Deaf man defies odds to launch successful music career

  Douglas Munyendo, an artiste with a hearing disability, who still pursues his desire for recording music. PHOTOS: NANJINIA WAMUSWA/COURTESY  

Douglas Munyendo’s affinity for music started during his childhood when he saw people on television and in church sing and dance. At first he developed interest in dancing since he couldn’t hear the sound of the music.

You see, twenty-four-year old Munyendo is deaf.  He was born with hearing ability but an illness left him deaf.

Despite this, his curiosity to know what people were dancing to attracted him to singing.

“I realised if l just dance, l would never understand music, which goes hand in hand with dance,” begins Munyendo, through music interpreter Jack Owiti.

At one point he abandoned music to concentrate on school with the hope of becoming a banker. Born in Musanda area, Butere District in Kakamega County, he joined Mumias School for the Deaf and later Nyang’oma Secondary School in Bondo, where he completed in 2010.

Unfortunately, it was in primary school where his hopes of becoming a banker were crushed. His teacher warned him that a banker’s job is not for the deaf that he would not find a college and even if he did, no one would employ him.

TEMPORARY REPRIEVE

Munyendo got discouraged but resolved to complete school. However, this reprieve was also short-lived as his family could only let him have a secondary school education.

“No one cared about me, because of my disability. I felt like the world had rejected me,” he shares.

He travelled to Nairobi and settled with his cousin in Dandora, where he briefly worked for a bottling company as a loader before shifting to washing cars. However, he abandoned this due to communication challenges.

“No one understood me. I had to walk with a paper and pen to write and communicate. And this was for those who could read and write,” he recalls.

When everything seemed to fail, Munyendo revisited his passion for music. He went to Sarakasi dome in Ngara and trained to dance and perform through signs. He appreciates a lady called Faith who mentored him.

The he started recording songs. Munyendo had met Kizito Muleka of Signs Media Kenya, an organisation that aids those with hearing challenges. Signs Media Kenya started scouting for events where he could perform.

“Finding special events where he can perform is a big challenge. However, we are doing our best, especially through social media like Facebook, Twitter as well as referrals from friends,” says Getanda.

In January 2012, Signs Media Kenya in partnership with the Embassy of Finland invited a world-feted deaf rap artiste Marko Vuoriheimo, popularly known as Signmark to Kenya, to perform music in sign, where Munyendo curtain-raised.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

He says that was his most memorable event. He’s also performed in events such as Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) gala night, Carnivore, Sarit Centre and KICC.

He has two songs, Proudly Kenyan (2012), a patriotic song and Story ya Machampions (July 2013), both of which are about people with disabilities who excel in various fields.

In the song Story ya Machampions, he partnered with Hubert Nakitare, popularly known as Nonini. In the video, he uses sign language while Nonini raps.

He says he picked on Nonini because he was already working with people with disabilities through his organisation, Colour Kwa Face, which campaigns against discrimination of people with albinism.

From January next year, Munyendo plans to hit the road and perform in schools for the deaf across the country.

The tour starts in January, and ends in April. He’s already performed in Kerugoya and Nyahururu primary schools.

MEET PRESIDENT

He wishes to meet President Uhuru Kenyatta and share with him the challenges that deaf people go through.

“I would also teach the President sign language, so that when he visits schools for the deaf, he can personally communicate through sign language.

He’s the President of this country and this would show deaf people he loves them,” he opines.

Still the biggest challenge he faces is communication. He’d combed tens of studios that rejected him, before Bruce Odhiambo’s studio and Wide Concept Africa recorded his two songs. Popular artiste, Jaguar, also came in handy by sponsoring the recording.

“You go to a studio and once they realise you are deaf, no one wants to hear your story.”

Also, for him to perform, an interpreter also has to be around. During recording and performances, he ‘sings’ through sign and he’s able to feel the beat. The one voicing then follows the rhythm and beat. Apart from singing, Munyendo also writes songs and dances. He performs hip-hop.

He wishes to collaborate with other artistes.