SNAPPY 7: Pascal Tokodi – Nothing was handed to me, I worked hard for it
Pascalino Lpesinoi Lenguro Tokodi – try saying that fast – better known as Pascal Tokodi, is the talk of town with his latest single Sitaki which has recently been topping chats.
At 23 years old, Pascal says he is just getting started. He took out time while shooting his latest TV show to chat with Nairobi News.
1. Tell us about yourself – I’m an artist and a singer; will be turning 23 years in a few days. I have a big family like a football team even with substitutes. I’m the second born. I spent my childhood in Rongai and went to school in St Mary’s before joining Lenana High School.
After high school it’s just been lessons here and there and in 2012 immediately I got my first acting gig in a TV show called Makutano Junction.
2. Is Tokodi your real name and does it mean anything – No idea, my uncle gave it to me when I was born; to me it means superman, worrier or someone amazing. So such a long name like Pascalino Lpesinoi Lenguro Tokodi is difficult for a lot of people to remember and pronounce.
3. Did you start singing and acting from a young age – In primary school singing was just for the ladies, but in high school, drama became more serious. I joined drama club when I was admitted to Lenana School and it taught me a lot.
In form three, a director called ‘Kababa’ Michael Jones came along and really changed things for me. After that I knew that this was what I wanted to do. At the time, I fused both acting and singing. He made me comfortable and easy on stage.
4. When did you start doing music professionally – It was after a competition called ‘Tecno Own The Stage’ in Nigeria where I ended up third. Then I came back and did a song and that was the beginning of my music career.
I have released a few songs but I can say Sitaki is the first one that we has put all our efforts on because it is the only one with a video.
Sitaki is a DJ Pinye project in his ‘Dreams 2 Beats’ which is meant to give up-and-coming artistes guidance on the music and business side of the industry and knowledge that will keep them relevant for decades to come.
5. Are you dating? Who is the girl in the Sitaki video – I’m very single and if I was to start dating first thing I’ll be looking for is an honesty and loyal person.
The girl in the video is called Nicki. She is ranked 12th in Africa in archery. Can’t say much about her but I think she is also single.
6. Describe your music and who inspires you – My single Sitaki is more of RnB but what I can say is there is more to come. There is a whole team behind Pascal. A few people like John Legend and Eric Wainaina inspire me. I just want to have longevity in this business. Have you ever seen Denzel Washington acting? He’s so cool, but I can’t do his accent although I can try Roberto Deniro.
7. What misconception do people have about you and what should we expect from Pascal in the future – People think I got it easy and that I knew someone somewhere because I got my first acting role after high school. What they should know is it’s my hard work that got me to where I am now.
I have a big dream and it’s really working out for me, so far so good. Expect to hear good songs very soon. All I can say is we are going to put Kenya on a map. We want to be an icon in Africa so that when South Africa, Tanzania or Nigeria hear that the song is from Kenya they can be afraid.
