Stella Mwangi

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Stella Mwangi
Stella Mwangi (STL).JPG
Stella Mwangi at a video shoot in Nairobi, June 2012
Background information
Birth name Stella Nyambura Mwangi
Born (1986-09-01) 1 September 1986 (age 37)
Nairobi, Kenya
Origin Norway
Genres Pop, soul , Rap
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, Rapper
Website stellamwangi.com

Stella Nyambura Mwangi (born 1 September 1986),[1] also known by the stage name STL, is a Kenyan-Norwegian singer,[2] songwriter and rapper.[3] Mwangi writes a lot of her music about the situation in her home country Kenya, also about discrimination both Stella and her family had to go through after moving to Norway in 1991.[3] Her work has been used in films such as American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile and Save the Last Dance 2, and also in TV-series such as CSI: NY and Scrubs.[4] She has won several awards including; the Kisima Awards, Clops Awards and Jeermaan Awards, she is one of the most popular singers in Norway after winning the Melodi Grand Prix 2011. She started to practice playing music when she was just eight years old. She also plays the piano.

Mwangi represented Norway at The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, one year after her country hosted the event, and was eliminated in the first semi-final.

Mwangi has had hits in Kenya, Senegal, and Gambia.[3]

Mwangi's father was killed in a hit-and-run accident in February 2012.[5]

Early life

Stella was born in Murang'a in Central Province of Kenya in 1986 and spent her first 5 years there before her family moved to a small village in Norway in 1991. She went to school there and learned to speak Norwegian. Her father made sure she and her siblings learned Gikuyu language and Swahili even far away from home. He used cultural music and poetry to teach them the languages and this inspired Stella's music and her connection to the Kenyan culture.[6]

Eurovision Song Contest 2011

In 2011, Mwangi participated in the Norwegian national selection Melodi Grand Prix 2011 to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, which was held in Düsseldorf, Germany. On 12 February 2011, Mwangi emerged as the winner.

On 10 May, she represented Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Haba Haba"[7] but failed to qualify for the Eurovision final, despite being one of the big favourites of the contest.[8]

Stella first topped the official singles chart in Norway in week 6, 2011 with her winning song "Haba Haba".[9]

Discography

Albums

Album Title Album details Chart positions
NOR
[10]
Living for Music
  • Released: 20 October 2008
  • Label: MTG Productions
  • Formats: Digital download
 —
Kinanda
  • Released: 10 June 2011
  • Label: EMI Norway
  • Formats: Digital download
15

Singles

Year Single Chart positions Album
NOR
[10]
AFR
[11]
2007 "Take It Back"  –  — Living for Music
2008 "The Dreamer"  –  —
"Makelele Remix"  –  —
2010 "Smile"  –  —
2011 "Haba Haba" 1  — Kinanda
"Lookie Lookie"  – 4[11]
"Take My Time"  –  —
"Hula Hoop"  – 6[12]
2012 "Bad As I Wanna Be"  –  — TBA
"Stella Stella Stella"  –  —
2014 "Koolio"  –  —
"Biashara"
(featuring Kristoff and Khaligraph Jones)
 –  —
2015 Chukua Hatua - -

References

  1. STL MUSIC Stella Nyambura Mwangi. Brønnøysund Register Centre
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  6. [1] Archived 4 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
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  11. 11.0 11.1 [2] Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  12. [3][dead link]

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest
2011
Succeeded by
Tooji