“General” Mathenge
Last December I got to see him perform for the first time. He was graceful on stage, moving with ease. He was marking an illustrious career that had spanned a couple of decades. It is rightfully so I call him the veteran, that he is. This was at the K1 Klub House’s 21st birthday bash. A weekend musical affair that had included the likes of H_art the band, rapper Fena Gitu, as well as fellow industry veterans like Eric Wainaina and DJ Adrian…just to paint a picture of the lineup.
He was the last act of the night and the weekend. His performance was just shy of an hour. I remember at first someone bubbling, he has like 3 or 4 songs. I was in shock. This was the man who had blessed our airwaves with hit song after hit song since 1999. Certainly, he had a catalog that very few artists could match up to in the Kenyan music scene.
He started the performance with one of his earlier songs — Ninanoki. Man, I can’t say how much of a nostalgic moment this was. This song took me back to my campus days. It was a huge hit from 2005 to 2008. I remember performing a dance routine to this song in 2007 while on a trip to Germany. We were a group of 4 University of Nairobi students, who were representing Kenya at a climate conference.
We needed to perform something from our country, so naturally, we picked Ninanoki which had been such a huge song. We made a dance routine to it, incorporating some moves from Nameless song Juju into it. Years later, I can still remember how people requested over the week-long conference for us to perform the routine repeatedly. Ninanoki and Nameless had become a huge hit in a small town in South Germany.
As he combed through hit song after hit song. If you were a naysayer, by this point, he had effortlessly turned you into a believer. The crowd was now all on their feet. Nameless as we all famously call him was at home on the stage. One could be forgiven for saying he was On Fire (all pun intended). His dance routines were well mastered, and he knew how to work up the crowd. I remember some folks around me wanting to get closer to the stage.
We were going through a musical journey. He performed tracks like Why Lie, Deadly, Maisha (used to be one of my fav feat. E-Sir), and Juju. All from his first album On Fire. This brought back memories of Dec 31st in 2004. I remember how bad I had wished to attend his album launch. I had saved up some cash to buy a ticket for the On Fire album launch at Carnivore. But unfortunately, I had to decide between the concert and buying a sim card. A Safaricom sim card back then would set you back around 1000/1500 Ksh. Since I really needed a phone, I skipped the concert. Now almost 16 years later, I was here watching Monski perform. As he took us through a journey, performing some songs that had already become classics.
Nameless(KE) as he abbreviates himself on platforms had burst into the music scene in 1999, via a radio talent search. He had called in when the great Ted Josiah was on Capital FM looking for the next big thing. To put it in perspective; Ted had been one of the geniuses behind the likes of Kalamashaka, Gidi Gidi Maji Maji, and Hardstone, to name just a few. A chance to record a song with Ted in 1999, would be the modern-day equivalent of winning East Africa’s Got Talent (by loose comparison).
Born David Mathenge, he coined his stage name Nameless after going through several name iterations. “There’s two types of people in the world. Those who got names and those who are Nameless”. The stage name was a last-minute thing. When he was asked who he was on the talent search by Ted, he didn’t want to risk his identity. He had been recording/calling in the radio show during company time. His then boss could have been listening to Capital FM. So, he cleverly mentioned he was Nameless.
Nameless, started his illustrious music career through an iconic song — Megarider. For the Facebook generation, before we had Uber and the like, Kenya used to have a bus company called Kenya Bus. On a monthly basis, you could buy a ticket that allowed you multiple rides for the month. This was called a Megarider.
The song started with “Asubuhi na mapema, na amka nina oga nauliza. Mirror mirror on the ukuta, what do I need? Ongeza mafuta.” The song was very simple; one could easily relate. This was basically the life most of us led back then. You had to catch the Kenya bus into town. Kenya didn’t have as many cars as we do now, and Kenya Bus was used by a majority of Kenyans. Nameless made music that most people…simply related to.
Nameless has made music that is appreciative of our culture, our people, and our lifestyle. His music doesn’t try to be foreign and illustrates a lot of our day to day reality. It remains relatable across generations, no wonder he still manages to keep his music relevant and fresh. He is also one of the most sought-after artists by corporate brands.
When you listen to classics like Salari, you see how he highlighted around 60% of the country’s plight and depicts it in beautiful music. This song was released around the time I was starting my first job search. “Mabeste mjikaze Na hizo shati zenu mzikunje. Wamama mashambani Na hizo leso zenu mzifunge. Roho juu, na ipande Na wanaokatsia washuke.” This was such a morale booster song. He knew how to tap into our struggle and make it a beautiful struggle. The video ends with the phrase, “a day in the life of a hustler”. I’m sure many of us still find this song relatable and relevant.
Another great track that still tickles my fancy was Sinzia. Boss, I have stories about this song. It was released while I was in college and was one of those tracks that made one's heart warm. It didn’t help much that he had these beautiful Kenyan ladies seemingly doing ordinary stuff in a very beautiful way. Funny how all the guys in the construction site end up falling for the same girl.
This was the story for most of us who liked the song. Lakini it was such a beautiful track. Nameless said around 80% of his music is about appreciating the African/Kenyan woman. “This is for the lovers in the house. Ndani ya nyumba Tafuta mpenzi lako. Mshike kwa mikono Ha, mwangalie ndani ya macho Hmm, ah, mpeleke kando Namwambie. Commit a crime and I’ll be your defender. Overpower me so that I surrender Hmm.”
Lastly, he has done a lot of great songs in his career to date. But as a Kenyan, this is one of those songs that reminds me of our greatness as a nation. This is one of those songs that plays at rugby events and you feel the red, green, black, and white pride flow in your veins. We are a country that has dealt with a lot but when it comes to taking pride in being Kenyans, we shall never falter. “But now I’m on a mission, to represent my nation. But now I’m on a mission, to get that victory.” Be it in football, rugby, or athletics, we dawn our nation's colors with pride.
“I realize. There’s nothing better than la familia. There’s nothing sweeter or more superior. Than to know where you are from and represent your home”. A lot of Kenyans have moved in search of greener pastures. But if there is one truth that remains East or West…Kenya will always be nyumbani.
So after 16 years of waiting to see his performance; he didn’t disappoint. This was a way overdue experience in my account. The man, the legend — Nameless, will always remain in my books as the Kenyan music industry no.1 supplier — “General” Mathenge.
© Untitled’s Cut
Follow us: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Loose translation:
“Asubuhi na mapema, na amka nina oga nauliza. Mirror mirror on the ukuta, what do I need? Ongeza mafuta.” — Early in the morning I wake up and ask myself, Mirror, mirror on the wall, what do I need? Add some lotion.
“Mabeste mjikaze Na hizo shati zenu mzikunje. Wamama mashambani Na hizo leso zenu mzifunge. Roho juu, na ipande Na wanaokatsia washuke.” — Friends hang in there and fold your sleeves. Women in the farms, tighten your clothes. Take heart and ignore the naysayers.
“Ndani ya nyumba Tafuta mpenzi lako. Mshike kwa mikono Ha, mwangalie ndani ya macho Hmm, ah, mpeleke kando Namwambie” — Where you are, look for your lover. Hold their hand, look them in the eyes, take them aside, and tell them.
