Suzzana Owíyo
Encyclopedia
Suzanna Owiyo is a Kenya
n musician
. A singer-songwriter
, Owiyo has been called "the Tracy Chapman
of Africa
".
Owiyo was born in Kasaye village, Nyakach, near the lakeside city of Kisumu
, Suzanna Owiyo was introduced to music at a young age by her grandfather who was a prolific Nyatiti
player.
In high school, she helped her school to win many trophies during the provincial and national music festivals. After high school in 1998, she joined a Nairobi
based singer Sally Oyugi as a backup vocalist. Two years later she parted ways with Sally to team up with a local band in Nairobi; Bora Bora sound and later on went back to sing in Kisumu. It was here that a young business entrepreneur with a keen ear for music spotted her talent and offered her, her first guitar. She then went back to Nairobi and undertook music lessons at the Kenya Conservatoire of Music whilst continuing to sing at a club in Karen
.
It was while preparations were being made for the centennial celebrations of the city of Kisumu, that Suzanna was requested to compose a theme song for the opening ceremony. In front of a capacity crowd of 60,000 people “Kisumu 100” was born and immediate success followed; a prolonged applause and a standing ovation.
Suzanna then decided to work on an album with Kenyan music producer Tedd Josiah
. The album, which received great success on the radio, won her a nomination in the Kora Awards
2002 in the “Most Promising Female Artist category”. The same album won her a Kisima Awards for the Most Promising Female Artist of 2003. Her new single “Sandore” and the video clip with a powerful message on child labour was also a success.
Numerous concerts in Kenya
and abroad followed thereafter. In June 2003, she represented her country at the Kenyan Festival in Paris
organized by Alliance Française
, in August the same year she represented East Africa at the Pan-African music Festival in Brazzaville
where she sang alongside Youssou N’dour, Koffi Olomide
and Rebecca Malope
among other African greats and in December she performed in Djibouti.
In July 2004, she performed at the Festival Mundial in Tilburg
, Holland. In December 2004, Suzanna Owiyo beat a host of African artistes to clinch the single berth reserved for a female African artiste to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
, where she performed with her band, and also performed the song "Imagine
" with artistes such as Cyndi Lauper
, Andrea Bocelli
, Chris Botti
, Patti Labelle
and Baba Maal. She just finished a tour of France
, USA and Japan
where she thrilled the world's audience with her magic voice.
Suzanna’s music is a fusion of traditional western Kenyan music and contemporary rhythms. Traditional instruments (nyatiti, orutu
, etc.) always feature in her songs as heard on “Janyau”, the first track of her new album Yamo Kudho (the wind is blowing). In 2005, Suzanna was the show stopper at the annual Corporate Council on Africa Summit in Baltimore
, Maryland
where she charmed with her voice. She also performed at the World Trade Expo in Japan
, the Zanzibar International Film Festival
in Zanzibar
. Later in December of the same year, she was invited to the Jamhuri Day
fete in Washington DC where she performed and made a series of appearances in the US states of Maryland, Washington and New York.
In 2006 she travelled to the United States
to visit the University of Florida
to help start an Arts in Medicine program at Mater Hospital in Nairobi
.http://news.health.ufl.edu/Post/ThePost_OCT06.pdf
Owiyo was part of the Divas of The Nile supergroup
, that featured four Kenyan female musicians. The others were Mercy Myra
, Achieng Abura
and Princess Jully
. The group performed at the Festival Mundial in 2007.
2007 was promising. Just when the year began, she was amongst the artist who entertained the delegates (local and international) who attended the World Social Forum
held in Nairobi. Locally, she has been involved in the corporate, NGO and Government Sponsored events-i.e. She recorded and performed the Anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by the Kenya Anti-corruption Campaign steering committee. Suzanna also recorded a theme song for the Kenya Tourist Board. In the month of June,she represented Kenya at the MASA
Festival that was held in Abidjan
, Ivory Coast .In August, Suzanna performed at the prestigious Event called YARA PRIZE AWARDS held in Oslo
. Other artists who graced the occasion were Papa Wemba
from DRC Congo, the Brass Brothers from Oslo and others. Lastly in December, Suzanna performed at the New Year's Eve Concert held in Maputo
, Mozambique
. She is currently working on her 3rd album which should be out in the mid of the year. She has featured Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe
, Mbilia Bel from DR Congo in the album. She was nominated for the Best Kenyan Female Artiste category at the 2007 Pearl of Africa Music Awards
.
In 2008 she performed at the Nelson Mandela
's 90th birthday concert in London and performed again at the WOMEX
festival.
She is among the Kenyan artistes who have been sponsored by the Alliance Française
in Nairobi.
Her third album Roots was released on may 18, 2011
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...
n musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. A singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, Owiyo has been called "the Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
".
Owiyo was born in Kasaye village, Nyakach, near the lakeside city of Kisumu
Kisumu
Kisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the immediate former capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu County. It has a municipal charter but no city charter...
, Suzanna Owiyo was introduced to music at a young age by her grandfather who was a prolific Nyatiti
Nyatiti
The nyatiti is a five to eight-stringed plucked lyre from Kenya. It is a classical instrument played by the Luo people of Western Kenya, typically in Benga music. It is about two to three feet long. The player holds it to his chest while seated on a low stool. Usually it is played together with the...
player.
In high school, she helped her school to win many trophies during the provincial and national music festivals. After high school in 1998, she joined a 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...
based singer Sally Oyugi as a backup vocalist. Two years later she parted ways with Sally to team up with a local band in Nairobi; Bora Bora sound and later on went back to sing in Kisumu. It was here that a young business entrepreneur with a keen ear for music spotted her talent and offered her, her first guitar. She then went back to Nairobi and undertook music lessons at the Kenya Conservatoire of Music whilst continuing to sing at a club in Karen
Karen, Kenya
Karen is a suburb of Nairobi in Kenya, lying south west of the city centre.It is generally believed that the suburb is named after Karen Blixen, the Danish author of the colonial memoir Out of Africa; her farm occupied the land where the suburb now stands. Blixen herself declared in her later...
.
It was while preparations were being made for the centennial celebrations of the city of Kisumu, that Suzanna was requested to compose a theme song for the opening ceremony. In front of a capacity crowd of 60,000 people “Kisumu 100” was born and immediate success followed; a prolonged applause and a standing ovation.
Suzanna then decided to work on an album with Kenyan music 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...
. The album, which received great success on the radio, won her a nomination in the Kora Awards
Kora Awards
The 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...
2002 in the “Most Promising Female Artist category”. The same album won her a Kisima Awards for the Most Promising Female Artist of 2003. Her new single “Sandore” and the video clip with a powerful message on child labour was also a success.
Numerous concerts 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...
and abroad followed thereafter. In June 2003, she represented her country at the Kenyan Festival in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
organized by Alliance Française
Alliance française
The Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...
, in August the same year she represented East Africa at the Pan-African music Festival in Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
where she sang alongside Youssou N’dour, Koffi Olomide
Koffi Olomide
Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba, also known as Koffi Olomide , is a DR Congolese soukous singer, dancer, producer, and composer. He is also known by a multitude of other names and aliases.-Background:...
and Rebecca Malope
Rebecca Malope
Rebecca Malope is a South African gospel singer. She hosts the TV show "It's Gospel Time."Rebecca’s story starts in 1986. Driven by a burning desire to become South Africa’s most celebrated and admired songstress, Rebecca , then 21 years old, and her sister Cynthia, left their home township of...
among other African greats and in December she performed in Djibouti.
In July 2004, she performed at the Festival Mundial in Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....
, Holland. In December 2004, Suzanna Owiyo beat a host of African artistes to clinch the single berth reserved for a female African artiste to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
Nobel Peace Prize Concert
The Nobel Peace Prize Concert has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December, one day after the date of Alfred Nobel's death, to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in the Oslo City Hall, while the concert is in the Oslo Spektrum Arena, with the...
, where she performed with her band, and also performed the song "Imagine
Imagine (song)
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971...
" with artistes such as Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
, Chris Botti
Chris Botti
Christopher Stephen "Chris" Botti , is an American trumpeter and composer. In 2007, Botti was nominated for two Grammy Awards including Best Pop Instrumental Album. On December 4, 2009, he was nominated for three more Grammy Awards including Best Pop Instrumental Album and Best Long Form Music Video...
, Patti Labelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
and Baba Maal. She just finished a tour of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, USA and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where she thrilled the world's audience with her magic voice.
Suzanna’s music is a fusion of traditional western Kenyan music and contemporary rhythms. Traditional instruments (nyatiti, orutu
Orutu
The orutu is a one-stringed fiddle native to western Kenya, especially amongst the Luo community.The term also refers to a genre of music in Kenya which involves this instrument...
, etc.) always feature in her songs as heard on “Janyau”, the first track of her new album Yamo Kudho (the wind is blowing). In 2005, Suzanna was the show stopper at the annual Corporate Council on Africa Summit in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
where she charmed with her voice. She also performed at the World Trade Expo in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Zanzibar International Film Festival
Zanzibar International Film Festival
The Zanzibar International Film Festival , also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It has been described as the largest cultural event in East Africa. During the festival, films are shown in Stone Town in Zanzibar City, as well as rural...
in Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
. Later in December of the same year, she was invited to the Jamhuri Day
Jamhuri Day
Jamhuri Day is a national holiday in Kenya, celebrated on 12 December each year. Jamhuri is the Swahili word for "republic" and the holiday is officially to mark the date of Kenya's establishment as a republic on 12 December, 1964...
fete in Washington DC where she performed and made a series of appearances in the US states of Maryland, Washington and New York.
In 2006 she travelled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to visit the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
to help start an Arts in Medicine program at Mater Hospital in 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...
.http://news.health.ufl.edu/Post/ThePost_OCT06.pdf
Owiyo was part of the Divas of The Nile supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
, that featured four Kenyan female musicians. The others were Mercy Myra
Mercy Myra
- Biography :In 1996, she joined the Calabash Band but left it the next year to join the R&B group Destinee and in 1997 she joined a band called Black Ice...
, Achieng Abura
Achieng Abura
Achieng Abura is a musician from Kenya, who performs Afro-jazz, Afro-fusion and gospel music.She debuted with a gospel album I Believe around 1990. Her following albums were Way Over Yonder and Sulwe. In 2002, when she had shifted to Afro-jazz, she released album Maisha. Later she released album...
and Princess Jully
Princess Jully
Princess Jully is a benga musician from Kenya.She started as a back-up vocalist for Jolly Boys Band led by her husband Prince Jully . Prince Jully died in 1997 and subsequently Princess Jully took over the leadership of the band...
. The group performed at the Festival Mundial in 2007.
2007 was promising. Just when the year began, she was amongst the artist who entertained the delegates (local and international) who attended the World Social Forum
World Social Forum
The World Social Forum is an annual meeting of civil society organizations, first held in Brazil, which offers a self-conscious effort to develop an alternative future through the championing of counter-hegemonic globalization...
held in Nairobi. Locally, she has been involved in the corporate, NGO and Government Sponsored events-i.e. She recorded and performed the Anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by the Kenya Anti-corruption Campaign steering committee. Suzanna also recorded a theme song for the Kenya Tourist Board. In the month of June,she represented Kenya at the MASA
Masa
Masa is Spanish for dough. In the Americas it is often short for masa de maíz, a maize dough made from freshly prepared hominy. It is used for making corn tortillas, tamales, pupusas, arepas and many other Latin American dishes. The dried and powdered form is called masa harina, masa de harina,...
Festival that was held in Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, Ivory Coast .In August, Suzanna performed at the prestigious Event called YARA PRIZE AWARDS held in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. Other artists who graced the occasion were Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba was born Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in 1949 in Lubefu . He is a Congolese rumba musician, one of Africa's most popular musicians, and prominent in World music.-Zaiko Langa Langa:...
from DRC Congo, the Brass Brothers from Oslo and others. Lastly in December, Suzanna performed at the New Year's Eve Concert held in Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. She is currently working on her 3rd album which should be out in the mid of the year. She has featured Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, Mbilia Bel from DR Congo in the album. She was nominated for the Best Kenyan Female Artiste category at the 2007 Pearl of Africa Music Awards
Pearl of Africa Music Awards
Pearl 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 ....
.
In 2008 she performed at the Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
's 90th birthday concert in London and performed again at the WOMEX
WOMEX
WOMEX is an international world music support and development project based in Berlin, whose main event is an exposition held annually in different locations throughout Europe. It integrates a trade fair, showcases, conferences, film market, networking sessions, and awards...
festival.
She is among the Kenyan artistes who have been sponsored by the Alliance Française
Alliance française
The Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...
in Nairobi.
Her third album Roots was released on may 18, 2011