Aaron Rimbui
_Born in a family of five, with two siblings a brother and sister,
Aaron's ear for music was spotted while still a toddler. At three years
of age he was already rhythmically drumming using everything in sight -
small wonder the first instrument he picked up was the drum set.
He attended the Lavington Primary School then the prestigious Nairobi School for his secondary education. Though he claims little if any musical pedigree in his family, his younger brother, Tim 'Ennovator' Rimbui happens to be one of the country's premier producers.
After watching a passionate televised message by the Evangelist Reinhard Bonke, though only 9 years of age, he got down on his knees and asked his mother to lead him through the sinners' prayer.
Exuberant after just completing his primary education and on only his second week of post-primary vacation, Aaron survived a horrific domestic accident. One of his neighbours had accidentally left a gas cooker on, and while trying to switch it off, a serious gas explosion occurred.
Aaron, in a moment of retrospection, recalls being awake through the whole experience and was diagnosed with second degree burns. He spent the next month bedridden at the Nairobi Hospital, kicking off an extremely difficult, yet immensely profound and life-changing period of his life.
For the next 18 months he was in and out of hospitals, seeing different specialists due to the complications that arose after the accident. He developed chiloids and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. After numerous visits to theatres for surgery, he found himself earnestly seeking for God's presence to abide with him during this telling period. As his search continued, and his heart reached out for the Lord, he suddenly got baptised in the Holy Spirit while praying.
Aaron 'Krucial Keys' Rimbui started playing the drums in 1990 when his father bought him a 4 piece drum-set. After assembling it, he proceeded to carry it to church, and it was not long before he was declared the official church drummer.
Prior to his accident he had attended two months worth of piano lessons, but painfully, his fingers were unable to play the keys. While still at Nairobi School he met up with Daniel Mwiti, now of Milele, who mentored him musically and over time he began to blossom as a pianist. At the same time he rubbed shoulders with the school's other talented pianists Chris Adwar and Jacob Asiyo, now of the Hotel Intercontinental.
Little did he know that his career in music would be greatly influenced by his attendance of an overnight prayer meeting at the Nairobi Baptist Church . There, he came across two exceptionally gifted guitar players, J.J Ojiambo and Kung'u Mbathi (of Four Winds). Aaron later joined the I.B program at St. Mary's, and on his very first day there, while attending auditions for the annual school musical, he comes across the very same guitarists playing in the band. This began a budding music relationship and after a few months of playing together they formed the band Jazz It All; members being Aaron, Kung'u, JJ and now-producer Gideon Kimanzi.
In 2000, Aaron secured an internship at Bruce Odhiambo's Johari Clef Studio and embarked on a journey as a producer. He confesses that being thrust smack into the middle of the secular music industry was a testing period as regards his Christian witness, where he often worked with people who had little or no concerns about his Christian convictions. He recalls rejecting offers to do cigarette advertisements amidst great pressure to do so.
Later that year he had an unsuccessful application for the Youth For Christ USA tour. He proceeded to join Pete Odera 's 'Beyond the Veil' album tour. But when the YFC designate pianist Chris Adwar was taken ill, the band suddenly needed a pianist. Fortunately for him, the 2001 YFC USA tour proceeded with him. After touring 8 states and performing at over 600 concerts, he recalls the pressure of it all almost having him contemplating quitting and just coming straight back home. In hindsight he is extremely glad he stayed along, gaining invaluable ministry and performance experience.
On completion of the YFC tour he went back to Johari Clef Studio and was also incorporated into the Nairobi Baptist Church worship team. One afternoon while on a worship team practise session, team member Kavila Matu approached Aaron with the idea of meeting up with a friend of his who had just returned from studying music at the prestigious Berkeley College in the U.S. He got to meet Kavutha Mwanzia, a highly gifted jazz vocalist, and immediately they struck up a music relationship. Soon thereafter, the Four Winds Band was formed.
Aaron has since been privileged to work in the Sterling Q musical productions Ipitombi and Luanda Magere. He has also toured with seasoned veteran Eric Wainaina, starting off as a pianist and eventually maturing into Eric's music director. For a full year he served as Eric's music director, pianist for Four Winds and band member for his local church, before the juggling became too much for him to handle, prompting him to resign as Eric's band leader.
Today Krucial Keys is a highly sort after musician, and has played for the likes of Wyre, Suzanne Owiyo, the Kibukosya's and Kanjii's Villagers Band. An ostensibly talented producer, he is totally sold out to his craft, having produced for the 2005 KORA award winning DNG, as well as artists such as Hellon, on the region's first ever African Jazz Saxophone album, and Chizi on his splendid debut album Suluwe.
He proceeded to conceptualise his very own piano jazz concert, and as one thing led to another, the idea morphed into the recording of his very own debut album 'Keys of life ' an exceptional jazz album with elements of world music and a tinge of benga-fusion. Having incorporated noted vocalists Eric Wainaina and Mercy Myra, Aaron proceeded to craft one of the standout albums of the year 2005. On his inclusion of mainstream artistes in his Keys of Life project he quips:
'They are always willing to include us in what they are doing and how will they experience Jesus if we don't include them in what we are doing'
Without hesitation he confesses bible reading and prayer are an integral part of his daily walk with the Lord.
Aaron was part and parcel of the Kijiji Records inception in 2005, and after initial talks with Kanjii, who was in the U.S, their dream of working together in production begun to finally take shape. Today Aaron works full-time at the Kijiji Records studio, affectionately dubbed The Village. He is also a worship team member at the Nairobi Chapel Mavuno assembly; all the while still playing with his Four Winds Band.
Aaron has experienced the seriousness and professionalism secular artistes put into their performances and endeavours to achieve a higher artistic level of worship music and challenge other worship teams to pursue excellence.
He attended the Lavington Primary School then the prestigious Nairobi School for his secondary education. Though he claims little if any musical pedigree in his family, his younger brother, Tim 'Ennovator' Rimbui happens to be one of the country's premier producers.
After watching a passionate televised message by the Evangelist Reinhard Bonke, though only 9 years of age, he got down on his knees and asked his mother to lead him through the sinners' prayer.
Exuberant after just completing his primary education and on only his second week of post-primary vacation, Aaron survived a horrific domestic accident. One of his neighbours had accidentally left a gas cooker on, and while trying to switch it off, a serious gas explosion occurred.
Aaron, in a moment of retrospection, recalls being awake through the whole experience and was diagnosed with second degree burns. He spent the next month bedridden at the Nairobi Hospital, kicking off an extremely difficult, yet immensely profound and life-changing period of his life.
For the next 18 months he was in and out of hospitals, seeing different specialists due to the complications that arose after the accident. He developed chiloids and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. After numerous visits to theatres for surgery, he found himself earnestly seeking for God's presence to abide with him during this telling period. As his search continued, and his heart reached out for the Lord, he suddenly got baptised in the Holy Spirit while praying.
Aaron 'Krucial Keys' Rimbui started playing the drums in 1990 when his father bought him a 4 piece drum-set. After assembling it, he proceeded to carry it to church, and it was not long before he was declared the official church drummer.
Prior to his accident he had attended two months worth of piano lessons, but painfully, his fingers were unable to play the keys. While still at Nairobi School he met up with Daniel Mwiti, now of Milele, who mentored him musically and over time he began to blossom as a pianist. At the same time he rubbed shoulders with the school's other talented pianists Chris Adwar and Jacob Asiyo, now of the Hotel Intercontinental.
Little did he know that his career in music would be greatly influenced by his attendance of an overnight prayer meeting at the Nairobi Baptist Church . There, he came across two exceptionally gifted guitar players, J.J Ojiambo and Kung'u Mbathi (of Four Winds). Aaron later joined the I.B program at St. Mary's, and on his very first day there, while attending auditions for the annual school musical, he comes across the very same guitarists playing in the band. This began a budding music relationship and after a few months of playing together they formed the band Jazz It All; members being Aaron, Kung'u, JJ and now-producer Gideon Kimanzi.
In 2000, Aaron secured an internship at Bruce Odhiambo's Johari Clef Studio and embarked on a journey as a producer. He confesses that being thrust smack into the middle of the secular music industry was a testing period as regards his Christian witness, where he often worked with people who had little or no concerns about his Christian convictions. He recalls rejecting offers to do cigarette advertisements amidst great pressure to do so.
Later that year he had an unsuccessful application for the Youth For Christ USA tour. He proceeded to join Pete Odera 's 'Beyond the Veil' album tour. But when the YFC designate pianist Chris Adwar was taken ill, the band suddenly needed a pianist. Fortunately for him, the 2001 YFC USA tour proceeded with him. After touring 8 states and performing at over 600 concerts, he recalls the pressure of it all almost having him contemplating quitting and just coming straight back home. In hindsight he is extremely glad he stayed along, gaining invaluable ministry and performance experience.
On completion of the YFC tour he went back to Johari Clef Studio and was also incorporated into the Nairobi Baptist Church worship team. One afternoon while on a worship team practise session, team member Kavila Matu approached Aaron with the idea of meeting up with a friend of his who had just returned from studying music at the prestigious Berkeley College in the U.S. He got to meet Kavutha Mwanzia, a highly gifted jazz vocalist, and immediately they struck up a music relationship. Soon thereafter, the Four Winds Band was formed.
Aaron has since been privileged to work in the Sterling Q musical productions Ipitombi and Luanda Magere. He has also toured with seasoned veteran Eric Wainaina, starting off as a pianist and eventually maturing into Eric's music director. For a full year he served as Eric's music director, pianist for Four Winds and band member for his local church, before the juggling became too much for him to handle, prompting him to resign as Eric's band leader.
Today Krucial Keys is a highly sort after musician, and has played for the likes of Wyre, Suzanne Owiyo, the Kibukosya's and Kanjii's Villagers Band. An ostensibly talented producer, he is totally sold out to his craft, having produced for the 2005 KORA award winning DNG, as well as artists such as Hellon, on the region's first ever African Jazz Saxophone album, and Chizi on his splendid debut album Suluwe.
He proceeded to conceptualise his very own piano jazz concert, and as one thing led to another, the idea morphed into the recording of his very own debut album 'Keys of life ' an exceptional jazz album with elements of world music and a tinge of benga-fusion. Having incorporated noted vocalists Eric Wainaina and Mercy Myra, Aaron proceeded to craft one of the standout albums of the year 2005. On his inclusion of mainstream artistes in his Keys of Life project he quips:
'They are always willing to include us in what they are doing and how will they experience Jesus if we don't include them in what we are doing'
Without hesitation he confesses bible reading and prayer are an integral part of his daily walk with the Lord.
Aaron was part and parcel of the Kijiji Records inception in 2005, and after initial talks with Kanjii, who was in the U.S, their dream of working together in production begun to finally take shape. Today Aaron works full-time at the Kijiji Records studio, affectionately dubbed The Village. He is also a worship team member at the Nairobi Chapel Mavuno assembly; all the while still playing with his Four Winds Band.
Aaron has experienced the seriousness and professionalism secular artistes put into their performances and endeavours to achieve a higher artistic level of worship music and challenge other worship teams to pursue excellence.
Dan "Chizi" Aceda
_
Dan "chizi" Aceda (born Dan Okoth Ochieng in 1984 in Kisumu District in Western Kenya), is a Kenyan architect, musician, and actor based in Nairobi.
Aceda was the recipient of two Kisima Awards garnered in 2008 for Best Male Afro Fusion artiste as well as Songwriter of the year.[1] He was also nominated for the 2011 Kisima Awards in the Best Afro Fusion category. [2][3] In 2011 he became the first Kenyan musician to perform at the Lake of Stars Festival in Malawi.[4] Prior to this Dan had performed at the 2010 SawaSawa Festival in Nairobi Kenya.[5] He was also a cast member in the 2009 Musical Mo Faya that was written by compatriot Eric Wainaina and staged at the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival. [6] Aceda, who is a trained architect, holds two degrees from the University of Nairobi: a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies attained in 2008 and a Bachelors Degree in Architecture attained in 2010. He attended Strathmore School and Kilimani Primary School as well as Shadrack Kimalel Primary School.
Aceda has recorded and released two studio albums. SULUWE, his debut album was produced in 2005 by David Blackman Muthami and published by Kijiji Records. The album title is a corruption of a Dholuo word that means “star”. This album featured Aceda’s most famous song “sanasana”.[7] His sophomore album “Benganology” was released in 2010. It featured production work by Robert “Rkay” Kamanzi, Chris Adwar, Aaron Rimbui, Tim Rimbui and David Muthami. The album also features the 2009 hit song “Saida”. The album caused local Kenyan media to label Dan “the crown prince of Benga” in reference to the style of music called Benga that is indigenous to East Africa and specifically Kenya.[8]
The two albums feature collaborations with several Kenyan musicians including Eric Wainaina, Wyre, Neema Ntalel, Sanaipei Tande and Kanjii Mbugua. In 2007 Dan featured on the Umoja Pamoja project alongside Suzanna Owiyo, Eric Wainaina, Sara Mitaru, Nyota Ndogo, Neema Ntalel, as well as Karen Lucas. The project was funded by the US Embassy in Nairobi.
Aceda was featured on the 2008 Action Aid project alongside Pastor Brian and Tim Rimbui to produce the song “Lift your hands”. He was also featured on the song “Colours” by Joseph Hellon.
Aceda featured on Songs by local rappers Righa [9] and A-star.
Aceda has written songs for several Kenyan musicians including Kanjii Mbugua (what if, Nanana, Posibo, Mr Money), Tim Rimbui (Shamba la Wanyama, Lift your hands), Joseph Hellon (Colours) , Atemi Oyungu (Domestics) among others. [10] He was also among the writers of the 2006 Mavuno Worship Project that was published by Kijiji Records in conjunction with Mavuno Church.
Aceda performs in Nairobi regularly and has created a quarterly event dubbed The Affair which features fellow musicians Chris Adwar, Jacob Asiyo and Atemi Oyungu. In 2011, Aceda launched the Mabawa Project, a charitable initiative aimed at providing school books for needy children in Kenya. [11][12]
Dan "chizi" Aceda (born Dan Okoth Ochieng in 1984 in Kisumu District in Western Kenya), is a Kenyan architect, musician, and actor based in Nairobi.
Aceda was the recipient of two Kisima Awards garnered in 2008 for Best Male Afro Fusion artiste as well as Songwriter of the year.[1] He was also nominated for the 2011 Kisima Awards in the Best Afro Fusion category. [2][3] In 2011 he became the first Kenyan musician to perform at the Lake of Stars Festival in Malawi.[4] Prior to this Dan had performed at the 2010 SawaSawa Festival in Nairobi Kenya.[5] He was also a cast member in the 2009 Musical Mo Faya that was written by compatriot Eric Wainaina and staged at the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival. [6] Aceda, who is a trained architect, holds two degrees from the University of Nairobi: a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies attained in 2008 and a Bachelors Degree in Architecture attained in 2010. He attended Strathmore School and Kilimani Primary School as well as Shadrack Kimalel Primary School.
Aceda has recorded and released two studio albums. SULUWE, his debut album was produced in 2005 by David Blackman Muthami and published by Kijiji Records. The album title is a corruption of a Dholuo word that means “star”. This album featured Aceda’s most famous song “sanasana”.[7] His sophomore album “Benganology” was released in 2010. It featured production work by Robert “Rkay” Kamanzi, Chris Adwar, Aaron Rimbui, Tim Rimbui and David Muthami. The album also features the 2009 hit song “Saida”. The album caused local Kenyan media to label Dan “the crown prince of Benga” in reference to the style of music called Benga that is indigenous to East Africa and specifically Kenya.[8]
The two albums feature collaborations with several Kenyan musicians including Eric Wainaina, Wyre, Neema Ntalel, Sanaipei Tande and Kanjii Mbugua. In 2007 Dan featured on the Umoja Pamoja project alongside Suzanna Owiyo, Eric Wainaina, Sara Mitaru, Nyota Ndogo, Neema Ntalel, as well as Karen Lucas. The project was funded by the US Embassy in Nairobi.
Aceda was featured on the 2008 Action Aid project alongside Pastor Brian and Tim Rimbui to produce the song “Lift your hands”. He was also featured on the song “Colours” by Joseph Hellon.
Aceda featured on Songs by local rappers Righa [9] and A-star.
Aceda has written songs for several Kenyan musicians including Kanjii Mbugua (what if, Nanana, Posibo, Mr Money), Tim Rimbui (Shamba la Wanyama, Lift your hands), Joseph Hellon (Colours) , Atemi Oyungu (Domestics) among others. [10] He was also among the writers of the 2006 Mavuno Worship Project that was published by Kijiji Records in conjunction with Mavuno Church.
Aceda performs in Nairobi regularly and has created a quarterly event dubbed The Affair which features fellow musicians Chris Adwar, Jacob Asiyo and Atemi Oyungu. In 2011, Aceda launched the Mabawa Project, a charitable initiative aimed at providing school books for needy children in Kenya. [11][12]
Sauti Sol
_
Sauti Sol is an award-winning, four-member Afro-fusion band from Nairobi, Kenya. Band members Bien-Aime Baraza, Willis Chimano, Delvin Mudigi and Polycarp Otieno met in high school. They decided to do music professionally in 2005 after they finished high school. Their first single, Lazizi, was a massive hit and paved the way for other Afro-fusion musicians in Kenya. Their debut album, Mwanzo, which is Swahili for "beginning”, was released in August, 2009. Their sophomore album, Sol Filosofia, was released in February, 2011. The band has had successful tours in Europe as well as in Africa.
The band was originally called Sauti, which is Swahili for "sound", but due to the name being common with other bands in East Africa, the word “sol”, which is Spanish for “sun”, was added. The band participated in the Spotlight on Kenyan Music competition, hosted by Alliance Française de Nairobi, in 2006. They were finalists in the competition. The band is signed to Kenyan rapper Wawesh's Penya label.
Sauti Sol opened a whole new chapter in Kenyan music when they released their debut single, Lazizi. Their fresh, distinct and acoustic sound was well received by the Kenyan market. The band members have expressed surprise at their sudden popularity. Singing about everyday issues in their songs, such as asking a girl out in Lazizi and being harassed by police officers in Blue Uniform, has endeared them to music lovers in Kenya as well as in other parts of the world.
The band members have named musicians such as Fadhili William, Daudi Kabaka and other established African artists such as Salif Keita and Lokua Kanza as their influences.
Members Bien-Aime Baraza, Willis Chimano and Delvin Mudigi are alumni of Upperhill Secondary School in Upperhill, Nairobi, while Polycarp Otieno attended Strathmore School. All four have expressed their respect for education, even going ahead to sing about it in their single Soma Kijana. The four members are all studying to earn various degrees in local universities. Baraza studies journalism at the United States International University and Mudigi studies banking and accountancy at Africa Nazarene University. Chimano also studies journalism at the University of Nairobi, while Otieno studies actuarial science at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Sauti Sol is an award-winning, four-member Afro-fusion band from Nairobi, Kenya. Band members Bien-Aime Baraza, Willis Chimano, Delvin Mudigi and Polycarp Otieno met in high school. They decided to do music professionally in 2005 after they finished high school. Their first single, Lazizi, was a massive hit and paved the way for other Afro-fusion musicians in Kenya. Their debut album, Mwanzo, which is Swahili for "beginning”, was released in August, 2009. Their sophomore album, Sol Filosofia, was released in February, 2011. The band has had successful tours in Europe as well as in Africa.
The band was originally called Sauti, which is Swahili for "sound", but due to the name being common with other bands in East Africa, the word “sol”, which is Spanish for “sun”, was added. The band participated in the Spotlight on Kenyan Music competition, hosted by Alliance Française de Nairobi, in 2006. They were finalists in the competition. The band is signed to Kenyan rapper Wawesh's Penya label.
Sauti Sol opened a whole new chapter in Kenyan music when they released their debut single, Lazizi. Their fresh, distinct and acoustic sound was well received by the Kenyan market. The band members have expressed surprise at their sudden popularity. Singing about everyday issues in their songs, such as asking a girl out in Lazizi and being harassed by police officers in Blue Uniform, has endeared them to music lovers in Kenya as well as in other parts of the world.
The band members have named musicians such as Fadhili William, Daudi Kabaka and other established African artists such as Salif Keita and Lokua Kanza as their influences.
Members Bien-Aime Baraza, Willis Chimano and Delvin Mudigi are alumni of Upperhill Secondary School in Upperhill, Nairobi, while Polycarp Otieno attended Strathmore School. All four have expressed their respect for education, even going ahead to sing about it in their single Soma Kijana. The four members are all studying to earn various degrees in local universities. Baraza studies journalism at the United States International University and Mudigi studies banking and accountancy at Africa Nazarene University. Chimano also studies journalism at the University of Nairobi, while Otieno studies actuarial science at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.