Mugithi is a well-loved style of music that originated from the Mt Kenya region of Kenya. Typically, it features one musician who performs on a guitar and sings in the Kikuyu language. The genre has been dominated by Samuel Muchoki, also known as Samidoh, who started his career in 2016 and has earned the title of ‘King of the Mugithi Jangle.’ However, a new talent is emerging and giving Samidoh a run for his money – John Waithaka Mwangi, aka Waithaka wa Jane.
Waithaka wa Jane was born in 1998 in Mathioya in Murang’a County and is the youngest in a family of eight siblings. He joined the music industry in 2016, playing drum sets and guitar for veteran musician Mr. Pato Wa Gathoni. He honed his skills before venturing out as a solo artist in 2020. Despite the pandemic hitting the economy hard and gigs drying up, Waithaka continued to work hard and was even willing to take low pay when he was approached by vernacular radio stations.
His hard work paid off in early 2021 as his career took off, and he has since become the new king of Mugithi in the Mt Kenya region, dethroning veteran artist Samidoh. Waithaka is now a highly sought-after one-man guitarist in Nairobi and has released both gospel and secular hits that are available in audio and audio-visual formats. He is now booked three months in advance and attributes his success to God.
Samidoh recognizes Waithaka as a talented musician with a bright future ahead of him. He acknowledges that in the music industry, fortunes can change quickly and advises Waithaka to make the most of his success and be prepared for the ups and downs that come with the territory.
