Kenyans celebrate ‘Stella Day’ with memes
Today is the seventeenth day of May, and as always, the name Stella is trending on social media.
It marks the very day about three decades later, when one Freshley Mwamburi, hit the studios after being heartbroken, by the love of his life, and recorded what turned out to be the hit song ‘Stellah’.
That song went on to become an evergreen number, taken to the top by Mwamburi’s emotional refrain to Stellah to “come back” to him and sustained at the top of the charts by the cozy place love stories occupy in creative arts and pop culture.
A proof of this is the social media trends of the song every year on May 17, when a majority of Kenyans create all sorts of memes to reminisce the great classic tune.
A lot of Kenyans who will today be humming this song do not know what, other than the ever greenness – or what some may call the staying power— the song means to Mwamburi.
He sings of how he funded Stella to go further her studies in Japan but when she returned to Kenya and landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on May 17, 1992, what he saw and felt was unforgettable. The person he’d planned to spend the rest of his life with was accompanied by her lover from Japan.
In January, he remixed the song saying it deserved not just a remix but also a quality music video.
“I would like even the younger generation who might not know the song to know it and enjoy it,” he said.
Here is how some Kenyans reacted to May 19 aka Stella Day’.
The first Kenyan whose fare was eaten, Freshly Mwamburi sold his land and car so that Stella would get good education. It ended in premium tears. ??
Stella returns today. pic.twitter.com/DqqxlcKgNa— Linda Koskey (@LindaKoskey) May 17, 2021
Stella is about to trend. Lakini si Freshly Mwamburi aliona siku refu.
Anyway Boychild usilipie any girl School fees with an intention to marry her.— Gerald Ngao ?? (@geraldngaopk) May 16, 2021
Freshly Mwamburi receiving Stella and the Japanese baby at the airport. pic.twitter.com/Y2KhiKIoIT
— Bętť Ķ Māx (@BettKMax) May 17, 2021
Freshly Mwaburi and squad going back home after Stella Landed with a Japanese baby pic.twitter.com/s7Cd5CEMvz
— Reesome?? (@h_ree254) May 17, 2021
Freshly Mwamburi was our first ever victim of women eating fare. His wasn't just for matatu, Uber,bike or bus but fare ya ndege after selling his property to take Stella for studies abroad. Men beware of this gender, they will eat you till broke and move on. A good song it's. pic.twitter.com/cWOyabwHr7
— MZEE KIBOR PATRON (@MzeeKiborr) May 17, 2021
Freshly Mwamburi after spoting Stella with her Japanese Boyfriend pale Airport pic.twitter.com/opsHg3l31c
— Generali (@Jaykiluu) May 17, 2021
I just hope that Freshly Mwamburi managed to recover his investments from Stella. As you save money for retirement keep your blood pressure in check below 120/80mmHg. You do need a functional heart in your 60s and beyond. Let’s talk hypertension. It’s World Hypertension Day.
— The Blood Pressure Champion ?? (@zablonorina1) May 17, 2021
Freshly Mwamburi should be receiving his royalties every 17th May coz Stella did her dirty manze ???
— Briph_?? (@Briph_) May 17, 2021