Kenya's forgotten music artistes.

The music industry is very competitive and it can either accomodate you or push you out. While most music artistes have nailed down a place in Kenyan music folklore; Nameless, Juacali, Wahu,Eric Wainaina just to name a few,several music artistes have disappeared from the industry radar and into oblivion.
       Karsha was a plum pretty good-sounding lady whose single "Sirudi tena" featuring Michelle was a hit and her good looks sold her to her fans. Her last contribution of note was featuring in a collabo with Stevie Lee and Redsan. Next is Waridi, whose soulful single "Kweli" with the late K-rupt announced her to the industry then she went silent. Who remembers Gichboy? He was central to Bamzigi's mini-revival producing several tracks for him including "Tukate" which was supposed to introduce him to the music scene. Indiginas is another artiste who has disappeared. After his runaway hit single "M.O.U" a collabo with Mr Lenny, he never really lit up the industry again.
         After splitting with Mr Googz, Vinnie Banton's single career did not acheive the continuity that he would have hoped for after exiting success as a group. The same can be said of the Buccaneers duo of Habib and Manga. The Historians hit makers never sustained their fame after "Hey Dj". Circute and Jo-el suffered the same unwanted fate after they split. Lyrical Eriko and Shanky Radics of the "Bambika" monster hit had wrangles prior to getting lost as they tried to yank the successful song away from each other. The aforementioned Stevie Lee is another forgotten artiste, his only recognisable song "Tafadhali" in collaboration with Redsan and Karsha. Kamikaze's "Superstar" featuring Monique was a hit that occupied charts until he fell off the wayside. Another artiste set for stardom was Alaholla. His track "Miss mboch" was an anthem that set him up to occupy the music industry but somehow the momentum of his debut song faded as he did.
          Kingsting and Bedbug, the Mombasa duo of the "Sonai" fame evaporated with the industry heat as did Prince Adio of the "Nikiwa ndani" naughty hit song. Delicious made a meek comeback which, frankly, did not last. His fans probably remember him for "Tamu Sana". Maleek, the artiste who was riding on the wave of Kenyan crunk with his "Natafuta" hit single with Abass and Chiwawa, exited the music scene with as much as a whimper. In the same light exciting rapper Kantai looked built to last in the industry but the new generation of rappers seems to have overwhelmed him. King Georges of the "Unanijazz" single was appeared to supplement the Ragga Kenyan scene but he laboured to vanish from the airwaves.
        In the gospel music industry, The Votaries and Henrie Mutuku are distant memories.Then there are those music artistes who were famed for collaborations and vanished, the likes of CLD who worked Abass and Bamboo, the thunder thighed Laety who voiced for the likes of Flexx, Squid, who chorused the hit song "chacha" by K-Rupt. There are those who quite never left a mark in the industry, artistes such as Wiwy, Starborn,Bishop,Wazanasi, Kaka Camp, Daniella,Deepak Braxx, Sokoro,Wamboe,Brenda,Patonee,Eklectiks, the Lastborns and others one would labour to remember.
      These artistes' reasons for vanishing from the industry may be valid: further studies, lack of resources, some have ventured into new enterprises such as business, some were students and they decided to settle into formal employment, some were testing the waters and became one hit wonders and some found it difficult after their groups split. I'm not ruling out a comeback for some of them but that is not as easy as it sounds, the struggles of Bamzigi and Delicious to fit in after they left attest to that. What they can count on, is that they have their songs to keep them in our distant memories.