• The evergreen song narrates how Stella ditched him for another man
Image: Courtesy
Rhumba icon Freshly Mwamburi has begun the new year with a surprise project: the visuals to the remix of his ever-fresh hit song ‘Stella Wangu’.
Mwamburi released the song in 1992, a timeless classic hit that is forever etched in the hearts of Kenyans.
The record is a love/hate story avidly put together. And every year on May 17, Kenyans reminisce about this great classic.
The song highlights the story of a young man who fell in love with a young girl who was then a student at Kenyatta University.
That young man was named Freshley Mwamburi, and his love was a bright, ambitious girl named Stella. He came from Taita, she came from Kangundo.
But, just as he was considering settling down for an enchanting life with the girl of his dreams, the young man got the shock of his life when, in the early years of the 1990s, Stella ditched him for another man.
Heartbroken, he went to the studios and, together with his Everest Kings bandmate Abdul Muyonga, recorded the hit song ‘Stella’.
The remix music video and audio were shot at Golden Palm Hotel, Kenol and other parts of Kenya to showcase the beautiful sceneries of our country, Kenya.
The video was directed and shot by Eric Ahoy, better known as Mtu Cinema, in conjunction with DJ Qariz, and choreographed by renowned dancer and choreographer Arthur Chiluba.
Stella Wangu’s remix video has come to life courtesy of engineer Njau Njoka, who oversaw the audition process to get the right cast and also funded the project to re-introduce Mwamburi into the music scene, empowering him to continue with his music career.
Mwamburi Mwakachola, popularly known as Freshly Mwamburi (Kazi Ngoma), was born on November 7, 1958, on the slopes of Kilimanjaro in Wundanyi, Taita.
He came into the music scene in 1980 and has had a successful music career spanning more than 40 years. He cites Franklin Boukaka as one of his musical influences.
The hit song 'Stella Wangu' thrust him into the national limelight and enabled him to travel extensively and perform in other countries.