Who Are Kenya’s Faceless Artists and Producers?

You have probably heard of Ogopa Deejays but have never seen a picture of Ogopa’s founder, Lucas Bikedo. If I had known what I know now about Lucas in 2010 when he was shooting a music video for me, I would have taken more pictures, and videos and appreciated the interactions that I got to have with Lucas because in Kenya’s music industry, Lucas is both a myth and a legend. Nobody knows what he looks like but at the same time, a lot of people know what he looks like. It is interesting because Lucas began as a DJ, thus the reason for naming his record label, Ogopa Deejays.  The reason that Lucas is the starting point of this conversation is that for the period that Lucas has been in the music industry for, he has been very intentional about being faceless and letting his work speak for him. It was interesting because we walked with Lucas from his studio in South B to Captains Casino and nobody even knew who Lucas was but as soon as the bouncers at the club saw him, they instantly said, Niaje Lucas! Which was odd because how did they know who he was when so many people didn’t? That’s the beauty of being faceless as a celebrity, you can go anywhere without anyone noticing you which is not common for celebrities or public figures.

Another notable faceless Kenyan producer is Basthma. I would post his real name here, but I am unsure if people know what Basthma’s real name is. What people know about Basthma is that not only is he a producer but also a DJ and probably the only DJ in Kenya whose face you have never seen. This is because Basthma decided to distinguish himself from anyone else by wearing a mask so every time you see Basthma he is going to be wearing a mask, so nobody knows what he looks like underneath the mask.

The most notable Kenyan artist who is faceless is The Luchi. Besides being faceless, The Luchi is extremely talented with several hits already under their belt. When asked during an interview about his choice to be faceless, The Luchi stated that he chose to be masked because he wants people to concentrate on his music and not him.

What do you think about artists and producers who are faceless? Does it make sense?