Profile

Eric Wainaina's love for music started at a young age. Whilst growing up, Eric was influenced musically by international artists such as DRC’s Papa Wemba, Senegal’s Youssou N'Dour, Lokua Kanza and Paul Simon. Eric first stepped into the world of music with Five Alive, an a cappella group that performed in churches, functions and clubs. Dominating Kenya's airwaves in 1995, Five Alive produced a CD and even went on to tour Europe the same year. This experience convinced Eric to pursue a professional career in music.

When the group disbanded in 1997, Eric went on to join the Berklee College of Music in Boston—USA, from which he recently graduated with a degree in Music, majoring in Songwriting and Record Engineering. He graduated with honours.

During his years at Berklee, Eric worked to produce a sound that would be distinctively Kenyan both in the music and the content of the lyrics. Making sure that he released a new track every time he returned home for vacation, Eric Wainaina was always assured a place on Kenya's music charts.

When the group disbanded in 1997, Eric went on to join the Berklee College of Music in Boston—USA, from which he recently graduated with a degree in Music, majoring in Songwriting and Record Engineering. He graduated with honours.

Eric's music is a blend of Kenyan Benga rhythm and East African guitars, with some modern harmony. His notable releases include 'Kenya Only', a song that instantly made him Kenya's favourite modern musician. After the 1998 terrorist bombing in Nairobi where over 200 Kenyans lost their lives, 'Kenya Only' was adopted as the unofficial song of mourning, receiving extensive radio and TV airplay nation-wide. His adaptation of a Kikuyu folk tune 'Ritwa Riaku' was added to the playlist of every radio station in the nation soon after.

Eric returned to the top of Kenya's musical agenda after he released 'Nchi ya Kitu Kidogo' in 2000, a song that launched his crusade against rampant corruption in the country. With the chart success of 'Nchi ya Kitu Kidogo' and his noble message sinking into every segment of Kenyan society, Eric received accolades internationally. Transparency International supported him as an artist that would help educate people on the negativity of corruption. In 2001, Africa Almanac.com listed him amongst the top 100 Africans of the year 2000, which included high profile names such as Nelson Mandela, Joseph Kabila, Yash Pal Ghai, Baaba Maal and Ousmane Sembene. His first record, Sawa Sawa, released in 2001, remains one of the highest selling solo albums in the country.

Eric Wainaina returned home from Berklee in August 2002 after his graduation with two degrees. He was also honored with the Jack Maher award for his exceptional performance as a songwriter. The annual award is given to students who have been recognized for their potential to become leaders in the international music industry.

Eric Wainaina's fine music receives international appeal worldwide, a fact that earned him the honour of being one of the first Kenyans to receive an award for Best East African Artist at the 7th Annual KORA All Africa Music Awards on 2^nd November 2002. He is also the only Kenya artist to have performed live at the KORA ceremony. He has been acclaimed for his outstanding skill and dynamism as a live performer in both his tours and festival performances. He has toured in Switzerland for 4 consecutive years and has performed at Holland’s Festival Mundial (2003) as well as Harare’s International Festival of the Arts (2003), receiving outstanding reviews for both performances.

In 2004 Eric Wainaina made another milestone on the Kenyan music scene when he premiered a 21- song musical theatre piece, “Lwanda, Man of Stone”,based on a local folk story. One of the first of its kind in Kenya, the show ran for a hugely successful theatre season, and a concert version of the same show continues to be performed at major cultural events.