SNAPPY 7: Elani band member Maureen Kunga speaks out
She is undeniably one of the most mesmerizing singers in Kenya.
Maureen Kunga, a member of afro band Elani, admits that she doesn’t talk about dating or relationships and that her number one man is the Lord and her dad.
With an affectionate smile that has many men trolling her, she took some time off her busy media tour to chat with Nairobi News.
1. Who is Maureen Kunga? – A daughter, friend and a young singer from Nairobi who has a dream and a mission and not forgetting an advocate to be.
I was born and raised in Lang’ata. I schooled in Nairobi, I attended Msongari Primary School then later joined Kianda High School before being admitted to University of Nairobi where I graduated with a degree in Law. Later I joined Kenya School of law and I’m hopping by end of March I will be admitted to the bar.
I’m the baby in a family of five and I consider my life to be a little boring.
2. When did you start singing? – I’ve been singing all my life, professionally I started in 2008 but when growing up I used to love singing in Church.
3. Can you cook and what’s your favorite food? – I do cook, I try and cook a lot. I’ve stopped eating out. I’m a chicken fanatic and I also love fish. I’m more of a meat kinda girl I don’t like starch that much.
Growing up I used to like ugali and milk, I never used to eat vegetables, just the way I can eat Chapati and chicken now. Back then I could eat ugali and milk every day.
4. What is your worst embarrassing moment? – One day I was walking in town dressed all in white and looking good. To me it was a good day. When I got around Loita Street, I don’t know why I didn’t see the pavement and I hit it and flew. I believe I did fly all the way in the middle of the road, cars had to stop. People started checking me out now for the wrong reason, it really ended badly.
5. Tell us about your style – I don’t think about it so much but I love my dresses. Once in a while I like to put on a dresses and look pretty and feel feminine but at the end of the day it’s how I feel that day.
I think I found myself natural haired by mistake. I used to be in braids all the time, so after I took them off I found this and it’s been like that for a while now. With things like hair and clothing especially for a woman it’s really what you are comfortable in.
6. How do you unwind? – Recently I have rekindled my love for reading. I don’t like to go out clubbing, to me it feels like you are overdressed out in the cold when you should just be in the house watching some TV. I like also to play musical instruments. I can play the guitar, piano and the keyboard. I played guitar in one of our song Milele.
7. How do juggle all this and what’s your advice to any young girls out there – You plan your time and work your plan. So far I’ve been able to use my legal knowledge for Elani. It helps when there is three of you because you can delegate duties and you can help each other because sometimes it gets hard. I don’t think I would do it if I was a solo act. We do push each other sometimes because we are all over achievers.
As a musician, any upcoming musician who wants to do this as a career just put in the work and be diligent about it and don’t compromise on quality especially on yourself, if you know you can do better go ahead and do it.
As a woman, I know there are those young girls who look up to us. What I can say is just be confident and don’t settle for less. be strong and be outspoken. If you don’t what to do something don’t do it.
Academically, go to school, I gained more from University socially than academically. It teaches you so much. Discipline that you learn by being given freedom and knowing that you don’t have to go to class but you should. Take your studies seriously and pass well because you never know what it’s going to do for you later in life.
