The ‘Unbwogable’ hit song saved our lives and careers – Gidi Gidi
Joseph Ogidi, known as Gidi Gidi, part of the iconic Gidi Gidi Maji Maji duo, recently shared insights into the creation of their hit song, “Unbwogable,” and its profound impact on their lives.
In an interview with ‘The Art of Living’, Gidi delved into the origins of the song and how it transformed their careers.
“When the idea came, we were almost giving up on our music career,” Gidi revealed.
“We had done like 18 songs in one album in 2000. Some of the songs have never been heard even today. And our music was not giving us money.”
“Unbwogable” emerged in 2002, amidst frustrations and challenges they faced at the time.
While many associate the song with elections, for Gidi and Maji Maji, it was a reflection of their life experiences.
“It was not about the elections. We did that song purely out of the life frustrations that we were going through at that time,” Gidi said.
Recalling the moment of inspiration, Gidi shared:
“Maji Maji came to the school where I was and asked me, what do we do now? We are just from doing an album but we are still not making money. I had returned to school and decided that I did not want to do music anymore. Maji encouraged me and I told him, I think we are unbwogable. That is how we came up with the song, and it became a hit, and politicians ran with it.”
The success of “Unbwogable” led to significant opportunities, including a record deal with Gallo Record Company, marking a milestone for Kenyan urban musicians.
“We got a record deal as the first Kenyan urban musicians to get the deal with Gallo Record Company,” Gidi reminisced.
“When they called us there, we were still young and naive, we were in the boardroom, and they explained to us that Afrobeat was the future of music.”
Reflecting on his journey, Gidi offered valuable advice to young people, urging them to seize opportunities and be mindful of their financial decisions.
“After that, you might struggle to get such an opportunity. That was a lesson that we had learnt, and we started investing and we were so careful with the money we would get from the gigs,” Gidi cautioned. “With entertainment, never assume that fame will stay forever.”