A Decade on Nairobi's Streets, Then the Charts

Manzele, whose real name is Joseph Ochieng, is a Kenyan musician. In a 2023 interview with Jael Musumba of The Standard's Nairobian, he looked back on about ten years spent on the streets of Nairobi, beginning when he left school because of the situation at home.

He said that life on the streets was not easy, but at least there was peace. He explained that he and the others around him knew they had a home but could not go back to it. He also recalled times when they were mistaken for thieves and beaten, and he named a near-fatal case of mistaken identity in Mathare as a moment he will never forget.

Music was a refuge from early on. He began singing as a schoolboy, he said, to escape and forget what his family was facing. With his brother, he formed a group called Peacemakers Cru, which recorded its first song. Later he took the stage name Manzele.

His career took off with the song Banana, which he credits with launching him. A collaboration with DJ Lyta on RibaDiba then introduced him to many Kenyan DJs and media stations. He has worked with a number of other artists and brands, and his advice to those starting out is to stay flexible, build a network and invest in a good manager.