Tributes pour in for Luhya music legend Mwendo
Gertrude Mwendo Anyika. She passed away on Friday, December 15 at Kakamega County Referral Hospital.
Messages of condolence continue pouring in following the death of music legend Gertrude Mwendo Anyika on Friday.
Mwendo, died aged 78 at the Kakamega County General Hospital on Friday, December 15, 2023. Earlier this year, she was admitted to Life Care Hospital, Eldoret before being transferred to the Kakamega facility. She succumbed to cancer.
Her songs, produced with Jacob Luseno of the famous Phonotex Success Band, rocked the waves in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Her top tunes include “Likhutsa Lia Makatiani”, “Bushuma Bwa Malika”, “Masiali”, “Ingato”, “Makuru”, “Shikwekwe”, “Cecilia” and “Ikalakala”.
She went on to find even greater success in music until recently when she started struggling with health issues.
In the early Phonotex Success Band, the main vocals were Khayati Aromba – now deceased – Mwendo and band leader Luseno who also played the rhythm guitar. Mwendo and Luseno, who died in 2006, founded Phonotex Success Band in 1965. She was aged just 20.
Her first song produced alongside Luseno was “Makatiano Wamala Khutsia” (Makatiano has already gone). It was about her father’s death.
The other song was “Shikumba Shumunyati”, about a woman who loved butchers just for meat. “Makuru” (headmen), criticises village headmen for exploiting the populace using colonial laws. “Makuru” has remained a hit to date.
Kakamega Senator, Boni Khalwale, eulogised Mwendo as the best Luhya woman singer and songwriter whose demise is a big loss to the entertaining industry.
“You are in my thoughts. Your family and friends are in my prayers. When I leant that you were indisposed, I came to visit you in the ICU, but you were not there. Rest in Peace, Queen of the Baluhyia music. Getty weruu, you were great!” Dr Khalwale said.
Family spokesman Bernard Lusuli said she incurred a medical bill of Sh2.6 million. The family is appealing for assistance to settle the bill after the family land title deed was deposited at MTRH.
Shinyalu MP, Fred Ikana said: “I’m shocked at the news of her death. The Luhya music community will miss her. We liked her musical messaging techniques championed by careful selected of words.”
