Texas-based Kenyan Artist Releases Debut Single

Anne Thoiti Wachera, who simply goes by Wachera, was born in Nairobi, Kenya and spent her growing up years between Nyeri and Nairobi. She started performing as a singer and actress in primary school. She learnt to play the piano while in primary school and seriously engaged herself in acting, dancing and singing while at Tumutum High School. Wachera participated in the Kenya music festivals in various categories, including solos, traditional folk and dance. In 1994, she won the best actress award for lead role in the play Manoti at the provincial level. The play went on to win the number one spot at the national level.
After high school, Wachera continued singing and acting around Nairobi before she moved to the United States to pursue her studies in music at Emporia State University, Kansas. In the meantime, her music and acting endeavors had to take the backburner for a while. Wachera has been performing in various Kenyan events around the U.S. and has featured in several songs, including Upendo by the group Totally Kenyan, Kumechacha by Msanii and recently collaborated with Daddy V of Kilimanjaro Records in several songs in his album, including the hit Umenibamba.
Wachera released her first single Msichana Mdogo in May of 2010. She wrote, sung, arranged and produced the song. Wachera says she gets her song writing inspiration from social and cultural ongoings. She is busy working on her debut album slated for release in 2011. Listen to Wachera’s new single Msichana Mdogo

George Ndege (Jojo)

Wachilia: The Minnesota African Musical Experience is Texas Bound

After several years of entertaining Kenyans and other Africans in Minneapolis, MN, Wachilia hits Texas a the end of this month. Wachilia is a Swahili word that means “release” or “let go.” The Wachilia event is designed to help revelers “release” the daily stress of work, school, parenting and bills, among others. The event starts at 9:00 pm with non-stop African dance music all the way to midnight. This is the only place in Minnesota that customers can be treated to a three-hour non-stop dose of oldies from the 80’s all the way to current music.

Once it hits midnight, the format switches to a mix of Reggae, Old School, African Hip Hop and more African music. This means that there’s essentially two shifts. The first shift is exclusively African music and geared toward those people who are only interested in African music and can then leave at midnight or stay until 2:00 am if they so choose. The second shift starts at midnight and kicks the energy up a notch. A good number of the people who arrive at this time come in from work and need to loosen up and “wachilia” the stress of work.

Wachilia happens on every first Saturday of the month at Blue Nile, 20207 E. Franklin Ave,. South Minneapolis and is hosted by Kilimanjaro Entertainment. Cover is $10.
The next Wachilia is Saturday, August 7.

Wachilia will be at Club Nai 15375 Addison Rd, Addison, TX on Friday, July 30 and at

KYA Hall 701 E. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington, TX on Saturday, July 31