Exclusive Interview with Penya artist Dela

She is an artist you may (or may not) have heard of before, but rest assured she is working hard to make sure all that changes soon! With the Kenyan music scene flooded with a lot mediocre artists, it is refreshing to hear some real talent which this artist no doubt has. Featured on Sauti Sol’s debut album Mwanzo, Dela is one of the latest signees to one of the hottest urban labels around, Penya Records. KenyaChristian blog got in touch with Dela last month after her performance at the August 7^th Memorial Park, which was held as a farewell concert for Sauti Sol as they embarked on their first international tour of Europe. It was also held to commemorate the tragic events of 11 years ago that saw Kenya caught up in the war between the U.S and Islamic extremists.

In Part 1 of this exclusive interview with KenyaChristian blog, Dela gave us her take on the events of August 7^th, her music, how she got singed to Penya, and much more!



::KenyaChristian blog:: First of all, lovely performance at the August 7th Memorial Park you gained a new fan that day.

Dela: Thank you! I’m glad! I want to change the scene one listener at a time...

::KC:: That was my first time seeing you perform. I had heard of you, but had never seen you play before. How long have you been performing?

Dela: Professionally, I’ve been performing for almost a year now. That’s a short time, but it has been a wealth of experience! I love it!

::KC:: August 7th Memorial Park has a historical significance due to the tragic events that happened there in 1998. How did you feel performing at a venue that experienced so much trauma, what was going through the back of your mind?

Dela: That park is beautiful! The serenity and tranquility of that place made me see how time can heal. There are a lot of things we take for granted. Like take life for instance; live each day like it's your last because tomorrow is never certain.

::KC:: Do you think the Kenyan government has done enough to fight terrorism, or have we started relaxing again especially with groups like Al-Shabaab just next door?

Dela: I think the government is trying, but they need to put firmer laws in place to prevent any future threats.

::KC:: There has been a long on-going debate about the bomb-blast victims and compensation. Do you think they should be compensated, and by who, our government or that of the U.S?

Dela: 11 years down the road and nothing substantial, it's really sad! I do think they should be compensated. Some of the victim’s lives took a turn for the worse after that day and I think they should at least be given a means to get back on their feet! Even if not financially, they may be assisted through training.

::KC:: How long have you been with Penya Records?

Dela: I’ve been with Penya for about a year now.

::KC:: Penya seems to have very talented and high quality artists such as Stan, and Sauti Sol. What do you think you bring to the table at Penya, what would you say makes you different from the other artists on the label?

Dela: Well, the first thing I would say would be femininity...You need to listen to a female perspective on things sometimes, right!? Otherwise, I don’t know if the other guys would agree, our music pretty much revolves around the same themes.

::KC:: Wawesh and the crew at Penya seem to be doing a wonderful job. How did you guys link up?

Dela: Yes they definitely are, they are doing a phenomenal job! How we met is a looong story. But in summary, he(Wawesh) met Stan first, then they met Sauti Sol through Stan (I think), then Sauti Sol introduced me to Wawesh and the crew at Penya. And the rest as they say is history!

Look out for Part 2 of this exclusive interview coming next week!

Update: Just A Band "82" album launch scheduled for October 17th.