SNAPPY 7: Kagwe Mungai – 30 children and a ‘Kagwe tribe’ is my dream
After week of chasing and rescheduling for an interview, the recently voted Best Dressed Entertainer in Kenya, Kagwe Mungai, finally honoured his promise to have an interview with Nairobi News.
Kagwe, a renowned music producer, speaks about his life, music and what he wants to build in the Kenyan entertainment industry. Excerpts:
1. Is it true that you are a perfectionist? – I don’t know about being a perfectionist, but I am a control freak. I like things done in a certain way and if they are not done the way I want them done then it drives me crazy.
2. Talk about the inspiration behind the hit song that you produced for Sauti Sol, Nishike? – At the time of making the song there were no good R&B songs in Kenya. I met up with Sauti Sol and I played them a couple of songs and they liked Nishike. One thing I will tell you is that they were intimidated by my good looks and they refused to let me in the video.
3. Why did you move to Taurus Musik Group and has the move brought any changes? – What I can say is that there comes a time in a musician’s career that you do not have time to be able to do everything by yourself as I was doing. For me, not being a professional, it was better to have a team like Taurus to come and help in their professionalism and help me grow.
For now Taurus has come in and I do not have to ever think about organizing anything anymore because they have my back, now I’m left with only thing that matters which is making good music.
4. How would you describe yourself? – Kagwe is the future. I want one day to be able to stand and accept a Grammy Award as the best musician and not as the best only in Africa. I want to able to compete with the likes of Trey Songz. I want to create a lasting impression for generations to come because we have the talent, best music and the best culture; that is what Kagwe is about.
5. What would you be if you were not a musician? – I’m good at everything I do. But to tell you the truth, I was supposed to go and do art and be a painter. Later I decided to go the music way.
6. Five things on your bucket list? – First thing I will have like 30 children and start a Kagwerian tribe. Two, sky diving, three, I want to have several Grammies and it is going to be a reality very soon, four, eat a snake, and five, before I die, I will run for a government office.
7. Lastly, what is your most embarrassing moment in your career? – I did a gig in one of my earlier days and as I stepped on the stage people were cheering. I realized they were not cheering me but the Manchester game that was going on, so I had to step aside and wait for the game to end before I got back on the stage to perform. Man U over Kagwe is not rocket science.
