What’s better than having one musically talented child? Two maybe? We agree! And this introduces us to the sibling duo that have come at the Kenyan music scene with a bang.
Meet Esther Mwenyeji who has always been her father’s daughter. From a young age, she always had a keen eye for things, and whenever her guitarist dad, Musa wenyeji, came home with his guitar from a music gig, Esther would hoard the instrument twice her size, tap her fingers on it, pull at the strings, and enjoy its nearness to her. It was her father’s instrument, but really, it was hers. She was only four years old at the time, yet if you saw her, there was already something about music that fed into her everyday aura, and of course, the guitar had a lot to do with it.
Three months later, Esther had transformed into a pro. She would create a mental rhythm and enjoy the way her fingers instructed the instrument to produce soothing sounds. In the evenings she would watch her father play the guitar, keeping her eyes fixed on his fingers. In this observation, the harmony so inviting, she started drafting her own songs.
At seven, Esther secured her first gig. With her confidence and the mentorship and management of her father, she blossomed into a guitarist, song-writer and songstress.
At home, there was Chris, the younger brother who had been ushered into a family where father and older sister were always singing and playing music. Chris had his special trait: a good ear. He would listen, and his mind would quickly register all the words he had heard. He would return home at midday from nursery school and wait for his father to get home; then he would share the words he had heard (poems mostly), his voice despite being high-pitched, still sounding very poetic.
Surely enough, at three years old, this isn’t exactly common for kids to memorize so much. His father opted to inquire from Esther how her brother knew so many words, to which Esther responded, “He listens to what the older students learn in class and I guess he memorizes the poems.” Beyond this, Chris had formed a habit of being by his sister’s side, and soon, he too learned to play the guitar.
The sibling duo had their little performances at home and in their neighbourhood in Mathare. As their confidence grew and their talents ripened, Musa took it upon himself to get them gigs. He further helped them rehearse, work in cohesion and ultimately grab their potential audience’s attention.
Presently, both Esther and Chris have performed at a number of events together, including the 2019 Sondeka Awards hosted by Creatives Garage. Here, Esther sang while Chris boasted his lyrical prowess. Indeed, the sibling duo left the audience stunned. The audience reaction consisted of a series of whistling, cheers and a standing ovation.
Esther spends time with her peers at school in Success Juniour Centre and within Mathare, encouraging the pursuit of arts. Chris, on the other hand, has learnt how to play the harmonica and recorder and spends his afternoons learning music at the Ghetto Classics music program.
