| Intro | Kenyan musicians |
| Is | Singer |
| From | Kenya |
| Type | Music |
| Gender | female |
| Birth |
1 January 1978, Kenya |
| Age | 43 years |
Henrie Mutuku (pronounced /hɛnriːˈmʊtʊkʊ/) is a Kenyan Gospel Singer.
Early life
Mutuku was born in Nairobi in 1978, the firstborn with three brothers to Mr. and Mrs. Mutuku. She grew up in the Eastlands, a densely populated area in Nairobi inhabited by generally low income residents, and from a very young age was exposed to a diverse range of music styles including R&B, Reggae, Rap, Benga, Lingala and other African blends of music.
She learnt to sing and play the piano, and started performing early in life at family gatherings before graduating to singing in Sunday School class in a neighborhood church and later with the church choir. Mutuku considered pursuing a singing career during high school, where she was an active member of the Drama Club and Choir mistress for the school choir.
She is fluent in Swahili, English, Kamba (her mother-tongue) and Sheng.
Music career
Henrie started working in music with local Christian artists like Izzo and Pete Odera as a background vocalist. She later featured predominantly in a 2002 compilation album ‘Rebirth’ produced by Soul Child Inc. Her career was catapulted after duel winning the KORA 2002 Best Artiste East Africa (with Eric Wainaina).
Henrie Mutuku’s debut album was “Simama” (Stand) which has gone on to contribute hit songs like “Usichoke” (featuring Roughtone and R.K) and “Manzi wa Maana” (featuring K.J. of Redykulass-a Kenyan comedy troupe). She has also featured prominently in popular music countdown radio shows like Kiss 100’s “Smirnoff Top 7 songs in Nairobi”, East Africa FM Radio’s ‘Link’ and Kampala FM as voted by listeners. ‘Manzi wa Maana’ especially captured the hearts of young ladies, swiftly becoming an anthem of chastity and virtue, all the while redefining the true essence of a beautiful African woman. She has since recorded another music video for the song ‘Amini’, taken off her album ‘Simama’.
Henrie Mutuku has curtain raised for Bebo Norman at two concerts, allowing her to make her first music video, “Nakuhitaji” (I Need you), created by the local Family T.V. for the promotion of the Bebo Norman Tour. She then recorded yet another music video for the song “Amini” (Believe), a feature in her album ‘Simama’.
In 2003 she won 2 Kisima Awards for Best Female Artiste and Best Contemporary Gospel Artiste. She was also nominated for a KORA Award in 2003.
Henrie Mutuku actively participates in fundraising and awareness activities for HIV/AIDS prevention, AIDS orphans and patients, the Protecting Life Movement in Kenya and Bible translation and literacy.
Henrie Mutuku, after being away from the music scene for almost 10 years (from 2004), came back in 2014 with a new track by the name “Langu” off the album “Tena” (Again). In February 2017, Henrie officially launched the “Tena” album, a continuation of her first “Simama” album, for which she was reported to indicate that it is “different because she did not limit herself and tried new sounds and worked with a different producer, one David Higham.”
Songs
Songs written by Henrie Mutuku include:
-
Simama (2002)
- “Nakuhitaji”
- “Manzi wa Maana”
- “Usichoke” (Co-written by Rufftone and RKay)
- “Amini”
- “Kunaye Mungu”
- “Ona”
- “Songa Mbele”
-
Tena (2014)
- “Langu” (4 April 2014)
- “Naomba” (31 March 2015)
Discography
The following is a list by year of albums done by Henrie Mutuku.
| Year | Featured on | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Simama (Henrie Mutuku) | First solo studio album release |
| 2014 | Tena (Henrie Mutuku) | Second solo studio album (to be fully released) |
Personal life
Henrie Mutuku got married to her fiancé, Charles Njau, on 21 April 2014.