki yangu, Mwanafunzi wa Chuo Kikuu Nairobi… ikatokea amepata scholarship ya kwenda Japan kusomea Udaktari. Alipofika kule alipata Mjapani na sikuona vibaya maana labda hata mimi ningefanya vile vile."
Freshley says after Stella moved on with a Japanese, he opted to cut links with her, because she was now somebody else's wife.
Ask him if the Stella story was real? A fan reached out to Us.
“Hayo maneno ni ya Ukweli na kama wewe ni Mkamba unataoka sehemu za Sengani Kangundo huko ndo kwa kina Stella. Anaitwa Stella Ngami,” said Mwamburi.
Advise to Young Talents
During our discussion, we tasked 60-year old Mwamburi to share a few nuggets of wisdom the younger generation and this is what he had to say;
"Mimi unavyo niona hivi atumia ushauri wa Marehemu Fadhili William, Abel Kiphoto na Daudi Kabaka,"
“Vijana mnisikize vizuri sana, Nyimbo mnazotengeneza ni nzuri sana, lakini nyingi zinakosa Maneno. Vijana inatakiwa muelimishane, kwa hiyo nawaomba muwe mnatoa nyimbo ambazo zinamafundisho kwa vijana wenzenu. Kuimba nyimbo za mapenzi sio vibaya, lakini mumezidisha mno. Jaribu kuweka mafundisho kidogo, fanyeni nyimbo zitakazo ishi muda mrefu”
Touching on Love, Mwamburi advised youths to stop being bitter when relationships end, saying killing or hurting somebody you once loved is not a solution.
Ebu uliza Kama yeye huonana na Stella?
Mwamburi replied, “Sasa hivi ni kama miaka Saba hatujaonana. Lakini hata hivyo sisi huonana tu kwa mbali akija nyumbani.”
Do you have plans to collaborate with new generation artistes?
Mwamburi: “Namkaribisha yeyote yule katika Kenya na njee ambaye anataka kufanya kazi na Mimi.”
What do you have in store for Us after Stella Remix?
Mwamburi: Sasa hivi ni nyimbo mpya sita ambazo …ziko tayari kutoka. Stella naipa muda kidogo ikifika mwezi wa nne nitatoa nyimbo mpya.
Also Read: Brian Mbunde: On Influencing, Dealing with KOT and Twitter Cartels.
Give a short summary of May 17, 1992
"Stella told me, she is coming but never mentioned she was coming with her boyfriend. Alisema Mimi nakuja lakini vile nitakavyo kuja nipokea hivo hivo na natumai utanielewa.
Nikatafuta Marafiki zangu tukaenda pale, ndege kushuka ndio tukaona hivyo vituko sasa…ilikuwa aibu sana lakini ilibidii kuvumilia”.
Do you have kids
“Ndio. Niko na wasichana watatu lakini bado wako shule”
Parting shot
“Nawapenda Sana mashabiki wangu na nyinyi pia vile vile naomba mnipende kwa sababu ukiona mimi nawaletea vitu vitamu na mnafurahia inabidii mnipende pia. Na asante yenu itakuwa ni kuingia kwa mtandao na support kazi zangu”