Several years have gone by now, and one question that refuses to log out of fans’ social media timelines is. Will Elani ever come back?
When Maureen Kunga, Wambui Ngugi, and Brian Chweya burst onto the scene with the banger Jana Usiku, it was a breath of fresh air. Their rise hinted at a long, glittering run. They were everywhere, filling venues and dominating conversations. Then life happened. The trio went MIA. Years later and fans still wonder, are Elani’s days over?
I didn't leave music, I was just discovering other new things. I studied law, but never practised because Elani kind of started immediately. So, I started dabbling in many things, including acting, and then went back to practising law. Now, I am back into music.
Maureen Kunga, formerly of the celebrated pop trio Elani, has launched her solo journey with her debut single "Majaliwa", marking a new chapter.
Photo credit: Pool
My latest single is deeply personal. It is a song about my mother. She has always been my biggest supporter. In fact, when Elani was just starting, she stepped in as our manager for almost a year. She handled the calls, organised bookings, understood sound, set up rehearsals, and drove us from one engagement to the next.
As an accountant, she felt it was important to guide us and help us do things the right way. It’s a blessing to be supported like that by a parent.
I am back into doing music as a solo artiste not because I feel the need to make money out of it, but because I want to express myself. I have no pressure about it, so let's see where this new journey takes me.
And Elani never broke up. We are very much together, just that we are in this season where we aren't performing together and releasing music together. It’s the same scenario with what is happening with Sauti Sol. Bien called their situation a sabbatical. I would say the same is the case for Elani at the moment.
Some clients have suggested we perform just me and Wambui, but it doesn't feel okay to perform without Brian. But we have done some smaller gigs with Wambui, like weddings.
Afro soul band Elani's Wambui Ngugi, Brian Chweya and Maureen Kunga.
Photo credit: File
The biggest question has always been what happened. The thing is, our momentum was disrupted by Covid-19. We had just released our second album, ‘Colour of Love’, in late 2019, and we were ready to hit the ground running when the pandemic hit. It was like an apocalypse, you don't know what happens next.
So that is the point we started doing different things because there were no shows, literally nothing was going on. And when it was over, we found ourselves in a different space.
I have had millions of stories of what happened leading to the so-called ‘Elani breakup’. But there was nothing, there was no fight, no wrangles. What people don't realise is that we have been together since we were 18.
And no, my getting married isn’t the reason as to why I went MIA, it didn’t have anything to do with Elani. As I said, it’s very easy for people to imagine things.
What I am loving right now is how vibrant our music is. Now Kenyans are supporting Kenyan music. I remember just a few years ago, we were chanting on PlayKE music. Now it's all over, people are living off music, buying cars, houses, it’s a beautiful thing to see.
Members of Elani Bryan Chweya (left) Maureen Kunga and Wambui Ngugi during the Nokia exclusive party at tree house on April 4, 2014. PHOTO| CHARLES KAMAU
My dream is to see Kenyan art and culture become robust enough that parents would wish to see their children pursue careers in those fields.
