Wanavokali. [Photo/ Courtesy]
Music video for Rhumba by Wanavokali. Released in 2021. it was their breakout song.

Wanavokali is a Swahili word meaning vocalists. The group is a Kenyann Acapella band group started in January 2018. The group comprises six members; Riki, Lena, Chepkorir, Mella, Rui, and Ythera.

Wanavokali started their musical journey as background vocalists (BGVs) for different artists in Kenya. They officially came together during the 2018 Safaricom Twaweza live.


Their debut in the music industry came releasing their cover of Nyashinski's 'Malaika' , which they followed up with other covers. Later on, they were selected among 12 groups to participate in the Pan African Music Competition, Old Mutual Amazing Voices, Season 1.

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The Old Mutual’s Amazing Voices is a pan-African signing reality competition show in which 12 unsigned groups from 3 genres take to the stage to captivate audiences and judges to claim their $100K prize money and be crowned Africa’s Amazing Voices.


And through their hard work, determination, passion, dedication, and love for music, they emerged as the winners. This was a huge milestone and breakthrough for them and after that, they teamed up with Kenya's, Collo G, and released an uplifting single, 'Nioshe.'


They say, their reason for choosing to go the acapella style was, to create a niche for themselves, having worked as lead and background vocalists. This genre would create value for their craft, opening Kenya and the music industry at large, to the acapella vibe, and gifted talents, that vocalists' have to offer, ending the trend of being overlooked, and undervalued that most vocal groups face.


The band looks forward to working with other artists locally and internationally and becoming a household name. And with no doubt, they have truly done it, and living up to it, as they recently released one of 2021's biggest hit songs, 'Rhumba,' setting the pace, and raising the bar high.

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