Meet Inami, KU’s amazing songbird

When she sings, everyone goes silent and when she is done, no one stays silent. She is now used to standing ovation.  Inami is one of the latest sensations in the Kenyan music scene. Given that classical music is gaining wide recognition in Kenya, Inami is smoothing herself in the trend.  She’s the lead vocalist of the popular band called “Band the Musketeers’. She’s also studying music at Kenyatta University

She says she came up with the name Inami many years ago because she eagerly wanted to let out what was in her through singing. Inami means ‘inner me’.  Her real name is Faith Nthambi. Later on she gave the name an alternative meaning- ‘In me African Music Inspired’. She does a wide repertoire of genres under classical music but she mainly focuses on jazz.

“I used to sing a lot when I was young. My parents discovered my talent and always put me up to perform at their events and family gatherings as well. Thanks to them I became quite the courageous entertainer. I grew up confident, strong and love the art of music. Music was the only thing I wanted to study”.

‘Band the Musketeers’ consists of five members who are trained in the art of music direction and performance. The members include Inami (Lead Vocalist / Image and Marketing Director), Emmanuel Mutuku (Guitarist / Finance manager), Brian Wanyama (Pianist / Band Leader), Michael Munene (Bass guitarist) and David Mwando (Drummer).

“We have previously performed at several recitals around Nairobi including the polish embassy, Hilton Hotel, Safaricom’s classical evening, The art of music concert, Kenyatta university culture week, Dass restaurant, Mamlaka intercontinental, jazz alive concerts, several campus concerts among others. We also perform at private events such as weddings, graduation parties and all kinds of ceremonies,” says Inami.

“We have previously performed at several recitals around Nairobi including the polish embassy, Hilton Hotel, Safaricom’s classical evening, The art of music concert, Kenyatta university culture week, Dass restaurant, Mamlaka intercontinental, jazz alive concerts, several campus concerts among others. We also perform at private events such as weddings, graduation parties and all kinds of ceremonies,” says Inami.

Inami with producer Stephen Wambugu

Inami draws her inspiration and motivation from classical musicians such as Mozart, Beethoven, Ray Charles and Amy Winehouse. Pop legends Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston also inspire her. However, the person who motivates her the most is ST. EVO The Myth (Stephen Wambugu), her producer and mentor.

She has no difficulty juggling between her career and studies. It’s pretty much the same thing according to her. She’s having fun with both and hopes that life continues that way or even gets much better.

Most of her jazz hits can be found at (http://soundcloud.com/inami-3) or listened to on local radio stations such as Capital fm. Homeboyz Radio and One fm. Details about upcoming performances can be found at the Facebook page ‘Band the Musketeers’. She is set to perform at the Panari Sky Centre on 27^th and 28^th of April.

“I recently did a track with Boneless Thyaka called ‘supasta’. So a video is in line for that. I will also soon be releasing a few singles that I’ve been working on with St. Evo The Myth (my producer). There’s a track, ‘peace that’s coming up really soon. It basically talks about finding peace of mind. That’s my 2013 theme in life, “peace of mind.” I use it a lot to keep things running in my life. A clear mind is a successful mind, I keep telling myself that.”

In future she’s also planning to get into music production. And also do EPs. An extended play (EP) is musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full studio album. She loves the progress which jazz, house and pop genres are making in the Kenyan music scene. She hopes to get even bigger as a recording artist and gain worldwide recognition.  She believes in the mantra, ‘It’s not about who will let you, it’s about who is going to stop you.’