Made in high school

The schools that perform well in drama and music festivals have gone on to bring forth accomplished artistes, write STEVENS MUENDO, MATILDA NZIOKI and CAROLINE NYANGA

It all started in the cheering squad. During the annual music and drama festivals, basketball tournaments and other thrilling high school clash outings, the selected few from every school could lead the intimidation onslaught against their rival schools.

Alliwah (centre squatting) with pals back in the day at Kawathe Secondary school. Nonini attended the same school. [photos: COURTESY AND Pius cheruiyot /STANDARD]

It was a show of might brewed from academic and co-curricular rivalry. Sometimes it was a boys’ battle for the school with the most beautiful girls and vice versa.

Once in a while, it was all about the new school bus or the best uniforms. That was high school swagger away from the Christian Union Saturday night treats, which we all used to sharpen our dancing skills. From street-bred sheng’ to the weng’, these battles could end up in the hoods during the recess where memories of the past term would be discussed with laughter and tears.

SIDE SHOWDOWNS

At some point the sideshows showdown between schools became so fierce that some principals banned their students from attending such events. In the height of those rivalries, even the popular school teen magazine Insyder was banned from most schools and anyone found with a copy would get an instant suspension.

But like a phenomenal, the high school showbiz craze grew in some schools. Later it became famous not only out of their academic might but on the grounds where showbiz celebrities were brewed.

Among the city schools in Nairobi, notorious for their cheering squad prowess were Dagoretti High, State House Girls, Highway Secondary School and Nairobi School. Little surprise therefore that these same schools ended up producing the crËme of Kenya’s showbiz entertainers.

But, soon, there could be a shift in this pyramid as new contenders such as Aga Khan Academy and Upper Hill have been trying to crash into the party.

Top comic entertainers KJ, Mdomo Baggy and Kajairo are all products of Dagoretti High School where they claimed their fame. The school has produced the lion’s share of showbiz celebrities — in the current generation — than any other. Some of the most popular showbiz figures to have come out of Dagoretti include Leakey Odera and Alfred Mutua as well as Thome of Boomba Clan.

"In Dagoretti, showbiz was a culture that was passed on from one generation to another. There is a good history of many celebrities who nurtured their careers there to become key entertainers in Kenya," says Juliani, who hailed and schooled from across town in Dandora.

In her teens, bootylicious dancing queen Toxic natured her craft at State House Girls. Since first year, her presence in every school outing event was quite conspicuous. So irresistible was she at the time that she ended up being crowned Teeniez School Funkie Personality of the Year. It was the same year actor Zain Armstrong, then at St Austin’s, was voted the Hottest High School Hunk.

Tattu’s Angela Mwandanda aka Shide who also honed her skills from State House Girls led the path to join her teenhood friends Debbie and Raboo to form the Tattu trio long before Toxic left State House. Size 8, another State House Girls started off acting and singing in the school’s drama club and eventually won a scholarship to Hill Crest where she perfected it all. It is also interesting to note that Classic FM presenter Tina Kagia was also at State House Girls’.

It was not just Tattuu. There was also the Kleptomaniax trio of Roba, Collo and Nyashinski who met in Nairobi School and became famous for their rapping skills. They started off by leisurely entertaining fellow students during drama and music festivals.

Perhaps Mike Rabar’s interest in rugby also stemmed from his high school era as Nairobi School is known for their performance in the sport. He has been instrumental in establishing the Homeboyz team and currently sits on the board of Kenya Rugby Union.

FIRM GROUNDING

"I think the fact that Nairobi School respected performing arts helped nurture many artistic talents in the school. Big showbiz shots such as Mike and brother John Rabar as well as Maich Blaq are good examples of guys who started their showbiz passion back at Nairobi school," says Big Ted, who also attended Nairobi School.

Besides, schools that produced lots of personalities in performance arts were highly ranked performers in music and drama festivals like Dagoretti High and Nairobi School. In the same light, a school like Pangani Girls that did not participate in the same, rather emphasising on academics, has almost no performer in the entertainment industry from the recent past. The only names we could trace were Carol Atemi and Nikki (Sheila Mwanyiga) who were in the school in the 1990s. The school had in fact banned drama and music festivals since early 2000s.

Also, not many in Alliance Boys or Alliance Girls (impressive academic performers) have come forth in the mainstream arts industry.

ALL THE WAY

Highway Secondary School prides itself as having produced celebrated showbiz personalities among them Dunco, Nick Ndeda, Producer Clemo, DJ ProtÈgÈ, Mr Googz, Kenzo and legendary DJ Babu.

Interestingly, the initial wave of generation of Kenyan showbiz stars such as Nameless, Wahu, Amani, Eric Wainaina and Jua Cali seems to have had little or no high school made artistic manufacture. Eric attended St Mary’s School, Nairobi and Wahu went to Precious Blood Riruta while Nameless was in Strathmore, all known for their academic prowess and Catholicism.Jua Cali is a product of Jamhuri while Daddy Owen represents Chebuyusi High School. As for Nonini,he schooled in Machakos County in a little known Kawethi Secondary school the same institution that comical actor Alliwah attended.

This list is, of course, not exhaustive, as Keny’a showbiz scene is bubbling with talent.