Up-close and candid with ‘The Lovechild’

Kenyan Reggae and Dancehall sensation Kevin Wyre has not only made a name in the region but has also worked with internationally acclaimed musicians like Morgan Heritage, Cecile Charlton and Alaine Laughton among others. Known to his fans as The Lovechild, Wyre is one of the most loved urban musical personalities in the region, thanks to his popular tunes She Say Dat, Sina Makosa and Kenyan Boy Kenyan Girl, among other hits. Wyre was recently in Kigali for the Swagg Party. Collins Mwai caught up with the singer for a chat. Below are excerpts. Some say pretty women, others the security and the hills. For you what is the best thing about Rwanda? The people are friendly. That’s why I keep coming back and they appreciate music; African music. There is no better feeling than being on stage and people are singing along to your music back to back. There is a very good appreciation of African music here. You have been doing music for a while now, most of the people you began with lost relevance, but you have managed to stay on top this long. How did you do it? I take time to study my audience; they keep changing, growing and maturing. Your music has to do the same if you stick to one time frame you rarely progress career wise. I also listen to my fans. When I am signing an autograph and someone asks ‘why don’t you do another song like one you did back in the day?’ I take that into consideration and I might do a song in a similar style. You recently broke a ceiling which has held down most of the regional artistes by working with world renowned artistes like Morgan Heritage and Alaine Laughton amongst others. How did you pull off that? One project leads to another. When artistes outside the region hear your name being mentioned often, and like your style, they want to work with you, doors open up. I also like networking when I go to awards and concerts. I keep exchanging contacts and staying in touch and I think that too has helped. As an artiste, who do you look up to? When I started out it was Michael Jackson though the first Reggae Mixtape I owned was by Don Carlos. Right now my favourite artiste of all times is Damien Marley and I would like to work with him some time in future. I am also looking to work with Tarrus Reily in the near future. You began out as East Africa Bashment Crew with Nazizi and Bebe Cool, did you fall out? It is still there but we have been busy pushing our solo projects. That’s why we have not had much time to work together. About two months ago we did Bebe Cool’s launch and it went well. So we are still together. You are now a father and husband, has that changed you? Being a family man makes you step up your hustle. You have extra mouths to feed so you have to put more effort in whatever it is you do. It also keeps you more focused as an individual. It makes you a better person. What does it take to do music professionally as you have? You need to put time in it and research on what it is you want to do. If you want to be a vocalist get a trainer to make you one of the best, same thing applies to production don’t take things for granted. Don’t over rely on talent, beat on your craft and perfect it. One thing we don’t know about you? I eat a lot but I don’t know where the food goes. Amongst the places that you have performed in the world, what was the best that blew your mind? Jamaica. We had a show, an acoustic show and all the artistes came to show support. It was dubbed ‘Conversations from Nairobi to Kingston’, for me that was a great honour. What is the weirdest thing that has happened to you on stage? Some fans almost pulled my pants down when I got too close to them, luckily my belt was tight and security helped me out. It was the excitement; they wanted a piece of me. Being in the spotlight internationally do you ever feel like you are under pressure? And how have you managed to keep your life private? Though my career is in the limelight, I cherish and highly value my private life and I protect it. That is what has kept me sane because at times the limelight can get crazy with the schedules and stuff. At times you just want time alone for yourself. As for kids looking up to me, I live my life. As long as you are a public figure you have a social responsibility because people look up to you. You have a moral obligation to set a moral example. At any point did you go to university? Yes I did. I studied Mass Communication with the intention of doing music production. That’s where I picked up my production skills.

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Up-close and candid with ‘The Lovechild’