Chatting with Chantelle

Since it became a hit, Tokelezea has been riddled with controversy regarding its original writer. Winnie Wambui aka Chantelle sheds some light. She spoke to STEVENS MUENDO

Pulse: The Tokelezea collabo video with Abass is stirring heat waves with critics claiming you are abit skimpy. Do you think the video is licentious in any way?

Chantelle: I don’t really think it is. It is a classic shoot sponsored by M-Tech Communications and directed by Clarence Peters, the best video producer in Africa. I feel it is the kind of video that takes our Kenyan music art to the next level.

P: What’s with the semi-nude wilderness strolling the video?

C: Do we appear semi nude? I would say we settled on light dress code. That is a video shoot in the heat blazing Magadi. What else would we have worn?

P: The video drops one year after you released the debut hit single Tokelezea, which has propelled you into showbiz limelight. How has your lifestyle changed since?

C: Tokelezea’s success was a sweet surprise for me. I mean it was the first time I sat to pen down lyrics. In a span of 12 hours, we had recorded the song. In two days, it was out in radio charts.

P: Just hold on a bit, you mean the recording was not planned?

C: We had gone for a friend’s night party with Abass and the idea was born and executed there. In the morning, we hit the Phoenix Studio booth.

P: But word has it that you had signed-up with Phoenix...

C: That is a lie. We recorded the song there simply because Abass was working with the stable.

P: The grapevine had it Phoenix did the actual writing of the song...

C: Besides recording us, Phoenix had nothing to do with the song. I get shocked when I hear some of these things as much as I don’t have beef with the stable.

P: Is your music fame a case of girl interrupted?

C: Everything in life happens for a reason. I was modelling before Tokelezea. Now, I am taking music seriously. I am also looking forward to being a TV presenter.

P: Talking of modelling you have since terminated your contract with Versatile Modelling Agency, right?

C: The contract was only for a year. Besides, I am also a sales executive. With music coming into my life, I could only do so much.

P: You are quite young, still in collage, yet there seems to be so much going on in your life...

C: I turned 21 in February this year. I believe that life is what you make it.

My mother was my greatest inspiration before she passed when I was six years old. The environment I was raised in taught me how to focus in life.

P: Many people are of the opinion that you had a smooth lavish upbringing. Why the ghetto demeanour?

C: My dad is of Kikuyu-Maasai and Indian origin. My mum was a Kikuyu. We were raised in Limuru before we moved to Nairobi where my dad does art besides running an automobile yard. I have four brothers.

Ours is just an average family, having lived in Ngara and Calif.

P: What was with the one...two, expulsions from school, back then?

C: Consolata School insists on discipline and any simple mistake would warrant a penalty. Growing with boys made me a ‘boy’ and sometimes, I would find myself on the wrong side of school regulations. But that was just that, a girl growing up...

P: It’s in public domain that you have been living with your celebrity boyfriend, Andreo Kamau, formerly of Changing Times...

C: Mmmh! Can I confirm that? Let’s say you said it!

P: So is that a yes?

C: Andreo and I started dating long before we came into the public spotlight so our affair is not driven by fame. We met in South B and clicked.

Last year, during Valentine’s Day, which happens to be his birthday, we decided to take our relationship to the next level.

P: Word has it that his parents are taking it seriously and even invited you to spend last Christmas holidays with the family in Nakuru...

C: When you are truly in love, you have nothing to hide. We went to Nakuru and spent the season with the family. We had a pretty good time.

P: How is it when a celebrity dates another?

C: My opinion? Normal! To me, he is not a celebrity but a lover and a friend. When we go out to party, girls will always want to hit on him as much as guys would like to hit on me. That’s normal. We are not insecure.

P: What about the Abass vibe, him and you having a thing?

C: (Laughs) Abass? To him, I am a boy...

P: Last year you were nominated for Kisima Awards and now CHAT Awards. What does this mean to you as a rising star?

C: Awards are motivating. They are a proof that you are doing something worth noting and that your fans love you. It is power to the fans!

P: What’s your take to haters who would dismiss you as a one- hit wonder?

C: It is so ignorant for one to talk about you when they don’t even know or share in your dream. I can only let them be. My determination to music super dome is undeterred.

P: Do we expect any new hits soon?

C: Sooner than you can imagine. I have been working in different studios and doing collabos with different artistes. Besides, I am now signed to Sahara. A lot is in the pipeline.