Mugithi singer Lawrence Gathee Mwangi popularly known as Gathee wa Njeri is among the vernacular artists who have pursued education to high levels.
Unlike the yesteryear musicians who acquired just basic education before immersing themselves into music, today’s artists are professionals in other fields.
The first-rising artist behind the Wamunyota (thirsty one) hit song is an A student who is currently pursuing Masters in Business at Kenyatta University.
He is one of the young, talented, celebrated and highly educated Kikuyu musicians.
“I passed with a record grade that had not been achieved before in my village and it is yet to be broken” Gathee said in a youtube interview.
Gathee went to Kimathi Secondary School, a mixed day school in Gaturi, Murang’a County and he scored grade A in KCSE.
He joined KU for a Bachelors degree in Agribusiness Management and Trade that he attained a Second upper.
When results were announced his former school hired him as a biology and mathematics teacher.
The last born in family of five developed interest in music while he was in high school. While at form two he started playing guitar. A friend and his late father taught him how to play the guitar.
In 2012 he recorded his first song Wamunyota as he worked as a teacher.
When he came to Nairobi and started entertaining revelers in pubs around Githurai he was able to pay his university fees and his music career shaped rapidly.
He says; “Though I am pursuing education to higher levels, music is paying me well than would be earning from some employment”.
Fellow young mugithi artists with degrees include Kioi Junior who is an Engineer from University of Nairobi (UoN) and Eddie Gathenge who is pursuing degree in Gynecology
