Born in Kinshasa and raised in Nairobi, 24-year old Alice Theluji aka Alicios is now rocking regional music charts with the debut hit single Mpita Njia, featuring award-winning diva Juliana Kanyamozi. Pulse unveils this new talk of town.
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Allicios |
Pulse: Since you released your hit single Mpita Njia, there has been a big debate on your heritage. Can you first clear the air on this?
Alicios: I consider myself a Kenyan.
P: What do you mean?
A: I was not born in Kenya but I have been living here since I was eight. I was raised in Nyayo Estate and attended my school at St Marys’ Academy before I left for Sweden.
P: Were you born in Uganda or Tanzania?
A: That is what everyone is speculating. Truth is, I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After war broke out in Kinshasa we moved to Kenya as refugees and settled in Kibera. My mum then started a small business, which later saw us relocate to Nyayo Estate.
P: Is the collabo with Juliana your debut release?
A: I wrote and recorded several songs while studying in Sweden. I even did vocals for a Jamaican artiste who is not popular in Kenya. However, I consider Mpita Njia my first gem.
P: Since its release last year, the song has turned out to be a major hit in Tanzania and Uganda...
A: That is true. Unfortunately people still have no idea where to get me whenever they want me for shows. They don’t know whether I live in Kampala, Dar-es-Salaam or Nairobi. Besides, even though I own the song, Juliana is a big name and whenever they hear the song, they associate it with her. I guess these are the woes of any upcoming artiste.
P: Juliana speaks so highly of your vocal prowess. How did you get her to work with you?
A: I wrote and recorded the song and then sent the demo to her. I actually wrote and recorded her verses. She liked it and was good to go. She then flew to Nairobi and we recorded the song at Robert Kimanzi’s studios. As you can tell, the outcome was amazing.
P: What does Mpita Njia mean?
A: From the colloquial Tanzanian Swahili, it simply means a cheater and careless lover. My boyfriend was unfaithful to me and the song is based on a real life heartbreak experience. It sort of echoes Kigeugeu lyrics.
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P: Talking of Kigeugeu, you have been closely associated with Jaguar. Are you dating or is this just a working relationship?
A: Jaguar is my childhood friend. I knew him when I was ten after we moved to Greenfields. I used to like his music and share with him my singing dream. I wanted him to introduce me to Ogopa Deejays but it wasn’t until I returned from Sweden that he took me seriously and started supporting my music career. He is a go-getter.
P: Were you in Sweden to study music or on a different venture?
A: I was a Marketing student. While there I met with the famous Magic System (a music group from Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire) with whom I shared a stage on a big concert night. After I came back to Kenya in 2009, I started taking music as a career. I have since recorded an album which has singles like Niko Poa, Posa ya Bolingo and Pete, all of which are yet to be released.
P: Word has it that you are working with Kidum and Collo. Can you confirm this?
A: I am working with several established artistes simply because I want to be versatile in the way my music sounds. Most of my songs cut across different East African genres and, therefore, will be accepted across the region. The current confusion among my fans as to which country I come from is a positive force in driving my music success. I want to meet everybody half way.
P: Your mum is also a musician, right?
A: In DRC everyone is a musician! My mum was a musician when we were back in DRC. She inspired me a lot. Due to the harsh realities she has faced bringing my siblings and I up since we relocated to Kenya, she took a break from singing.
P: What challenges are you facing as a budding singer who is pursuing showbiz outside her country?
A: Like I said, having lived here all my life, I consider myself a Kenyan who is ready to make her star shine across the region. It never worries me that I have my roots somewhere else. I grew up loving the local Kenyan sound and made connections with local artistes. I sing in Swahili, which is the common East African language. Besides the usual hurdles of any rising star, I am good to go.