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‘Stella’: The making of a timeless classic


Kenyan musician Freshly Mwamburi is today ‘celebrating’ 30 years since his girlfriend returned from further studies in Japan with a new man and a child.

Today being the 30th anniversary of Stella’s return, Kenyans have flooded social media with hilarious memes and videos to commiserate with the heartbroken musician.

In a recent interview with comedian Churchill (Daniel Ndambuki), Mwamburi  said that he celebrates the day every year as it’s a reminder of when a woman he loved so much broke his heart.

“I celebrate this day because it caused a great shift in my life. Every May 17 of every year I trend across many social platforms because of what happened on this frightful day,” said Mwamburi.

In the song, the musician recounts the great lengths he went to raise funds for his sweetheart to go abroad for further studies, only for the woman he loved to return home three years later with another man and a child.

“Fare kukuliwa ilianza na mimi. Mimi kwanza nilikuliwa ya ndege. But, it happened a long time ago and I accepted and moved on. We must move on and life continues,” he said.

Heartbroken, he went to the studios and, together with his Everest Kings bandmate Abdul Muyonga, recorded the song ‘Stella’ which was released in 1992 and went on to become a timeless classic hit.

The thrust him into the national limelight and enabled him to travel extensively and perform in other countries.

Mwamburi was born on November 7, 1958, on the slopes of Kilimanjaro in Wundanyi, Taita. He came into the music scene in 1980 and has had a successful music career spanning more than 40 years. He cites Franklin Boukaka as one of his musical influences.