David Mathenge
Encyclopedia
David Mathenge better known by his stage name Nameless, is a Kenyan pop
artist.
, He rose to fame in 1999 through a star-search contest on Kenya's urban music station 98.4 Capital FM
, which he won with his original song "Megarider." The song was about a penniless young man who is trying to seduce a woman but only has enough money for Kenya Bus tickets, and not the rich lifestyle she desires. He later recorded the track with producer Tedd Josiah
and it went on to be hot on the charts for weeks. This was the turning point in his musical career. He went on to sign with the Ogopa DJ's label in 2001 and collaborated with artists such as the late E-Sir
on "Boomba Train," and Amani
on the regional hit "Ninanoki" in 2002 which broke Kenyan chart records by remaining 110 days at number one.
He has gone on to tour across the East African
region and in the U.S.A and U.K. In 2004, he released his debut album On Fire. In 2004, Mathenge married Ogopa DJ's label mate Wahu Kagwi. They have one child, a daughter who was born in 2006. He is also an architect and graduated from the University of Nairobi
.
South African pop group Jamali
’s wildly popular song "Maisha" was the subject to much scandal. It was alleged that Jamali stole the song from Nameless. However it was settled when Jamali released their CD/DVD of Yours Fatally and credited Nameless as one of the writers of "Maisha".
He was among the controversial list of the 100 most influential Kenyans as selected by The Standard
newspaper in August 2007.
Kenyan hip hop
Kenyan hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that has become very popular among local youth. Some artists generally classified as Kenyan hip hop may not have much to do with hip hop in its strict sense. Mixing of Swahili, English and tribal languages is common...
artist.
Biography
Mathenge was educated at Strathmore SchoolStrathmore School
Strathmore School is Kenya's first multi-racial school established in 1961 in the Lavington area of Nairobi district. It began as a residential Sixth Form College offering British-styled A-level courses and in 1963 switched from the Cambridge School Certificate Examination to the London GCE. In...
, He rose to fame in 1999 through a star-search contest on Kenya's urban music station 98.4 Capital FM
98.4 Capital FM
98.4 Capital FM is a Kenyan urban music radio station. Its offices are situated on the 19th floor of Lonrho House, along Standard Street in Nairobi's Central Business District. It is owned by Chris Kirubi.- Background :...
, which he won with his original song "Megarider." The song was about a penniless young man who is trying to seduce a woman but only has enough money for Kenya Bus tickets, and not the rich lifestyle she desires. He later recorded the track with producer Tedd Josiah
Tedd Josiah
Tedd Josiah is a music producer from Kenya. He started as a musician, first briefly with the group Ebony Affair before forming a new group, Hart in 1993. The group was disbanded in 1995 and Josiah joined Sync Sound Studios as a producer. In 1999 he left Sync Sound Studios and formed Audio Vault...
and it went on to be hot on the charts for weeks. This was the turning point in his musical career. He went on to sign with the Ogopa DJ's label in 2001 and collaborated with artists such as the late E-Sir
E-Sir
Born Issah Mmari, on May 20, 1981 in California Estate, and raised in South c estate Nairobi, Kenya, E-Sir was a Kenyan hip hop artist signed to the Ogopa DJs label who was famous for his deft lyrical ability and command of the Swahili language. He is still widely regarded as one the best rappers...
on "Boomba Train," and Amani
Amani (musician)
Cecilia Wairimu , better known for her stage name Amani, is a pop musician from Kenya. She has won various awards, including the Best Female category at the 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards.- Career :...
on the regional hit "Ninanoki" in 2002 which broke Kenyan chart records by remaining 110 days at number one.
He has gone on to tour across the East African
East African
East African may refer to:*Any person or object of, or pertaining to, East Africa*East African Airlines, an airline based in Kampala, Uganda*East African Safari Air, a now defunct airline based in Kenya*The EastAfrican, a weekly newspaper in East Africa...
region and in the U.S.A and U.K. In 2004, he released his debut album On Fire. In 2004, Mathenge married Ogopa DJ's label mate Wahu Kagwi. They have one child, a daughter who was born in 2006. He is also an architect and graduated from the University of Nairobi
University of Nairobi
The University of Nairobi is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution goes back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: Makerere University in...
.
South African pop group Jamali
Jamali (band)
Jamali is a South African female musical group. The members are Jacqui Carpede, Mariechan Luiters and Liesl Penniken. The band was formed on the TV show Coca-Cola Popstars. Their name is from the first two letters of each of their names. Jamali was the runner-up to the boy band Ghetto Lingo...
’s wildly popular song "Maisha" was the subject to much scandal. It was alleged that Jamali stole the song from Nameless. However it was settled when Jamali released their CD/DVD of Yours Fatally and credited Nameless as one of the writers of "Maisha".
He was among the controversial list of the 100 most influential Kenyans as selected by The Standard
The Standard
The Standard is an English free newspaper of Hong Kong with a daily circulation of 231,018. It was called the Hong Kong Standard and changed to HKiMail during the Internet boom, but it changed back to The Standard in 2001....
newspaper in August 2007.
Awards
- 2004 Kisima Music Awards2004 Kisima Music AwardsThe 2004 Kisima Music Awards featured a newly expanded scheme which aimed to incorporate artists from across East Africa, most predominately Uganda and Tanzania. It was also a source of controversy when the organisation's CEO Tedd Josiah was awarded the category for Best Producer...
- Best Boomba Pop Artist - 2006 Kisima Music Awards2006 Kisima Music AwardsThe 2006 Kisima Music Awards were held in Nairobi, Kenya. They were the first of the awards to be broadcast across Africa on television, after the organisers partnered with South African satellite station Channel O, and was also the first to feature a "Social Responsibility" award category...
- Best Male Artist, Best Afro Fusion & Best Music Video (Sinzia). - 2006 Pearl of Africa Music AwardsPearl of Africa Music AwardsPearl of Africa Music Awards are annual national music awards in Uganda. The awards were first held in 2003. Since 2006 there has also been categories for musicians from other East African countries ....
(PAM Awards) - Best Male (Kenya) - 2007 Tanzania Music AwardsTanzania Music AwardsTanzania Music Awards are national music awards held annually in Tanzania. It is also known as Kilimanjaro Music Awards or Kili Music Awards after its sponsor . The awards were established in 1999 by the National Arts Council under the Tanzanian Ministry of Education and Culture.- External links...
(Kilimanjaro Music Awards) - Best East African Single (Sinzia). - 2007 Channel O Music Video AwardsChannel O Music Video AwardsChannel O Music Video Awards, also known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards are Pan-African music awards organised by South Africa -based Channel O television channel. The awards were first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video Awards. Since 2005 the awards have been held annually...
- Best Male Video (“Sinzia”) - 2008 Pearl of Africa Music AwardsPearl of Africa Music AwardsPearl of Africa Music Awards are annual national music awards in Uganda. The awards were first held in 2003. Since 2006 there has also been categories for musicians from other East African countries ....
- Best Kenyan Male Artist - 2008 Kisima Music Awards - Male Artist of the Year & Best Video ("Salari")
- 2009 Tanzania Music Awards - Best East African Single ("Salari")
- 2009 MTV Africa Music AwardsMTV Africa Music Awards 2009The 2nd MTV Africa Music Awards were held on October 10, 2009 at the gymnasium of the Moi International Sports Centre complex in Nairobi, Kenya and were hosted by Haitian-American artist Wyclef Jean.- Performers :There were several performers, such as:...
- Artist of The Year, Best Male & Listener's Choice
Nominations
- 2004 Kora AwardsKora AwardsThe Kora Awards are music awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan Africa. Founded in 1994 by Ernest Adjovi, they are comparable to the American Grammy Awards in intent...
- Best African Group (Nameless & Mr. Lenny) - 2005 Tanzania Music AwardsTanzania Music AwardsTanzania Music Awards are national music awards held annually in Tanzania. It is also known as Kilimanjaro Music Awards or Kili Music Awards after its sponsor . The awards were established in 1999 by the National Arts Council under the Tanzanian Ministry of Education and Culture.- External links...
- Best East African Album ("On Fire") - 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards 2006MTV Europe Music AwardsThe MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
- Best African Act - 2006 Channel O Music Video AwardsChannel O Music Video AwardsChannel O Music Video Awards, also known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards are Pan-African music awards organised by South Africa -based Channel O television channel. The awards were first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video Awards. Since 2005 the awards have been held annually...
- Best East African video ("Juju" featuring Mr. Lenny) - 2009 MTV Africa Music AwardsMTV Africa Music Awards 2009The 2nd MTV Africa Music Awards were held on October 10, 2009 at the gymnasium of the Moi International Sports Centre complex in Nairobi, Kenya and were hosted by Haitian-American artist Wyclef Jean.- Performers :There were several performers, such as:...
- Best Performer