Jua Cali
Encyclopedia
Paul Julius Nunda, better known by his stage name
Jua Cali (born 12 September 1979), is a Kenyan hip hop
rapper. In 2000 together with producer Clemo
they founded Calif Records
where Jua Cali has stayed since. Jua Cali performs in Kiswahili and Sheng
in a popular Kenyan style of rapping called genge
.
He grew up with a strict Catholic
upbringing in California Estate to the east of Nairobi
city. He began rapping at age 10, encouraged by his elder brother Christopher Sati. He was known as an introverted teenager who was often quiet, hardly ever socializing.
He attended Ainsworth Primary School (Standards 1 to 6); Shepherds Junior Buruburu (Standards 6 to 8); Jamuhuri High School and eventually Kenya Christian Industrial Training Institute (K.C.I.T.I) Eastleigh where he received a diploma
in Information technology. There, he played basketball
with ambitions to make it to the Kenyan National Basketball Team. He never made the team, blaming his height.
His earlier foray into music included singing in a band called ‘Sita Futi’. Sita Futi disbanded almost as soon as it was started but for Jua Cali and his close friend Jemmoh. The departing group members left to pursue careers outside music.
Calif Records came into being after Jua Cali teamed up with childhood friend Clemo
to form the record label that quickly became a hit factory, gaining prominence in the East Africa
music scene with chart topping artists and music. Calif Records
also invented the Genge
genre of Kenyan hip hop.
Jua Cali often cites his brother, Chris, and mother as his greatest influences in life.
in track "Kamata Dame". Like most Kenyan artists, it took several years before his first full album was released. His album "Juacali Sekta" reached the stores in 2006, containing mostly previously released singles.
His single Kwaheri (featuring Sainapei) was a major hit in Kenya in 2007. At the New Year's Eve 2008/2009 he released a new album, Ngeli ya Genge. He has toured the US and other countries. In August 2007, he was among 100 most influential Kenyans as selected by The Standard
newspaper.
His stage name Jua Cali, is derived from California, an estate in Nairobi (as is the name of Calif Records). It also resembles Jua Kali, a Swahili term meaning fierce sun, which has been taken to refer to Kenya's informal sector of the economy.
And, according to the company, he was quite a catch. " Jua Cali is part of the Motorola family, and we are honoured to have worked with him in the recent past," says Joanne Doyle, the marketing manager for East Africa.
"He has been a great ambassador and, like Motorola
, he is all about creativity, style and substance, so we could not be happier that his hard work has been recognised at the prestigious Kisima awards."
appointed him as the Orange Ambassador for their youth market and began his one year sh10-million shilling contract by fronting the ‘hello tunes' advertising campaign. Following the successes by the Kenyan Rugby Sevens
team, Orange went on to shoot a series of infomercials on Rugby featuring top Kenya rugby players and the genge artist. Also featured in the informercials were label mates Mejja, Jimwat and their producer Clemo
.
prevention. Players do not directly confront the threat of HIV; instead, they encounter challenges throughout the adventure
that lead to lessons about risk and self-confidence
. Jua Cali recorded the video games anthem “City in the Sun”.
established in Kenya
seeking to assist Kenyan people achieve better health
and improved quality of life through patnership with communities, corporate organizations and public sectors.
Nominated
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Jua Cali (born 12 September 1979), is a Kenyan hip hop
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...
rapper. In 2000 together with producer Clemo
Clemo
Clement Rapudo, better known as Clemo, is a music producer and co-founder of Calif Records based in California estate in Nairobi, Kenya....
they founded Calif Records
Calif Records
Calif Records is a Kenyan record label based in Nairobi's California estate. Its known to be home to Genge, a genre of music popular with young people. It was founded in 2000 by record executive & producer Clement "Clemo" Rapudo together with his childhood friend Paul Nunda a.k.a. Juacali...
where Jua Cali has stayed since. Jua Cali performs in Kiswahili and Sheng
Sheng
Sheng can refer to:* Sheng * Beijing opera#Sheng, the main role in Beijing opera* Sheng , a slang dialect of the Swahili language* Province , an administrative division of China, called sheng in Mandarin...
in a popular Kenyan style of rapping called genge
Genge
Genge music, or simply Genge, is a genre of hip hop music that had its beginnings in Nairobi, Kenya. The name was coined by Clemo and popularized by Kenyan rappers Jua Cali and Nonini who started off at Calif Records. It is a style that incorporates hip hop, dancehall and traditional African music...
.
Early life
Jua Cali was born in Eastlands, Nairobi. His parents, Doreen Onditi and Evans Onditi (deceased) were both schoolteachers.He grew up with a strict Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
upbringing in California Estate to the east of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
city. He began rapping at age 10, encouraged by his elder brother Christopher Sati. He was known as an introverted teenager who was often quiet, hardly ever socializing.
He attended Ainsworth Primary School (Standards 1 to 6); Shepherds Junior Buruburu (Standards 6 to 8); Jamuhuri High School and eventually Kenya Christian Industrial Training Institute (K.C.I.T.I) Eastleigh where he received a diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in Information technology. There, he played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
with ambitions to make it to the Kenyan National Basketball Team. He never made the team, blaming his height.
His earlier foray into music included singing in a band called ‘Sita Futi’. Sita Futi disbanded almost as soon as it was started but for Jua Cali and his close friend Jemmoh. The departing group members left to pursue careers outside music.
Calif Records came into being after Jua Cali teamed up with childhood friend Clemo
Clemo
Clement Rapudo, better known as Clemo, is a music producer and co-founder of Calif Records based in California estate in Nairobi, Kenya....
to form the record label that quickly became a hit factory, gaining prominence in the East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
music scene with chart topping artists and music. Calif Records
Calif Records
Calif Records is a Kenyan record label based in Nairobi's California estate. Its known to be home to Genge, a genre of music popular with young people. It was founded in 2000 by record executive & producer Clement "Clemo" Rapudo together with his childhood friend Paul Nunda a.k.a. Juacali...
also invented the Genge
Genge
Genge music, or simply Genge, is a genre of hip hop music that had its beginnings in Nairobi, Kenya. The name was coined by Clemo and popularized by Kenyan rappers Jua Cali and Nonini who started off at Calif Records. It is a style that incorporates hip hop, dancehall and traditional African music...
genre of Kenyan hip hop.
Jua Cali often cites his brother, Chris, and mother as his greatest influences in life.
Music career
His first recorded track was Ruka, released in 2001 and was followed by Nipe Asali in 2002. In 2004 He collaborated with PilipiliPilipili
Peter Gatonye , known better for his stage name Pilipili is a musician/singer from Kenya. At the beginning of his career, he collaborated with another musician, Gun B. Their best known song was "Nampenda". He has also sang a song with Ratatat. The song was called Morale.He is an award winner in...
in track "Kamata Dame". Like most Kenyan artists, it took several years before his first full album was released. His album "Juacali Sekta" reached the stores in 2006, containing mostly previously released singles.
His single Kwaheri (featuring Sainapei) was a major hit in Kenya in 2007. At the New Year's Eve 2008/2009 he released a new album, Ngeli ya Genge. He has toured the US and other countries. In August 2007, he was among 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.
His stage name Jua Cali, is derived from California, an estate in Nairobi (as is the name of Calif Records). It also resembles Jua Kali, a Swahili term meaning fierce sun, which has been taken to refer to Kenya's informal sector of the economy.
Motorola
Besides being talented, he's a commercial success, thanks to his appeal to the young and the not-so-young alike. For instance, he became Kenya's first artiste to get an endorsement deal when in 2007 he signed a reported Sh1-million-a-year deal mobile phone giant Motorola for its W model.And, according to the company, he was quite a catch. " Jua Cali is part of the Motorola family, and we are honoured to have worked with him in the recent past," says Joanne Doyle, the marketing manager for East Africa.
"He has been a great ambassador and, like Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, he is all about creativity, style and substance, so we could not be happier that his hard work has been recognised at the prestigious Kisima awards."
Orange Mobile
Juacali is arguably today’s most successful artist in the Kenyan music scene as far as endorsements and pay per show income is concerned. Early 2009, Telkom KenyaTelkom Kenya
Telkom Kenya is the sole provider of landline phone services in Kenya. It was previously a part of the Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation which was the sole provider of both postal and telecommunication services...
appointed him as the Orange Ambassador for their youth market and began his one year sh10-million shilling contract by fronting the ‘hello tunes' advertising campaign. Following the successes by the Kenyan Rugby Sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
team, Orange went on to shoot a series of infomercials on Rugby featuring top Kenya rugby players and the genge artist. Also featured in the informercials were label mates Mejja, Jimwat and their producer Clemo
Clemo
Clement Rapudo, better known as Clemo, is a music producer and co-founder of Calif Records based in California estate in Nairobi, Kenya....
.
Pamoja Mtaani
Pamoja Mtaani, Swahili for “together in the hood” is a new video game in Kenya developed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Its basically about a youth band together making their way through a maze of challenges throughout the East African city. The game has a subtle but deliberate agenda: HIVHIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
prevention. Players do not directly confront the threat of HIV; instead, they encounter challenges throughout the adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
that lead to lessons about risk and self-confidence
Self-confidence
The socio-psychological concept of self-confidence relates to self-assuredness in one's personal judgment, ability, power, etc., sometimes manifested excessively.Being confident in yourself is infectious if you present yourself well, others will want to follow in your foot steps towards...
. Jua Cali recorded the video games anthem “City in the Sun”.
Others
The artiste has also been involved in other major advertisements such as Protex bath soap and Pilsner beer, and the deals have raked in big cash. He's also the Bloodlink Foundation Kenya ambassador. Bloodlink Foundation Kenya is a non-profit charitable trustCharitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
established in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
seeking to assist Kenyan people achieve better health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
and improved quality of life through patnership with communities, corporate organizations and public sectors.
Discography
Albums:- JuacaliSekta (October 2006:)
- Ngeli ya Genge (December 2008)
Awards
Won- 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...
- BoombaBoomba musicBoomba music, also referred to as Kapuka , is a form of hip pop music popular in Kenya. It incorporates hip hop, reggae and African traditional musical styles. The lyrics are in Swahili, Sheng or local dialects...
Male - 2007 Chaguo La Teeniez Awards (CHAT Awards) - Best Male & Celebrity of the Year
- 2007 Kisima Music Awards2007 Kisima Music AwardsThe 2007 Kisima Music Awards took place at Marula Manor, Nairobi, Kenya on 8 September 2007.-Winners:-References:**The Standard, September 14, 2007:...
- Best Male Artist & Boomba Male. - 2007 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 Artist (Kenya) - 2008 Chaguo La Teeniez Awards - Favourite Male Artiste & Best Live Stage Performance & Best Collabo Song ("Kwaheri" with Sainapei).
Nominated
- 2006 Chaguo La Teeniez Awards - nominated in three categories, but won none of them
- 2007 MTV Europe Music AwardsMTV Europe Music Awards 20072007 was the 14th MTV European Music Awards, taking place at the Olympiahalle in Munich with hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg as host. The show attracted 78 million votes, the biggest in MTV Europe Music Awards history....
- Best Africa Act - 2007 MOBO AwardsMOBO AwardsThe Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
- 2008 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 Song ("Kwaheri") - 2008 MTV Africa Music AwardsMTV Africa Music Awards 2008The first annual MTV Africa Music Awards took place on November 22, 2008 in Abuja, Nigeria at The Velodrome. The show was hosted by Trevor Nelson. The nominees were announced on October 7, 2008.-Artist of the Year:* Aṣa* D’Banj* P-Square* HHP* Seether...
- Best Male