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John nzenze angelike twist

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John Nzenze: Pioneer and Legend

With a music career spanning almost six decades from the 60s till his retirement in 2016, John Amutabi Nzenze brought an authentic flavour to Kenyan music, popularising the art of live performances, and the unforgettable Kenyan twist music genre.

John’s story began in Muthurwa area in Nairobi in 1940. He spent his formative years in the city, and later moved to western Kenya where he was educated, though whenever he was home, he found himself drawn to his father’s guitar. John’s father was a member of the railway company band. Tugging at the guitar strings and eventually finding rhythm is essentially how John became a guitarist. This was the first step in his musical career.

While a junior in high school, John left school and sought employment. The details of his leaving formal education to pursue a career are not clear, but while still a teenager, John joined the Norfolk Hotel’s staff as a waiter. Here he met a young man named Daudi Kabaka. The two shared the staff quarters and found common interest in their love for music. Eventually, they toye

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Biography

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John Nzenze

Kenyan musician (1940–2020)

Musical artist

John Nzenze (1940 – 30 May 2020)[1] was a musician from Kenya. He had performed the twist dance style.[2] Some of his most popular songs were "Angelike" (released in 1961),[2] "Julieta Rudi Tuone" and "Habari za Nairobi (Nairobi twist)".[3]

Life

He was from the Luhya tribe in the western region part of Kenya. Nzenze went to St Peter's primary school. He started playing with his father's guitar at the age of 12, but after learning how much time he spent playing it, his father sold the guitar. After finishing the school, he worked at the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi. At the time he teamed up with Daudi Kabaka, with whom he recorded three songs - "Safari Tanganyika", "Bachelor Boy" and "Nyumba za Tobacco". These songs were released by Jambo Records and became hits.[2]

He toured Japan, Britain and various East African countries. In 1968 he represented Kenya at All African Music Festival in Algeria, finishing third. As a result, president Jomo Kenyatta f

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