Where is Tetu Shani?

Sometimes, I wonder, “Where did Tetu Shani go?” I had the amazing privilege of knowing and meeting him when he walked into Radio 254’s studios in 2021.

The truth is that at the time, I had never heard any of his music but remember seeing his red car in a Junior Nyong’o music video, so it was cool to see it parked outside the studio. One day, I will tell the story of how Blinky Bill hit my bike, but that is a story for another day. Today, I MUST tell the world about Tetu Shani. Because this article focuses on his music, we think that it is very important to highlight that Tetu Shani was also a radio host on Radio 254, where he played alternative Kenyan music and interviewed Kenyan music legends like Billy Black and rock band Crystal Axis, to name two of many. Tetu Shani also had and has an amazing Alt Kenya playlist on Spotify that you can check out. I am not sure if the playlist has been updated since his hiatus from the music Industry.

Sometimes, the absence of someone makes us appreciate and miss them and what they bring to the table. When Tetu Shani first disappeared, I thought that he had blocked me, but I quickly hopped onto the Finsta and proved that was not the case. Tetu Shani just went ghost. If you have ever listened to Tetu Shani’s music, then you know that it is different. Different in that you would say, it doesn’t sound Kenya. But what does Kenyan music sound like? Please tell us, experts. We are waiting, but in the meantime, Tetu Shani represented what some would call a rich kid audience whose influence was not so much dancehall and reggae but rock & roll and jazz. Tetu Shani’s parent were among the first Africans to attend Rift Valley Academy, popularly referred to as RVA, which is an American Christian boarding school located in Kijabe that the AIC Mission runs.

When Mr. Eazi was looking for 100 artists from Africa, Tetu Shani was one of the artists that was chosen. Tetu Shani. When Radio 254 was struggling, Tetu Shani shared our founder’s contact with Dan Aceda, who helped us get back on air. Tetu Shani is also the only artist who declined to just accept money to perform. He would give you his sound demands or speak to the sound people, and even if they could not provide what he needed, he would politely decline. At Freedom Edition, we were so honored that he performed with Tugi Mlamba in his band. Wherever you are, Tetu Shani, we miss you. Kenyan music misses you. Of all the radio presenters that Radio 254 ever had, Tetu Shani always had the most questions. At the time, I found that annoying, but the reason I found it annoying was because I didn’t have the answers at the time. I was trying to figure it out; he was ahead of his time and saw the vision, and we were trying. If you don’t know who Tetu Shani is, please go check out his music. You can thank me later! Tetu Shani, thank you for your music and contribution to Kenyan music. Your music will forever remain in our playlist.

https://www.youtube.com/c/TetuShani

Tetu Shani Empawa AfricaSun Music Video